Go Back
pumpkin cheesecake
Print

Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes
Oven Cooling & Rest 8 hours
Total Time 9 hours 45 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

Filling:

  • 4 8 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon if morton
  • 5 eggs + 2 egg yolks
  • 1 15 oz can pumpkin puree
  • 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Crust:

  • 1 ½ sticks butter melted
  • 2 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping (Optional)

  • Whipped cream

Instructions

Crust:

  • Preheat the oven to 350 F
  • In a food processor or with a ziploc bag/rolling pin, grind ~2 packages of graham crackers until fine
    graham cracker crust
  • As soon as the crackers are fine, measure out two cups. Combine 2 cups of graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, cinnamon, salt, and sugar. Mix until the ingredients are all incorporated.
    graham cracker crust
  • In a springform pan, press the mixture down with a measuring cup or other flat surface until it forms a very compact layer
    graham cracker crust
  • Place the pan on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes (or until slightly golden) and set aside to cool while you make the filling (the butter may slightly melt out of the springform pan so this is why we recommend placing it on a cookie sheet)
    cheesecake crust

Filling:

  • Pre-heat the oven to 325 F
  • Beat the room temperature cream cheese for ~30 seconds until smooth. Add in the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the rest of the filling ingredients and mix with a hand or stand mixer until just evenly combined ~1 minute. Don’t mix too long as the mixture will get overly fluffy. Set aside
    pumpkin cheesecake filling

Water bath:

  • Wrap the outside of the springform pan with tin foil (to be safe we double wrap it) and butter the sides of the springform pan above the crust. Set aside
  • Place a roasting pan in the middle rack or the oven. Note: the roasting pan must be large enough to place the springform pan inside and tall enough to create a bath of water for the cheesecake to sit in while it is baking
  • Set a medium pot of water to boil

Baking:

  • While the water is boiling, pour the filling mixture into the buttered, cooled, foiled springform pan
  • Once the water is ready, place the cheesecake in the oven in the center of the roasting pan. Carefully pour the water into the roasting pan until it is halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake at 325 for 1 hour 15 minutes
  • After 1 hour 15 minutes, turn off the oven and open the oven to let out some heat. Then place a wooden spoon in the oven door to keep it slightly propped open. Leave the cheesecake inside for 1 more hour
  • After an hour, remove it and let it cool on a cooling rack. When it is cooled, carefully run a knife along the edges and cover with plastic wrap. Place in the fridge overnight
  • Optional: top with whipped cream