Pumpkin Cheesecake

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 07/4/21
pumpkin cheesecake

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 hrs
Chill: 4 hrs
Total: 6 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 10 servings
Yield: 1 cake
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
686 Calories
50g Fat
50g Carbs
10g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10
Amount per serving
Calories 686
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 50g 65%
Saturated Fat 30g 148%
Cholesterol 184mg 61%
Sodium 523mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 50g 18%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 31g
Protein 10g
Vitamin C 3mg 14%
Calcium 220mg 17%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 345mg 7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This dessert is the perfect marriage of two classic holiday treats: pumpkin pie and cheesecake. It’s full of spiced fall flavors and all of the creamy goodness of a cheesecake. It’s the ideal make-ahead dessert since it needs to be chilled for some time anyway. You can also freeze the cheesecake whole or in slices for a future celebration.

Ingredients

For the Crust:

  • 10 graham crackers

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the Cheesecake:

  • 3 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened

  • 1 (14-ounce) can dulce de leche, or sweetened condensed milk

  • 1 cup sour cream, room temperature

  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin pie filling

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch

  • 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • Caramel sauce, for garnish

For the Whipped Cream:

  • 1 pint heavy cream

  • 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

  • 1 teaspoon bourbon whiskey

  • 1/2 teaspoon maple extract

  • 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Steps to Make It

Make the Crust

  1. Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

    graham cracker crust ingredients

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  2. Pulse the graham crackers and brown sugar in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and vanilla while the food processor is running. Run until the butter and vanilla are incorporated into the graham cracker crumbs.

    graham cracker crumbs blended in a food processor

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  3. Pour the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Press down the mixture with a measuring cup to create an even crust.

    graham cracker crust pressed into a springform pan

     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  4. Bake the crust in the preheated oven for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven to cool.

Make the Cheesecake

  1. Gather the ingredients. Reduce the oven temperature to 200 F.

    pumpkin cheesecake filling ingredients

     The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  2. Add the softened cream cheese blocks to a large bowl. Add the dulce de leche and the sour cream and beat until smooth. Add the pumpkin pie filling, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt. Beat with a hand mixer until the mixture is completely smooth and no lumps remain.

    pumpkin cheesecake filling mixed in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  3. Beat in the eggs one at a time until just combined with the cream cheese mixture. Do not overbeat once the eggs are added—too much beating will aerate the batter and make it rise and fall in the oven.

    pumpkin cheesecake filling in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  4. Place the springform pan on a baking sheet (for easy access in and out of the oven). Pour the batter onto the prepared crust and place on the bottom rack of the preheated oven.

    pumpkin cheesecake on a pan

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  5. Bake for 90 to 120 minutes. Do not try and open the oven door until 90 minutes. After this time open it a crack and then slowly open the rest of the way. Gently nudge the cheesecake pan. If there is only a slight giggle in the middle, it's ready. If the whole cheesecake still jiggles, then leave it in for another 15-minute interval.

    baked pumpkin cheesecake

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  6. Turn off the oven and open the door to the oven halfway. Allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven. Once it has cooled in the oven for 20 minutes, you may remove and allow it to finish cooling on a wire rack on the counter.

  7. Once it has completely cooled, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight.

    pumpkin cheesecake wrapped in plastic wrap

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

    Make the Whipped Cream

  8. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for bourbon whipped cream

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  9. Whip the cream in a chilled bowl with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.

    whipped cream in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

  10. Add the powdered sugar, bourbon, vanilla, and maple extract and beat for a few more seconds or until slightly stiffer peaks form. Do not overbeat or it will become butter. Place the whipped cream in a piping bag and pipe onto each slice of the cheesecake. Serve and enjoy with extra whipped cream and caramel sauce.

    bourbon whipped cream in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney