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 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!