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This pumpkin cheesecake recipe is easy and has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor. It tastes exactly like a cheesecake that crossed paths with a pumpkin pie – the best of both worlds. The only thing difficult about this cheesecake is waiting for it to cool down so you could eat it!
This pumpkin cheesecake is delicious by itself but is just over-the-top impressive when you add some of that caramel sauce and rum-infused whipped cream. This is the perfect holiday dessert. It’s inspired by Fall, makes your home smell incredible, and will have your dinner guests humming with delight.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 12 whole graham crackers)
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) melted, unsalted butter
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
3 (8-ounces each) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups (about 9 oz by weight) packed light brown sugar
15 oz canned pumpkin pie mix (use half of the 30 oz can)
4 large eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour *measured correctly
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or make your own)
1/4 tsp salt
1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
Optional Pumpkin Cheesecake Toppings:
1 cup of cold heavy cream beat with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla
Pumpkin pie spice to dust
Toasted pecans
Caramel sauce – this 8-minute recipe will rock your cheesecake
How to Make a Pie Crust:
Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 6 Tbsp 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, and going about 1/2″ up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.
How to make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
1. In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 3 packages of softened cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups 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. Tip: brown sugar is considered “packed” when it holds it’s shape as it comes out of the measuring cup.
Have a taste of this cream cheese frosting. It would make a super yummy frosting actually! Just don’t eat too much. You need it for your cheesecake.
2. In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together 15 oz pumpkin pie mix, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cheesecake filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Transfer filling into pre-baked crust and bake on the middle rack at 350˚F for 1 hour. Turn off heat, prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake sit in the oven another 45 min. Then remove from the oven and let cool to room temp before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Serve when fully chilled (at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight).
4. Before serving, carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan by running a blunt knife along the sides of the cheesecake to release from the springform mold. Add desired toppings (see list above) and serve
To Make the Whipped Cream:
Tip: Freeze mixing bowl for 10 minutes to get the best whipped cream results.
1. In a cold mixing bowl, add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla. Beat on high speed until fluffy and spreadable. Don’t over-beat or it will turn buttery. It only takes less than 2 min to make fresh whipped cream.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients
The Crust:
The Filling:
- 24 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 15 oz can pumpkin pie mix
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbsp real vanilla extract
Optional Toppings:
- 1 cup cold heavy cream beat with 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla
- Pumpkin pie spice to dust
- Toasted pecans
- Caramel sauce
Instructions
How to Make the Crust: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
- Pulse graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form.
- In a medium bowl, stir together 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 6 Tbsp 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, and going about 1/2" up the sides of the pan. Bake at 350˚F for 8 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temp.
How to make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling: Preheat Oven to 350˚F.
- In the bowl of your mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the 3 packages of softened cream cheese and 1 1/2 cups 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. Tip: brown sugar is considered "packed" when it holds it's shape as it comes out of the measuring cup.
- Have a taste of this cream cheese frosting. It would make a super yummy frosting actually! Just don't eat too much. You need it for your cheesecake.
- In a separate bowl, using a whisk, stir together 15 oz pumpkin pie mix, 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 2 Tbsp flour, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract. Mix until well combined. Add this mixture to the cheesecake filling and continue mixing on low speed just until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Transfer filling into pre-baked crust and bake on the middle rack at 350˚F for 1 hour or until slightly wobbly in the center. Turn off heat, prop the oven door open slightly with a wooden spoon and let cheesecake sit in the oven another 45 min. Then remove from the oven and let cool to room temp before covering with plastic wrap and refrigerating. Serve when fully chilled (at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, or overnight).
- Before serving, carefully remove cheesecake from springform pan by running a blunt knife along the sides of the cheesecake to release from the springform mold. Add desired toppings (see list above) and serve.
To Make the Whipped Cream:
- Tip: Freeze mixing bowl for 10 minutes to get the best whipped cream results.
- In a cold mixing bowl, add 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp rum or vanilla. Beat on high speed until fluffy and spreadable. Don't over-beat or it will turn buttery. It only takes less than 2 min to make fresh whipped cream.
Nutrition Per Serving
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I made this Pumpkin Cheesecake today and it was a complete hit! Everyone loved it! It was delicious and easy to make. It turned out perfect. Thanks for the caramel topping tip – it made it better if that was possible! And for the great advice to eventually stop eating the cream cheese and brown sugar “frosting” – it was hard to stop but I did! Thank you so much for this recipe.
You are most welcome, Tracy! Thank you too for sharing your great experience with this recipe. I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I made everything the exact same way as recipe and it was still liquid in the center after letting it sit in the oven for the additional 45 min. Any idea why?
Hi Jade, I haven’t had that happen before – did you use a different sized pan? Also, consider if your oven maybe runs cooler?
Hi Natasha – I have just popped this in the oven for Thanksgiving tomorrow. The aroma is wonderful as it bakes. Could you please advise on the nutrition information? I need to know the calories for a slice. (If you cut into 10 slices/cake)
Hi Diane, we are working on adding nutrition values to all of our recipes. Thank you for your patience as we have a small team. In the mean time, you might plug in the ingredients into an online nutrition calculator.
Hello. Wondering if I can use dark brown sugar instead of the light.
Hi Cathy, I usually use light brown sugar so I’m not sure. Dark brown sugar has a higher concentration of molasses. It shouldn’t change the finished product except it might turn out darker. Again, without testing it myself, I can’t say for sure
Did you end up trying it with dark brown sugar or light?
This was only my second cheesecake and my very first pumpkin. It came out perfectly. I made it for my son’s 29th birthday and it was a hit. I made it with the caramel sauce. I followed both recipes exactly as printed and wouldn’t change a thing! Thank you for this recipe, Natasha!
You’re welcome, Dee! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
So, I’m going to try and make this in Ireland for Canadian Thanksgiving, but I don’t have a mixer and I can’t afford one at the moment … what is my alternative there?
Hello Stephanie, a hand mixer should also work.
I used a hand mixer as well and it turned out just fine.(:
Thank you for sharing that with us Tarra!
I baked for 1 hour in a 9″ pan and let it cool in a slightly cracked oven, but it is still incredibly jiggly throughout the whole cheesecake and very shiny. My oven normal cooks at a regular heat, any idea why this could happen? Could there have been too much filling in the pan? I followed recipe to the T.
Hi Marie, it should have just a slight jiggle in the center. I would bake longer if it was super jiggly aft the end of baking. If you use a smaller pan, it would take longer since the cake would be taller in the pan.
Hi Natasha,
Can you make this cheesecake ahead & refrigerate or freeze?
Thanks
Generally, cheesecakes freeze well, however, I haven’t tested that with this recipe. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
Hi.I will be making this for Thanksgiving next week-end (in Canada) and was wondering if I can use pumpkin puree that I made from a pie pumpkin?
Hi Carole, I imagine that would work. I would love to know how you like this recipe if you experiment!
If I am using Libby’s 100% Pure Pumpkin and not the pumpkin pie mix, should I add extra spices & sugar, and use less of the pure pumpkin?
Hi Betty, I have tried it both ways and it works well without adding the extra spices and sugar. You can if you prefer a stronger pumpkin spice flavor or more sweetness.
Hi Natasha, Thank you so much for this recipe. I just had a few questions before I get started. I noticed some cheesecake recipes where they use white granulated sugar and yours uses light brown sugar. I’m wondering how that affects the texture and taste of the cheesecake? And also, some use sour cream and some don’t. Can I ask what sour cream does here & if it’s necessary as I am planning to make these into the mini muffin pan size rather than a huge cheesecake. Lastly, I noticed your mini cheesecake with caramel sauce recipe includes condensed milk and this one doesn’t. Just wondering why that is and if it’s because of the size difference of the cheesecakes. Thanks so much!!
Hi Esther, the brown sugar adds some molasses and I think it gives it better color as well. I haven’t tried these in a mini muffin pan without sour cream, but I think it’s worth an experiment, just be sure not to over-bake. If you try that, please let me know how it goes. This is a very different cheesecake base with pumpkin puree and we don’t use condensed milk here.
Hi Natasha,
When using rum does it have to be clear or can it be spiced rum?
Hi Cindy, we use regular clear rum for everything.
We can’t find pumpkin pie filling anywhere in our entire county. Can I just use canned pumpkin?? What would I have to change
Absolutely! Canned pumpkin puree will work great!
Hi Natasha,
I need to make 6” pumpkin cheesecakes. Have you made this recipe in a 6” pan? Can you advise on how to adjust the recipe for two 6” cheesecakes, and the bake time?
Thank you!
-Laura
Hi Laura, I’ve only tested in a 9-inch springform pan, this won’t fit in a 6″ pan, you may need two or divide the recipe. I hope this helps.
I’m looking to divide this recipe for a 6 inch too. Would you be able to tell me how I should go about adjusting the temperature?
Hi Win, without testing that through, it is difficult to give advice on it.
Is pumpkin pie mix the same as pumpkin pie filling? Or is it just plain canned pumpkin?
Hi Erin, the pumpkin pie filling is seasoned.
This is like if the season fall had a baby with all of my favorite things about a very creamy, delicious cheesecake. If I was on my deathbed, this is what I would be having as my last meal. Taste was perfection. Only thing I had an issue with was the bake time. I followed the directions to a “t” and got cracks.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake! It could be due to overwhipping the filling. Make sure to use the paddle attachment (not whisk) and beat on medium speed so you don’t get too many air bubbles in there which could cause cracks. Also, be sure to just prop the door open with a wooden spoon for the first 45 minute cooling time. This will allow the cheesecake to cool slowly and set properly – and reduce the risk of cracks from a drastic temperature change. I hope that helps to troubleshoot.
Ok, I’ll admit I’m a cheater lol; I used a store bought gluten free graham cracker crust. Only other difference is I used a GF flour blend and 2 whole eggs + 2 egg yolks only because I need this to be GF and the egg ratio I personally prefer as have used in the past with cheesecakes 😉 The smell was AHHMAZING while mixing ingredients(duh, who doesnt love pumpkin pie + cheesecake=total bliss?!) Its baking up perfectly and is filling my kitchen with the comforting smell of Autumn! Thank you for this wonderfully simple recipe! A MUST for Thankgiving this year!!
That is totally fine, what’s important is that the result was fantastic! Thanks for trying this recipe and also for sharing your great experience with us. We’re so happy that you enjoyed this cheesecake!
I’ve made many pumpkin cheesecakes but this is by far the best we have ever had! I did not change anything except I used ginger snap cookies instead of graham crackers. Will make again!!
Hello Jessica, that is so wonderful to hear! Thanks for your great comments and feedback.
I’m also planning to use ginger snaps for my crust! Specifically Trader Joes Triple Ginger Snaps. I’ll report back next week if it was a success.
Yum! We look forward to your feedback!
I have a question you didn’t bake the pumpkin cheese cake on a bano Maria, or you didn’t mention that. I made the regular cheesecake and it went very good, I am just wonder if I have to bake it the same at bano maria. I would really appreciate your answer, I am making it this friday
Hi Ilmy, I don’t do the water bath for this one and haven’t had any issues. If you prefer to have some moisture in the oven, you can add a metal pan (like a bread pan half full with hot water) and place it on a rack while the cake is baking.
Made the cheese cake (not the toppings) AMAZING, eveybody has loved it. Made it twice, today will be the third time.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!