Pumpkin Cheesecake
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Braun. The opinions and text are all mine.
A smooth and creamy pumpkin cheesecake with an easy homemade gingersnap cookie crust. The perfect dessert for fall!
When it comes to the holidays, the one thing I always look forward to are the pumpkin desserts. Or more specifically, pumpkin pie. But this year I wanted to change things up from the traditional pumpkin pie so I decided to create a pumpkin cheesecake recipe.
The filling for this pumpkin cheesecake is smooth, creamy, and full of spices that really accentuate the flavor. It’s also topped on a simple homemade gingersnap crust that really takes this cheesecake over the top. Plus, how gorgeous would this cheesecake be on your dessert table at Thanksgiving or Christmas this year?
I also topped this cheesecake with some homemade whipped cream, but you could leave it plain or top it with some homemade salted caramel sauce or chocolate ganache.
P.S. If you want to win a mixer to make this cheesecake, be sure to hop on over to my Instagram where I’m giving away a mixer to one lucky winner!
To make this cheesecake, you’ll start with the gingersnap crust. I used store-bought gingersnap cookies, you just want them to be nice and crispy so the crust holds up well for the cheesecake.
You’ll process the gingersnaps in a food processor or blender until you have fine crumbs. I love to use the food processor attachment for my Braun Multimix Hand Mixer to grind up the gingersnaps. It’s not too large or bulky and it’s simple to clean up afterward too.
Once the gingersnaps are crushed, you’ll mix the crumbs together with some sugar and melted butter until well combined. Then, press the mixture down into a springform pan and bake the crust for 10 minutes. Once it’s baked, set it aside to cool while you mix up the filling.
For the cheesecake filling, make sure to set all of your ingredients out ahead of time so that they’re at room temperature. This will help ensure that the filling is smoother and creamier. I also used my Braun MultiMix Hand Mixer to make the filling for this cheesecake. It’s designed to help keep more weight directed in the bowl so that there’s less stress on your hand while mixing. You can also easily change the mixing speed with the spin dial on top, which makes it perfect for making cheesecakes. They’re also offering 20% off their mixers until 11/6 on Amazon, it’s a perfect gift for anyone who loves to bake!
For the filling, you’ll use your mixer to beat together some cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin puree, and spices. For the cream cheese, make sure to use the bricks of cream cheese and not the cream cheese spread in a tub. For the spices, I used a mix of pumpkin pie spice and some extra ground cinnamon for flavor.
The final step for the filling is to beat in four eggs. When it comes to the eggs, you want to make sure that they’re at room temperature and to beat each one in on low speed until just combined. You want to avoid overmixing the eggs into the cheesecake batter because it can incorporate more air and possibly cause cracks.
Speaking of cheesecake cracks, there are a few ways to prevent them when it comes to making this cheesecake. Aside from beating the eggs in on low speed, it also helps to bake your cheesecake in a water bath. A water bath helps to ensure that your cheesecake bakes evenly, reducing the likelihood that it will crack.
To make a water bath, you’ll need a roasting pan and an oven bag (or aluminum foil). Now, most people like to wrap their springform pan with foil before they put it in the roasting pan and fill it with water. I prefer to use an oven bag because I find that no matter how well you wrap the springform pan with foil, it’s likely that a little water will get into the springform pan as the cheesecake bakes.
The oven bag will be fairly large, so you can cut it and tie it on the side as I did in the picture above. Once you’ve placed the cheesecake in the bag, place it in your roasting pan, and fill the pan with about 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches of boiling water.
The cheesecake will need to bake for about one hour or until the center is almost set. Once you’ve reached that point, you’ll want to turn the oven off, slightly crack the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for one more hour.
Why the extra step? Sudden temperature changes can cause cheesecakes to crack. By letting the temperature of the cheesecake slowly decrease in the oven, you’re less likely to get a crack in the top. I know it’s an extra step, but you don’t have to do anything but set a timer and wait.
After the hour is up, you can remove the cheesecake, let it cool, and then refrigerate it. The cheesecake will need to cool and chill for several hours so I actually prefer to make it the day before and then just let it chill overnight.
Once the cheesecake is nice and chilled, you can top it with anything that you like.
I made a batch of my homemade whipped cream to pipe on top, here’s a link to my homemade recipe. I just cleaned the beaters of my Braun MultiMix Hand Mixer and reused them to make the whipped cream too. Super simple and easy!
Baking Tips For Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature before getting started. This will ensure a much smoother cheesecake filling.
- Be sure to set a large pot of water to boil for the water bath while you’re making the cheesecake.
- I suggest placing the springform pan in an oven bag (pictured above in this post) to avoid any leaks in your cheesecake while it’s in the water bath.
- Once the center of the cheesecake is almost set, turn the oven off, slightly crack the door, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for one hour. This will help prevent any sudden temperature changes with the cheesecake and reduce the chances of it cracking.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the gingersnap crust:
- 1 and 1/2 cups (200 grams) gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (45 grams) unsalted butter melted
For the pumpkin cheesecake:
- 24 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 4 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
To make the gingersnap crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position.
- Add the gingersnap cookies to a blender or food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Scoop the crumbs into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and melted butter and mix until fully combined.
- Scoop the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan, making sure to press it down firmly into one even layer. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep oven temperature at 325°F while you make the filling.
To make the pumpkin cheesecake filling:
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the sugar and vanilla extract until well combined. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and ground cinnamon and mix until fully combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the eggs one at a time and mix on low speed until each one is just combined.
- Scoop the cheesecake filling on top of the pre-baked gingersnap crust and spread it around into one even layer.
- Place the springform pan in an oven bag (you may cut the bag or tie it so it's not covering the top of the cheesecake) and place in a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into the roasting pan until you have about 1 to 1 and 1/2-inches of water surrounding the springform pan.
- Carefully place the roasting pan in the oven with the cheesecake. Bake at 325°F for 55-65 minutes or until the center of the cheesecake is almost set. Turn off the oven, slightly crack the door, and allow the cheesecake to sit in the oven for 1 more hour.
- Carefully remove the roasting pan with the cheesecake from the oven. Remove the cheesecake from the oven bag and place on a wire rack, slide a knife around the sides of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan. Let the cheesecake cool completely at room temperature, about 2 hours, then cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 5-6 hours (or overnight) or until the cheesecake is thoroughly chilled.
- Once chilled, release the cheesecake from the springform pan, slice into pieces, and enjoy!
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