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
Do you have to spray the pan? I forgot and it is already in the oven.
Hi Kel! No, that’s not necessary. I hope you love the recipe!
Perfect, thank you for the fast response! It was absolutely delicious, great recipe!
That’s great, Kel! Thanks for the update.
I have made this several times and is outrageously delicious. I want to convert to cup cakes for my brothers special needs friends. They go gaga over it. Just wondering what would have to change other than the obvious cooking time? And what the cooking time and temp would be? Love your site. Super yummy ideas. Thank you!
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! I have not tried making this into mini cheesecake cupcakes yet, to advise of the cooking time and any adjustments in the recipe.
Can this be made ahead and frozen? ( The pumpkin pie cheesecake recipe) It looks great.
Hi Sharon! Yes, cheesecake freezes well. You’ll want to wrap it really well. Double wrap in plastic wrap, then in foil, to prevent freezer burn. Thaw it in the refrigerator.
Perfect. Thanks for your quick response.
I absolutely love this recipe and I was wondering if you have any tips or tricks to make mini cheesecake cupcakes? How long and what temperature I should cook them at? Thank youuu!!!
Glad to hear that, Sierra! I have not tried making this into mini cheesecake cupcakes to advise.
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.
Added my own touch by substituting day old mini cinnamon raison bagel for the crust and some ricotta cheese into the mix in addition to sour cream , but this was an excellent recipe and turned out stellar . Family loved it !!
i have made this twice now and hands down best pumpkin cheesecake
That’s wonderful, Christine! I’m so glad you loved it!
I’ve made this recipe twice, and it turned out great both times. I have to bake it a fair bit longer than the recipe calls for, but it works out fine with the extra bake time. I’m not sure how to check for doneness without opening the oven and jiggling the cake a bit, so I do that and it cracks…but who cares because that doesn’t impact the taste of the cake.
I do wish the recipe included ingredients by weight, as it is easier, faster, and more precise than measuring.
Hi, I have added metric measurements so hopefully that is helpful. I’m so glad you enjoy the pumpkin cheesecake!
Another awesome recipe … Thank you!!! I had to make this diabetic-friendly so I used a sucralose brown sugar blend and sucralose in place of sugar. I only had 9 cinnamon graham crackers so I cut the butter down to 4.5 T. and the crust still came out perfect at 8 minutes in a convection oven.
I used pumpkin puree instead of pie filling and added some homemade pumpkin spice (cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves) and sucralose to make it taste better. The cheesecake did crack pretty bad but it also sank in the middle leaving a little ridge around the edge so I just filled all that in with a sugar free cream cheese filling I use for berries and fruit. I took this to a New Year’s Day dinner with friends and neighbors and they all loved it!
p.s. I don’t know why some people are so mean. If they’re so worried about what it looks like, why don’t they make it in advance and see what happens in their hands? This is a rock solid recipe that I will be making over and over again. DELICIOUS!!!
Hi Jeremy! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. We have excellent results with this recipe and I’m so glad you loved it, even with the substitutions. Thanks for sharing.
I made this twice. Both times.. so delicious… you really need to warn folks about NOT eating the crust before it makes its way to the pan… LOL… so good! BTW, the second time I forgot to buy sour cream and made the decision to sub in plain Greek yogurt in same amount- Just as good in terms of flavor and texture! I also used your recipe for the pumpkin pie seasoning mix, saving some $$ as well. Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much for the feedback! I’m so glad you enjoy the recipe!
My family thinks this is the best cheesecake I have ever made and I have to agree! I did bake over a waterbath (old habits die hard) and it was perfect! No cracks! Keeper for sure!
That’s wonerful feedback. Thank you so much for sharing!
First time making this and it turned out great! I baked my own pumpkin for this. The only thing I changed was using 3/4c of sugar instead of 1 1/2c and it still tastes great!
Thank you for sharing, Julia! So glad you loved it.
I made this for a holiday desert. I had never made a cheesecake. It was wonderful, even my husband who doesn’t eat pumpkin pie liked it. I had to improvise cooking since. Didn’t have a spring pan. I will make this again, so yummy.
Great job, good to hear that you both enjoyed it!
I made this for a holiday desert. I had never made a cheesecake. It was wonderful, even my husband who doesn’t eat pumpkin pie liked it. I had to improvise cooking since I Didn’t have a spring pan. I will make this again, so yummy.
