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
My daughter, Kelly, made this for Thanksgiving dinner last night and it was EXCELLENT!!!
I made it and loved it can I also make it into mini cheesecakes using the same recipe?
Hi Liz! I’m glad you loved this recipe. I haven’t tested this in mini versions. Likely it will work, but I’m not sure how to adjust the baking time.
I made this for thanksgiving, so far so good! I forgot to use the vanilla extract(whoops) still turned out good. I had pumpkin puree instead of the mix, so I upped the pumpkin spice to 1tbsp and added 3tbsp of granulated sugar as well. Turned out great. The only thing is I had a giant crack, and followed direction to a tee! I’ve never had a crack before so, that was disappointing! I’ve also never made a cheesecake without water bath but decided not to because of comments that said it changes texture. Maybe I will try next time though and update on how that turned out. Thanks for the recipe!
Love this recipe! My favorite Thanksgiving dessert three years in a row! Just amazing!
Lovely recipe but it cracked… never had a cheesecake crack on me! 🙁
Hi Kay, the slow cool down mentioned in the instructions is very important. Also- avoid opening the oven door while the cheesecake is baking inside. Big cracks are often caused by drafts and temperature changes, and it’s best to avoid over-baking. This is the most common culprit of cracking.
Simply lovely dessert. Second time making it due to popular request😊
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
After it’s baked and sat in the oven for 45 minutes is a knife inserted supposed to come out with batter?
Hi Nayeli, yes, since this is a cheesecake and not a fluffy flour cake it will come out dirty. What your looking for is a stable cake. Ensure it doesn’t jiggle. It will further set in the fridge as long as all steps were followed and no ingredients were substituted. I hope that is helpful!
Followed to a T, except I used about 2/3 of what was called in brown sugar.
Did the cooling method but it cracked.. water bath next time
Hi Natasha! I’ve made this cheesecake about six times, and every time I get a big crack in it. I looked at past comments, and even without opening the oven door I got a crack. Other cheesecake recipes I have do cook for a lot less time than your recipe. Is the one hour bake plus 45 min. cool down too long?
Hi Margaret! I’ve had good results with the cake and cool down time listed. Are you using a conventional oven? I would check your oven with an Internal oven thermometer (Amazon affiliate link) to ensure it’s not overheating. You may try adjusting the temperature a bit to see if that helps. Since every oven bakes differently, it may just require a bit of modification.
If I do a water bath for the cheesecake, Do I need to cook it longer?
Hi Joshua, this cheesecake doesn’t require it and keep in mind that if you are using a water bath, it will change the texture of the cheesecake overall. A fee of my readers have tried it however, I recommend looking through the recipe comments for their tips.
Can I use cocoa powder in place of the flour
Hi Sandy, I haven’t tested doing that so I can’t say for sure how that would affect the recipe. I also searched through the comments and no one has tried cocoa powder. One of our readers reported good results baking with 2 Tbsp of cornstarch instead to make it gluten free.
Cook time is severely off
Hi Marshall, can you share more details on what happened so I can help troubleshoot? Also, make sure to preheat the oven fully before baking and make sure to bake on regular bake mode and not convection and in the same size pan that is indicated in the recipe for best results.
Forgot the 5 stars on my previous comment!
I made this last year and it was amazing. I did use the water bath and had no cracking issues. One problem this year…..everyone is out of Pumpkin pie filling. I only have Pure pumpkin…how do I adjust recipe?????
I found some at Target yesterday, Jenny!
You should have recommend a water bath… the cheesecake cracked!!!
She wrote the recipe as how she always prepares it. Most of us went ahead and did the water bath anyway just in case…maybe you should have too if you were that concerned..
I made this cheesecake exactly as the recipe is written, but I got a huge crack in it! I did not peek into the oven while it was baking and I used the cool down method as written. Other recipes call for baking cheesecake in a water bath, and I will try that next time.
Hi Anne, the slow cool down mentioned in the instructions is very important. Also- avoid opening the oven door while the cheesecake is baking inside. Big cracks are often caused by drafts and temperature changes, and it’s best to avoid over-baking! This is the most common culprit of cracking.
Can the whipped cream be made in advance? Will it hold?
Hi there! It can be made 1-2 days ahead.
Hi Natasha! Thank for you for this recipe. I have now made it for several holidays at my family’s request. However, sadly, every time I’ve made it, it ends up with a big slit in the middle. I’m definitely not the best baker and I end up covering it with the caramel sauce so no one can tell, especially once you cut into it. But wondering if you had any suggestions or tips since I have been asked yet again to bring it for Thanksgiving 🙂 Thanks!
Hi Caitlyn. You are very welcome. I’m so glad you love it. Thank you for sharing and happy thanksgiving!
The slow cool down mentioned in the instructions is very important. Also- avoid opening the oven door while the cheesecake is baking inside. Big cracks are often caused by drafts and temperature changes, and it’s best to avoid over-baking! This is the most common culprit of cracking.
Hi Natasha! I made your cheesecake earlier this month to test for thanksgiving and it was absolutely amazing!
Quick question: am I able to freeze it and then let it thaw out to eat or can it only be refrigerated? I ask because I was planning on making it today and saving it for Thursday.
Hi Nickkie! You can refrigerate this for 3-4days. Most cheesecakes can be frozen as well for storing longer (1-2months). If you freeze, let it thaw in the refrigerator.
Hi Natasha! I would love to add the caramel sauce to my
Cheesecake do i do it prior to serving or while it’s chilling? Thank you!
I haven’t tested that in this recipe. But I do have a recipe for Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce.