My easy Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe yields a perfectly spiced, creamy cheesecake nestled in a buttery homemade crust. It’s a fan-favorite that looks impressive on a plate, but it is easy to make (no water baths here!).
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Helpful Reader Review
“Hands down the best cheesecake recipe. I will use any excuse, any holiday as an occasion to make this. Everyone in my family loves it.” – Alex ★★★★★
Pumpkin Cheesecake Video
Pumpkin Cheesecake has been one of the most popular recipes on my blog for years (the reviews speak for themselves!) I added a video tutorial and added some great tips to prevent cracks without using a water bath.
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe mixes Cheesecake (the creamy filling and crunchy buttery crust) with Pumpkin Pie (the iconic pumpkin and fall spices) for the ultimate dessert.
This pumpkin cheesecake is so easy and delicious by itself, but it is just over-the-top impressive when you add some of my easy Butterscotch Sauce or Caramel and rum-infused Whipped Cream. Make this velvety-smooth pumpkin cheesecake up to 5 days ahead for easy holiday entertaining.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust
- Crackers – You can buy graham cracker crumbs, or crush 13 whole graham crackers for 1 1/2 cups of crumbs. You can substitute with gingersnap cookies, Vanilla wafers (Nilla Wafers), Shortbread cookies, or Biscoff (speculoos) cookies.
- Add-Ins – unsalted butter, sugar, and cinnamon
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ingredients
For consistent results, use room-temperature ingredients to get that velvety pumpkin cheesecake texture.
- Cream cheese – room temperature – to warm it up quickly, cut the cream cheese into small cubes, place them on a plate, and let sit at room temperature for 15–20 minutes
- Brown sugar – Use packed light brown sugar. “Packed” is when it holds its shape as it comes out of the measuring cup
- Pumpkin puree – I prefer Libby’s 100% pure pumpkin because (see why below). A well-drained homemade pumpkin puree will work. I’ve also tested this with canned pumpkin pie mix with great results.
- Eggs – To quickly bring to room temperature, set eggs in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Sour cream – cuts the heaviness of the cream cheese, while giving a creamy texture
- Flour – acts as a stabilizer to give the cheesecake strength and prevent cracking, measure correctly
- Flavorings – Use store-bought or make your own Pumpkin Pie Spice and Vanilla Extract.
Pro Tip:
The best pumpkin filling for my cheesecake recipe is Libby’s brand because other brands tend to be too watery and lighter in color. This is the brand I recommend for all of my pumpkin recipes, from my Pumpkin Roll to Pumpkin Pancakes.
How to Make a Graham Cracker Crust
- Prep – Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. You could also put graham crackers in a large zip-top bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs.
- Bake – mix the crust ingredients together in a bowl, and then press into a 9-inch springform pan. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet (to catch butter drips), and bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. Reduce the oven temp to 325˚F.
How to Make a Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Beat the cream cheese and brown sugar for 5 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed (Now it’s similar to a yummy frosting!)
- Make Pumpkin Filling – Whisk together the remaining filling ingredients, and add them to the cream cheese mixture on low speed until just combined.
- Bake – Pour the filling into the cooled pie crust, then tap it several times on the counter to release any bubbles. Place a loaf pan half-filled with water next to the cheesecake on the center rack and bake for 50-60 minutes. When the edges are set, but the center 3 inches is still wobbly, turn off the oven and prop the door open with a wooden spoon to let the cheesecake cool for 30 minutes. Note: If you have a gas oven, you can leave the door closed and turn the oven off since gas ovens cool much faster.
- Chill – Remove from the oven and run a knife around the edges to release tension and cool to room temperature on a rack, then cover and chill for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Serve – Remove the springform pan and slice the cake. The cheesecake itself is not too sweet, so the toppings complement it nicely. I start with a drizzle of Caramel Sauce or Butterscotch Sauce on each slice, pipe on Whipped Cream, and dust with pumpkin spice.
Pro Tip:
I love serving pumpkin cheesecake with festive Rum-infused Whipped Cream (1 cup cream, 2 Tbsp sugar, & 1 tsp of rum instead of vanilla).
How to Prevent Cracks in Pumpkin Cheesecake?