Great job! Good to know that you both enjoyed the Pumpkin Cheesecake.
I thought this was an easy quick pumpkin cheesecake. Followed the recipe 98% as I only had an 8″ springform to bake the cake in. I live at 3600′ and usually have to bake everything longer. The cake was jinglely after an hour so I rolled the dice and just followed directions, left it in the oven with the door propped open with a wooden spoon. I just took it out of the oven after the last 45 minutes and it looks delicious although it does have few cracks…who cares. I going to cover it with whipped cream and serve with homemade caramel sauce. Crack/Smack. Because I used an 8″ I had some leftover uncooked batter that I put in cupcake holders and baked for 35 minutes and these were delicious too!! This recipe took 1/2 as long to make as my last cheesecake. If you want to spice it up use ginger snaps for the crust and some nutmeg in the batter.
Hi Pam, thank you for sharing the details and tips for adding ginger snaps and nutmeg. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!
I am not sure how it taste but I can say for sure as a mature cook I had a crack in the middle as soon as I took it out and transferred it to another oven. I think in my area of Florida it needed another 20 minutes of cook time, I am upset but will either cut them or fill with Carmel. I still think it’s gonna taste great will make it again but will add twenty minutes and leave the entire rest time in the oven.
Can I substitute the 2 tablespoons of flour with cornstarch starch and if so, how and how much? Would love to try this without crust as gluten free for Christmas Eve and daughter can’t have gluten. I have a bunch of pumpkin I cooked then froze and have been eyeing this recipe for awhile 👍
Hi Gwyn, without testing that myself, I can’t really recommend a gluten-free sub like corn starch. Maybe someone else has tried making it gluten free? Thanks in advance!!
Thanks!! I’ll just use the 1:1 flour substitute as mentioned in the comment below. 👍 I’ll report back, making it tonight.
It was a hit, thank you so much. I used the GF one for one and had the pie crust as a crumble for topping along with the caramel and whipped cream. It cracked big time following your instructions but my cheesecakes always crack 😩
I was wondering if I could replace the flour with gluten free flour? My daughter can’t have gluten? Thank you
HI JW, I have had several readers report great results substituting with a 1:1 baking flour and then using a gluten free graham cracker for the crust.
Cracked right down the middle. Should I reduce the cook time?
Hi Colleen! Did you make any substitutions or changes to the recipe?
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, or opening the oven while it’s baking. 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 correctly. I hope that helps troubleshoot for the next time.
My family loved it and are demanding I make more for Christmas. I started first thing in the morning as we were going to need to oven for other stuff and it’s cheesecake so there is usually a 4 hour cool time, I was a bit concerned that it would crack as most cheesecakes call for a water bath but I didn’t see this here so I went with no water bath, and I let it cool near the stove instead of inside it, came out perfectly, no cracks, easy to slice and serve, and not overly sweet like other pumpkin cheesecakes I have tried.
That’s wonderful, Erin! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback. I’m glad you loved it.
This recipe did not disappoint!!!! Delicious and a crowd pleaser. Thank you Natasha for this simple and yummy recipe. Not one crack!!! That oven trick worked. This will be our thanksgiving dessert for years to come.
You are so welcome, Naomi. I’m happy to know that you loved it!
I followed the recipe to an exact T and am no where near a novice in the kitchen. The cake was fine after taking it out of the oven, then after it cooled there was a GIANT crack straight down the middle, like almost every single person in the comments have said. So theres obviously something wrong with the recipe and my hypothesis is the sour cream- thought it was an odd ingredient to add. My second complaint is that it had a very mushy/mouse/creamy/custardy texture to it. I even baked it for 1 hour and 45 minutes and still!!!! Since the center wouldn’t stop jiggling. I’m sorry but too much trouble for what its worth. ALSO, YES I used a hot water bath which is why I needed much longer cooking time. I will not be making this again. I’ve tried Ginas Pumpkin Cheesecake from the Food Network and it was great.
I’m sorry to hear that Kristina! The water bath changes the texture of the cheesecake also. The drastic change in temperature was likely the culprit of the crack when it was removed from the oven. I provide the recommended cool down method for this recipe in the instructions above to help avoid cracks.
I’m glad you have another recipe you can rely on though.
I’m sorry but you did not follow the recipe instructions to a T! You used a water bath and that was NOT in the directions!!!