Rich, smooth, and creamy, this Pumpkin Cheesecake is the essence of decadence. Pipe some cinnamon whipped cream on top for the perfect dessert!
Oh y’all!
Have I got a treat for you!
This, my friends, is the pumpkin recipe you have been missing.
The pinnacle of pumpkin spice-ness.
The piece de resistance, as it were.
This Pumpkin Cheesecake is the perfect fall dessert, with the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor.
And I’ve even lightened up the carb count a touch by using almond flour instead of graham crackers for the crust.
You’re welcome.
And I am soooo adding this to the Thanksgiving menu!
And you should to!
And take it to Grandma’s house.
Or Great Aunt Gertrude’s house.
Or where ever you are spending Thanksgiving this year.
Just a note: this amazing cheesecake needs to cool and then chill out in the fridge for at least 6 hours before cutting. So plan accordingly!
Ready to do this? Let’s go!
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Crust:
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:
- 32 ounces of homemade cream cheese OR (4 8-ounce packages) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree or 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree)
- 1 teaspoon homemade vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 large eggs
- pinch of salt
Cinnamon Whipped Cream:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
NOTE: This recipe is for a 10 inch Springform pan. This Wilton pan is the one I recommend. It’s also non-stick which is awesome.
Although I butter it anyway just to be sure.
Instructions
Crust
Obviously, we’re going to start with the crust. So let’s get the Springform pan ready.
Put the pan together and rub butter on the sides and bottom. That is, butter it if you don’t have a non-stick pan.
Or butter it anyway like I do.
Next, grab a medium sized mixing bowl. Put the almond flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon into said mixing bowl and give them a good whisk.
Then add the melted butter and stir it all together until it’s mixed up well.
Or pulse it together in the bowl of a food processor.
Now pretend that you’re making mud pies and mash that crust mixture evenly into the bottom of the pan and then just a tad up the sides.
Then put the crust into the the refrigerator to chill for about 20 minutes or so.
While the crust is chillin, you need to preheat your oven to 300°F.
Time to get out the mixer!
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Toss all the cream cheese into the large bowl of a stand mixer and beat it up until it’s smooth and creamy.
Then add the sour cream and beat it again until it’s smooth again.
Now it’s time for the sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves.
Mix those ingredients into the cream cheese mixture just until combined.
And lastly, add the eggs and beat them into the cheesecake batter just until combined; do not over-mix.
If you get too much air in it, it gets all wonky in the oven.
Now grab the crust out of the fridge, and pour the cheesecake batter on top of it.
Smooth off the top so it bakes nice and pretty.
Baking
Bake that guy at 300°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes until it’s golden brown on top. It will be a little soft and slightly jiggly in the middle.
Tip: place a cookie sheet under the cheesecake to catch any butter that might drip out of the pan from the crust.
Because if that butter hits the heating element in your oven, it will start to smoke.
And that smoke might/probably/will come billowing out of your oven.
The aforementioned smoke will/maybe/could possibly set off your smoke detectors. If someone was foolish enough to put one anywhere near the kitchen stove that is.
You know who you are…
After you have baked your magnificent, smoke-free Pumpkin Cheesecake, take it out of the oven and put it on a wire rack to cool for a bit.
Don’t put it in the fridge yet. Cooling too fast could make it crack.
You need to let it cool at room temperature until it’s just warm.
When it’s just barely warm, cover it with plastic wrap and now put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
Or overnight. Whichever is easiest.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Before serving this amazing feat of pumpkin blissfulness, beat the heavy whipping cream until it thickens up.
Add the powdered sugar and ground cinnamon, then beat until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream.
Use a thin knife and carefully run it around the inside of the spring form pan to make sure the cheesecake isn’t sticking anywhere.
Can you tell I’ve had cheesecakes stick inside the pan before?
Unlatch the pan and put the cheesecake on a fancy plate.
Then pipe some pretty swirls of whipped cream on top, sprinkle with a touch of cinnamon, and maybe add a few pecans for crunch.