- Reduce bubbles – Avoid overmixing or mixing on high speed, which creates air bubbles, and tap the filled pan on the counter to release air.
- Add water – Adding steam will keep the cheesecake moist to prevent cracks.
- Keep the oven closed – If you open the oven too early or too often, it creates temperature swings, which contribute to cracking.
- Avoid overbaking! This is HUGE – bake until the cheesecake is still wobbly in the center 3″. Since not all ovens are created equal, check for doneness in the last 10 minutes.
- Cool slowly – propping the door open with a wooden spoon prevents sudden temperature changes and prevents cracks.
- Loosen the cheesecake from the pan as soon as it comes out of the oven to reduce tension.
Sometimes, even if you’ve done everything right, you might get a tiny crack. If it does happen, cover the top with Caramel Sauce, Candied Pecans, Ganache, or whipped cream. It will still taste great!
Make-Ahead and Storage
Once the pumpkin cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, cover and chill until cold and fully set (at least 4 hours or overnight).
- To Refrigerate: Keep leftovers tightly covered in the fridge for up to 5 days. It keeps best if stored without toppings.
- Freezing: Tightly wrap the cheesecake in plastic wrap and foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add your toppings just before serving.
Everyone loves my popular pumpkin cheesecake recipe because the cheesecake is velvety and smooth with a buttery graham cracker crust. Top with caramel sauce and homemade whipped cream for the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert!
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 13 whole graham crackers
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 15 oz pumpkin puree, Libby's brand, or well-drained homemade puree*
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, plus more to dust
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Prep – Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Bake – In a medium bowl, stir together the crust ingredients – graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan with 3" tall walls and use a large spoon to press crumbs into the bottom of your springform pan, going about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Place on a foil-lined sheet pan to catch any drippings and bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature.
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- Beat the cream cheese– Preheat to 325°F. In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat softened cream cheese and brown sugar on med speed until light and fluffy and without lumps (5 min), scraping down the bowl once to make sure you don't have chunks of cream cheese.
- Mix the pumpkin – In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together pumpkin puree, eggs, sour cream, flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cream cheese filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Bake – Transfer the filling into the pre-baked and cooled crust, and then tap the pan on the counter 15 times to release air bubbles. Place a loaf pan half filled with hot water (steam helps prevent cracks), and your cheesecake on the center rack and bake at 325˚F for 50-60 minutes* or until the edges are set and there is a slight wobble in the center 3" of the cheesecake when you jolt the pan. Turn the oven off and prop the door open with a wooden spoon for 30 minutes to cool slowly. Note: If you have a gas oven, turn the oven off and leave the door closed since gas ovens cool much faster.
- Chill and Serve – Once the cheesecake is out of the oven, run a knife around the edges of the pan (helps release tension), then cool on a rack until room temperature; about 2 hours. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. To serve, carefully remove chilled cheesecake from the springform pan, cut into slices, and add your desired toppings.
Notes
*Bake Times: Not all ovens are created equal so check your cheesecake for doneness before pulling it out of the oven. If your oven doesn’t preheat fully, it may take 60-70 minutes in the oven. Storage and Make-Ahead Tips:
- Make Ahead – bake and cool the cheesecake. Cover tightly and chill for up to 5 days in the fridge. Add toppings when ready to serve.
- Freeze – wrap the chilled cheesecake (I keep it in the mold), or individual slices in plastic wrap and foil, or place in a freezer-safe ziptop bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and add toppings just before serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Fall Baking Recipes
Fall always puts me in the mood to bake, so here are a few of my favorite recipes we repeat each year.
