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
Its a 15 ounce can, right? I am a bit confused, in the picture it looks bigger.
Yes that is correct (15 oz). That is all I had on hand for the photo 🙂
I made this Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe this weekend and it turned out fabulous! I actually made 2 smaller pies out of the recipe because I didn’t have the right pan.
I shared it on my blog
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
did you still bake it the same length of time?
Hi I have a quick question. I am planning to make this recipe for my family this Friday and I was wondering if omitting half the required sugar would still work?
I don’t know anything about baking but I am concerned on how it will affect the baking process?
Thank-you! I will rate this recipe once I bake it 🙂
HI Lizbeth, I haven’t tried doing that so I can’t say for sure, but I would probably start experimenting with 1 cup sugar rather than 1 1/2 cups if I wanted to cut down the sugar. If you test it out, let me know how it goes 🙂
I made this today the the whole top was cracked. I did everything that the recipe said. I don’t know what happened. It still was very yummy! But the caramel sauce made the cheesecake soggy a little bit.
Also, can you please make more cheesecake recipies? I would really love that. And maybe some French macaroons? Thankyou! 🍰😙
Hi Elizabeth, the caramel sauce is meant to be added prior to serving but it should not have made the top soggy – did you use a thinner sauce? I do have a great recipe for macarons here and my cheesecake recipes are here :). Enjoy!! 🙂
I used homemade russian caramel sauce that my mom makes. Thankyou for the the links for recipies!
You are welcome Elizabeth 😁.
I use gingersnap cookies to make the crust for my pumpkin cheesecake. Kicks the flavor up several notches! But love the idea of caramel sauce and the rum-flavored whipped cream as toppings!
Jo Anne, thank you for sharing your version with us 😁.
Can make the pumpkin cheesecake Tuesday for Saturday?
Yes you can, just don’t put any toppings on it until ready to serve 😁.
I’m making your delicious pumpkin cheesecake with creamcheese frosting. The recipe for the filling for the cheesecake calls for 15 oz can pumpkin pie mix, but I got a can of pumpkin. The girl told me that would be fine. Is it OK?
Thank you,
Vicky
Hi Vicky, Canned pumpkin puree will work great!
OMG, can you say yuuuummmy? Made this cheesecake for the first time and it received rave reviews!! Thanks so much!!
Lori, I’m so glad to hear that 😀. Thank you for such a nice review!
Made this recipe and loved it !! Just made it again and is in the oven and forgot the flour…hopefully it turns out well
Katrina, thank you for the nice review 😀.
Is there no difference to brown sugar if I pumpkin pie mix vs pumpkin purée?
Hi Hua, I used the same amount 🙂
I am a diabetic so how many carbs are in this cheesecake? What can you use other than the sugar and the flour to substitute?
Hi Monica, I don’t have nutritional information on most of my recipes due to time constraints. Also, I haven’t tried any sugar or flour substitutions in this recipe and without experimenting, I really can’t make any recommendations for that. I do use the caloriecount.com recipe analyzer on occasion to get nutritional info. You can sign up for a free account there. I hope that helps!
The only thing that comes to mind is possibly beating the cheesecake mixture too long or on too high of speed which would incorporate more air into the mixture?
This is my second comment just to let you know that this time I used Light Cream Cheese and Light Sour Cream and it still turned out really good!
Thanks!
Thank you for letting me know and you are welcome 😁.
My wife made this cheesecake exactly per the directions. It is SOooooo good.
My new favorite. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for sharing your awesome review! 🙂
Hi, I want to make this cheesecake for our Christmas dinner. How far ahead of time can it be made? Is 4 days too much?
4 days would work fine as long as you don’t add any toppings until ready to serve. Keep it covered and refrigerated and it will still be delicious 🙂
Thank you so much Natasha😀
Oh my, the only reason it was a mistake to make the cheesecake so soon is that it may be eaten before my family gets any! Wow, the filling was totally delicious! & that was just living the beater & bowl clean! This is going to be a hit!
Merry Christmas & thank you!
I’m so happy you love it. Thanks so much for a great review! 🙂
Thanks Natasha for the amazing recipe. I made this cheesecake yesterday for thanksgiving and everyone loved it a lot. Your recipes have just the right amount of sugar. They’re never too sweet and that’s one of many reasons I love your recipes.
Thank you so much Sara! We aren’t keen on overly sweet desserts either. I’m so happy you enjoyed the cake and thank you for your thoughtful review 🙂
Love love love this cheesecake, but anytime I make it it breaks in the middle. What do I do wrong?
Inga, its hard to say without being there but I’m always happy to troubleshoot. What speed do you mix it on? If its too hight of a speed, batter will have too much air and can crack during baking. Also, do you allow it to cool in the oven for 45 minutes per recipe instructions? Is there anything that you changed in term of measurements of ingredients?
Hi! My springform pan is only an 8″, so I have a lot of leftover filling. What can I do with it?
Tricia, you could bake it in a muffin tin and make mini cheesecakes. I’ve seen people put a cookie like a vanilla wafer on the bottom instead of crust. Let me know how it works out 🙂 .
I tried to make fudge brownies with the cheesecake batter swirled in, but apparently they have different baking conditions – the pumpkin part wasn’t done and the fudge part was dry. Oh well.
Oh bummer! It is a good idea though. Thanks for sharing that with me.
Natasha, the cheesecake, which I made for Thanksgiving, tasted AMAZING. I, too, had cracks. I had left it to cool in the oven with the door propped ajar. I will try watching the speed next time. I might make it again for Christmas.
Hi Kate! I’m glad you loved it! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Put a 13×9 pan of water on the rack below your cheesecake. There needs to be a little more moisture in the oven to keep it from cracking.
Thanks for the tip Teresa! I haven’t tried that but it’s a great suggestion!
Hello Natasha! I only have a 9.5 inch glass Pyrex pie pan that is about 1 1/2 inches deep. I am wondering what my cooking time should be? I do not mind having extra filling, I can use that later in some pumpkin bread! Please help I am taking this to Thanksgiving dinner at my in-laws tomorrow!
I haven’t baked it in one that shallow and I’m concerned that it may overflow. My springform pan was 3″ deep and it was filled almost 3/4 of the way. I think a pie dish would be too small.
Hello Natasha…I did it!
I did some research because I have learned in the past my glass pie pan can be tricky to bake with.
2 special changes for the glass 9-inch pyrex pie pan: I did not pre-bake the crust AND I cooked it at 400′ for 45 minutes, taking it straight to the cooling rack (I did not leave it in the oven any longer).
I used about half of the mix to avoid any overflow. Today I will make mini-cheesecakes with it!
Everyone loved the texture and taste at Thanksgiving! Thank you for this recipe!
Thank you so much for sharing your tips!! I’m sure that will be super helpful for others who are wondering if it would work in a glass pie pan. You’re awesome! 🙂
Made this cheesecake for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing it! I want to try to make mini cheesecakes. Any suggestions on what to do differently for that?
Hi May, I’m so glad you all enjoyed this recipe! We have these mini cheesecake recipes we made, I haven’t tested this recipe with mini cheesecakes, but I imagine the steps would be very similar.
Just made this Cheesecake for Thanksgiving. Mine craked as well 🙁
But hoping I can conceal the cracks with the sauce 😉 The house smells wonderful though! Thank you for sharing this recipe. Great details and easy to follow!
Hi Bobbi! I’d love to help troubleshoot. Did you possibly beat on too high of speed (incorporating too much air can cause cracking) and did you make sure to leave it in the oven for the 45 minutes per the recipe? I hope you love the cheesecake and happy Thanksgiving!
I may have beat on too high of speed. I did, however find an article that suggested a warm bath around the springform pan (by using a roasting pan) helps to keep the cheesecake from drying and cracking. Will try both of these next time. Thank you for your reply and Happy Thanksgiving!
I am making to take to a gathering tomorrow. Can I pour the caramel sauce over the cheesecake in the morning before we leave or does it need to be right before serving? Or can I make sauce ahead of time and reheat?
I haven’t tried reheating this sauce so I can’t say for sure but you can pour the sauce over the cheesecake in the morning or before serving. I like it before serving because its still liquid enough to dribble down the sides slightly when you slice it.
My cheesecake also cracked, I think I whipped it on to high of a speed. Oh well! I am sure it will still be delicious! Thanks for the recipe Natasha! Can’t wait to try it tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving!!
That can be one cause of cracking for sure. It will still be delicious. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well! 🙂
What size springform pan do you use for this recipe? Thanks!
Stephanie, I use Transfer into a 9-inch springform pan.