Pour yourself a cup of your favorite hot beverage, and dig in.
Or, you know, wait until you get to the family Thanksgiving meal before cutting the first slice…
I predict that this Pumpkin Cheesecake will become one of Great Aunt Gertrude’s favorite guilty pleasures!
Important Notes
- This recipe is for a 10-inch Springform pan.
- Place a cookie sheet underneath your Springform pan in the oven to catch any butter that may escape
- Don’t cool your cheesecake too quickly! Cooling down too fast will cause cracks. Which you could, of course, fill in with the whipped cream if you wanted to, so it still looks pretty!
Frequently Asked Questions About Pumpkin Cheesecake
Homemade cheesecake will last about 4 to 7 days tightly covered in the refrigerator.
Covering it with plastic wrap or putting it in an airtight container keeps it from drying out and absorbing odors from your leftover Chinese takeout…
Yes and no.
Homemade pumpkin puree will be a little looser than the stuff in the can. And canned pumpkin is usually made with a mix of pumpkin and other winter squash like butternut squash and acorn squash.
Either canned or homemade pumpkin puree works well in this recipe, although the homemade will make the cheesecake softer.
Absolutely! All you need is a baking pan (or pans) that will hold the crust and filling without overflowing in the oven.
Round or square cake pans and Bundt pans all work just fine. You must make sure you thoroughly butter or spray the pan with non-stick spray. Make sure the cheesecake is completely cooled before very carefully transferring it to a plate.
Here’s how you transfer the cheesecake to a plate: Run a thin knife all around the sides of the cheesecake to make sure it won’t stick.
Put a plate firmly on top of the pan and turn it over. That gets the cheesecake out of the pan, but the crust is on top. Now take the pretty plate and gently place that on the top (crust side) and gently turn it over.
It’s not foolproof, but it does usually work. The other option is to serve the cheesecake from the pan.
Your cheesecake should feel firm but slightly soft when you gently press it in the middle. This pumpkin cheesecake will be darker than most cheesecakes because of the pumpkin and spices.
If you touch the middle and it’s completely squishy, it’s not done yet. It will still be a little soft and jiggly in the center when you take it out of the oven, but will continue to cook as it cools. Cheesecakes then finished setting up in the fridge.
You can make homemade pumpkin puree by following the directions in this post.
Yes, absolutely! You can freeze the cheesecake whole or as separate slices. I prefer freezing slices of cheesecake because they thaw faster and I can take out just what I need. Because it’s better to eat a slice of cheesecake in the middle of the afternoon instead of the whole rest of the cheesecake…
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and put in a zip top baggie, or put in an airtight container and toss in the freezer. Homemade cheesecake lasts about a month and a half in the freezer with no loss of taste. After that it gets kinda iffy.
Thaw the cheesecake in the wrapping for 2 to 4 hours on the counter, or overnight in the fridge.
More delicious dessert recipes you should try:
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream
Equipment
- 10 inch Springform pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups almond flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (4 8oz packages)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 15 ounce can pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 3 large eggs
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the almond flour, sugar, and ground cinnamon for the crust. Add the melted butter and stir until combined.
- Press the crust mixture evenly into the bottom of a 10-inch springform pan that has been buttered . Place in the refrigerator to set for 20 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 300°F.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in the sour cream.
- Add the sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, and ground cloves. Mix just until combined.
- Add the eggs and beat into the cheesecake batter just until combined; do not over-mix.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan. Bake at 300°F for 1 hour and 20 minutes until golden brown on top. Tip: place a cookie sheet under the cheesecake to catch any butter that might drip out of the pan from the crust.
- Cool the cheesecake at room temperature until just warm, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours.
- Before serving, beat the heavy whipping cream until thickened. Add the powdered sugar and ground cinnamon, then beat until it reaches the consistency of whipped cream.
- Slice and serve the cheesecake with the whipped cream.