- Apple Pie
- Pumpkin Bread
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
- Apple Turnovers
- Baklava
- Carrot Cake
- Apple Crisp
- Baked Apples
- Cinnamon Rolls
I needed – what I thought would be a quick – dessert to bring to a last minute Friendsgiving to make with ingredients I already had in the house. I will say the “total time” listed in this recipe as 1 hour 30 minutes is misleading, because it does not account for the chill time – but – I was already halfway through before I saw those instructions, so I went with it and figured the worst that could happen is that we’d be eating pumpkin cheesecake custard – which to be fair, not such a bad thing in the end. I followed the recipe exactly except I DID use a water bath (remember to use HOT water if you do this.) baked for 1 hour, cracked the door to the oven with the wooden spoon and didn’t even look at it – left it like that for another hour. I opened the oven to a perfect cheesecake – no cracks! Got it out of the oven and onto a cooling rack, still in the springform pan and left it like that for another 45 minutes until I had to leave – there was no time for refrigeration! I packed a pot full of ice and put the cheesecake on top and hoped – by the time dessert was served, the cheesecake was perfectly set and absolutely delicious and a huge hit. I would most definitely make this again! (But I’d recommend to the author to include cooling time at the top of the recipe to avoid panic from others who have also never made a cheesecake before)
Hey Lauren, great to hear that it was a success! Thanks so much or sharing your experience trying Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe. I’m so glad that you loved it!
Yes! The cooking time got me as well. I waited until Thanksgiving morning to make this and got a late start, so I was pretty stressed once I figured out there was much more to the process. Still tasted great!
Made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving..Never made a cheese cake before in my life..Absolutely everyone loved it! My son keeps telling me it is the best cheesecake ever! Thank you 🙂
I’m so glad it was enjoyed! Thank you for sharing!
Got many compliments on the taste and everyone loved this cheesecake! However, mine also came out with big deep cracks in the middle – twice. I baked it first time on Wed evening after reading all the comments and making sure I follow the recipe and temp instructions. Cracked 20 min after cooling in the oven. I thought may be I overmixed the batter. Next morning I re-did it and tried to mix less and still came out with deep crack…
Made exactly as written and it was the hit of my Thanksgiving get together! The whole thing was gone in 10 minutes and I’ve already been asked to make two for attendees’ upcoming birthdays! Doubt I’ll ever go back to pie this was phenomenal!
Hi Meg! That’s wonderful to hear. I’m so glad it was a hit!
Just made this tonight and it’s lovely! But I took it out of the oven when it was time and there’s a big crack in the middle of the cake. What would have caused this? I did open the oven twice while it was baking – but that was it. Is that what caused it?
Hi Jen, opening the oven while it’s baking is more than likely the culprit. Introducing cold air and so quickly will result in a crack. We recommend not opening the oven when baking a cheesecake.
I changed my rating because even though the cake had cracks, my guests loved it! I used pumpkin puree and my family loved the flavor.
Thank you for the update, Connie!
The flavor was good, but the crust was a little tricky to form and the cheesecake cracked.
HI Julianna, without more info it’s hard to say what went wrong but for the crust, make sure to use the correct amount of butter – if you use less, it doesn’t stay together well. Cracking is typically from either over-baking or cooling too quickly.
This was amazing. My first time making any cheesecake. We didn’t add any topping and it was delicious.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Made this for Thanksgiving today and it was a hit. Light texture and just the right amount of pumpkin flavor! Next time I want to cook the crust just slightly longer as it wasn’t as firm and crunchy as I normally like it. Also, it did crack. But, I filled it in with whipped cream and caramel. No harm no foul! Overall great recipe.
My son, not a cheesecake lover, ate almost the whole thing himself! This was the best recipe!!
Aaaw, thanks so much for this wonderful feedback.
So I have made this recipe 4 times now. Everyone LOVES the flavor BUT the bake hasn’t been perfect once. I followed the instructions to a T, the cheesecake baked up over the top of the pan & cracked all over the place during the bake process. The other 3 times I used a water bath & it looked perfect, but it still had a pudding consistency in the middle regardless of how long I baked it. However, I didn’t do the slow cooldown process when using the water bath, so I guess I will try it a 5th time & see how it comes out. Any suggestions to get the perfect bake would be much appreciated!
HI Melissa, are you using a convection oven and also does your oven have issues with not getting hot enough? An in-oven thermometer can help determine that. My own oven is under-heated by 25 degrees when it says it’s preheated so I have to let it heat longer. Also, with a water bath, make sure to use hot water in the pan.
Followed directions exactly. Put in 8″ square springform. Absolutely delicious!
Great to hear that it was a huge hit, Lisa!
I didn’t notice that pumpkin pie filling and pumpkin purée was different and I used the pumpkin purée without adding the sugar/extra spices,will is still be sweet enough? I am making’s a caramel sauce to go on top.
Hi shay, normally when using puree you will need to add sugar and other spices to balance the flavor. I bet the caramel on top will help it, I hope you love this recipe.
I was wondering I accidentally didn’t see my pure vanilla extract and used imitation vanilla but based what I read online doubled the amount since it’s not as strong. I also used the 15 ounce can of 100% pure pumpkin because it was the same brand and the pumpkin pie filling 30oz can…are those the same or different?
Last question is I followed the instructions, didn’t open until the end when I used a wood spoon to just crack it open and I still have a big crack. Any tips to avoid this next time? Usually I use water baths when baking cheesecake but my recipe doesn’t call for sour cream so followed this as stated.
Hi Kailee! Pure pumpkin and pumpkin pie filling are not the same. Pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices to it and pumpkin puree does not. cracking can be caused by a few things, over-mixing the batter which creates too much air, the temperature of ingredients, the oven heat being too high. A water bath is not necessary for this but you can still use one, it will just change the texture a bit.
This recipe tastes great but it’s designed without the use of a water bath and a very low baking time on the crust which makes it crumbly underneath. I decided to give it a shot after having used a classic Joy of Cooking recipe for the same dessert, and this cheesecake cracked enormously down the middle during the second soft cooking phase with the oven open. Other recipes usually call for a water bath, or if not, a tented cooling afterwards. So, overall, this is a very tasty cheesecake (followed the directions exactly, converted volume to weight for accuracy etc), but it’s too much work to end up with a cracked product. Go the extra mile with a different recipe calling for a water bath and a different cooling method next time.
Second time I make this and it’s so delicious! Big tip for everyone if you want it to have a flat top without it cracking or caving in is to bake it in a water bath. The pie looks store bought after doing this!!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Yesenia!
This looks amazing. I just pulled mine out of the oven and it looks so good and I already know the batter was delicious! Haha. That being said, I did end up with a giant crack. I thought I followed the instructions exactly but upon reading other comments, I think it may be because I opened the oven when the initial timer went off to look at them and then closed it with a spoon propping it open. Should I have just opened it the tiny bit? Could that brief second of air be the culprit? I’m sure it is going to be amazing and I’m going to make the toppings so I am not worried about it, but this was my first “real” cheesecake and I’d LOVE to get better at it!!!! 😉
Hi Britney, introducing colder air quickly like that was likely the culprit, unfortunately. I hope you still love it!
Do I need to use a hot water bath with this cheesecake I’m making this for Thanksgiving tomorrow.
Hi Lori, There’s no need for a water bath with this cheesecake – it also changes the texture a little bit to bake in a water bath. Following the instructions will help prevent a crack – the slow cool down is very important for the cake to settle down without cracking.
I make this every year and my family and I absolutely love this recipe. Is there something I can do to go the cheesecake from cracking?
Hi Teairra, following the instructions will help prevent a crack – the slow cool down is very important for the cake to settle down without cracking.
Hi Natasha, I just made your pumpkin cheesecake tonight. Mine came out with deep cracks and it looks like custard.
Is this normal?
Hi Veronica! I’m sorry that was the case. Did you make any substitutions or skip any steps? It’s very important to allow the full cooling time in the oven as mentioned in step 4. Other factors are, the temperature of the ingredients, over mixing the batter, the oven running too hot. The cheesecake will continue to set as it cools and the texture will change. Every oven bakes different so it may require some adjusting. I highly encourage the use of an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to ensure it’s calibrated.
I hope you’re able to salvage it and still enjoy the cheesecake. You can cover it with whipped cream to hide the cracks as well.
Thank you for your quick reply. I didn’t change anything, I followed the whole recipe. My biggest concern is that it looks like custard. I just hope it doesn’t have that texture when I cut it tomorrow
Do you have any suggestions for if we don’t have sour cream or want to run out and get it (don’t actually like sour cream)
Hi Chaz! I have not tested an alternative to advise.
I was wondering the same. What if I use regular purée pumpkin?
Hi Jackie, if using regular puree you will need to adjust and add sugar and spices to the mix. I hope you love this recipe.