My easy, creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is made completely from scratch WITHOUT a water bath! I’m including lots of tips and tricks to prevent cracks so yours can turn out just like the pictures. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Perfect Cheesecake For Fall
You’re not getting tired of cheesecake yet, right? I know I’m not. I’ve received quite a few requests for how to turn my classic cheesecake into a pumpkin cheesecake, so I figured it was about time I re-shared this recipe. This one is just as easy as my classic recipe, and of course, it’s made WITHOUT a water bath…yay!
We’ll be serving our pumpkin cheesecake on my homemade graham cracker crust and topping it off with a cinnamon version of my homemade whipped cream. It’s a perfectly spiced fall cheesecake that would make a great Thanksgiving dessert (and, in my opinion, it’s WAY better than pumpkin pie!).
Why you should try my recipe:
- No water bath needed. Let me repeat that: No water bath!
- Classic cheesecake flavor infused with just the right amount of pumpkin.
- 100% from-scratch!
- Includes tips on how to prevent cracks.
What You Need
Take note of these ingredients before starting the recipe–they’re important!
- Cream cheese. As with all of my cheesecake recipes, you want to make sure you use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese and not the kind the comes in a tub, which can cause the cheesecake to not bake properly.
- Pumpkin puree. Do NOT use pumpkin pie filling, which has additives and flavoring that we do not want in our cheesecake! We’re looking for the plain, 100% pumpkin that’s often (confusingly) sold right beside the pie filling.
- Sour cream. I’m a staunch believer that cheesecake without sour cream simply isn’t worth wasting your time on. Sour cream gives you rich depth of flavor that is critical for that classic cheesecake flavor. And critical for guaranteeing that your guests ask for the recipe after they’ve tried a bite.
- Eggs. It’s best if they are are room temperature and give them a light mix with a fork so they incorporate easily.
- Pumpkin pie spice. This gives our pumpkin cheesecake a beautiful spiced flavor that complements the pumpkin SO well. If you don’t have your own, now is the time to whip up a batch of my homemade pumpkin spice.
SAM’S TIP: I like to remove my eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream from the fridge at least an hour before I begin making my cheesecake. They will combine more evenly this way, which makes for a uniform batter and reduces the risk of cracks.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Prepare your graham cracker crust and set it in the fridge to chill.
- Cream together the cream cheese and sugars until well-combined.
- Stir in the sour cream, then add the vanilla, pumpkin, and pumpkin spice.
- Add the eggs on at a time and mix until just combined after each.
- Spread the batter into your crust and bake for 40 minutes.
- Let the cheesecake cool to room temperature, then chill for at least 6 hours.
- Top with cinnamon whipped cream and enjoy!
SAM’S TIP: It’s important that the eggs are fully incorporated into the batter, but don’t overdo it. Stir the batter on low-speed just until each egg has been incorporated.
Tips for a Crack-Free Cheesecake
Like my other cheesecake recipes, this cheesecake is made WITHOUT a water bath. If you’ve made any of my other recipes, like my chocolate cheesecake, you’ve already seen these, but they’re worth repeating. To avoid cracks, make sure you follow these tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients. Set your cold ingredients out beforehand and don’t try to soften/warm them up quickly in the microwave (you can end up melting your ingredients this way!).
- Don’t over-beat your eggs! Not only can this make your cheesecake crack, but it can also ruin the texture and make it mealy and dry.
- Don’t open the oven! Opening the oven door drastically reduces the temperature, which can slow the baking process and can cause your cheesecake to crack and sink.
- Cool slowly! Rapid cooling is a surefire way to end up with a big crack in the center of your pumpkin cheesecake (even if it was smooth when it first came out of the oven!). Let your cheesecake cool slowly! I let mine cool on top of the oven where it’s still warm, but you can also leave it in your (turned off) oven with the door open to let it come to room temperature before refrigerating.
- Mind the crust! When you’re pressing your crust into the pan, press it up the sides, too, as high as you can! Cracks are most often caused by tension that happens as the cheesecake tries to contract in the pan. The edges are usually stuck to the side, and the tension of trying to shrink but not being able to can cause cracks. I actually can’t believe it took me so many years to learn this tip, it’s an absolute game changer and I didn’t realize how obvious it was until I developed my lemon cheesecake. If you only try one of these tips to avoid cracks, make it this one. Oh, and if you didn’t get your pumpkin cheesecake crust up quite as high as you needed to, just immediately after baking run a sharp knife around the edge of the cheesecake to loosen it from the pan.
SAM’S TIP: If you follow all my tips and your cheesecake still cracks, don’t panic–it will still taste amazing! You can simply cover it with your cinnamon whipped cream or top it with chocolate ganache, and no one will even know!
Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t recommend it, as most store-bought crusts come in small pie tins that aren’t large enough to hold the amount of batter that this recipe makes. You would need at least two store-bought crusts, and the baking time would be reduced quite a bit.
I suggest you use my homemade crust instead; it takes just a few ingredients and a few minutes of your time to make and will fit the pan perfectly!
You can store your cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Make sure you cover your cheesecake with plastic (or store it in an airtight container) to keep it from absorbing other odors in the fridge. You can also freeze your pumpkin cheesecake (after it’s cooled as indicated in the recipe) for several months. I like to cut mine into slices and wrap and freeze them individually.
I leave mine in the springform pan until I’m ready to serve, then I remove the ring and serve. When I need to store it again, I’ll put the ring back on.
If you’d like to remove your pumpkin cheesecake onto a pretty platter, use a spatula to gently pry the bottom up from the bottom of the pan and very gently slide it onto a serving platter.
I hope you love this fall twist on my classic cheesecake 🍂
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 graham cracker crust (prepared according to recipe in 9" or 10" springform pan, not pre-baked). Click the link for recipe.
- 24 oz (680 g) cream cheese softened to room temperature, be sure to use brick-style and not spreadable cream cheese
- ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar packed
- ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (244 g) pumpkin puree¹
- 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
- ¾ cup (175 ml) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C)² (see note).
- Prepare graham cracker crust in a 9″ springform but do not bake. Place in refrigerator to chill while you prepare your cheesecake filling.1 graham cracker crust
- In a stand mixer (or in a large bowl with a hand-mixer), beat together softened cream cheese and sugars, scraping down the sides with a spatula occasionally to ensure ingredients are mixed well and lump-free.24 oz (680 g) cream cheese, ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar, ½ cup (100 g) sugar
- Add sour cream and stir well, pausing once to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.⅓ cup (80 g) sour cream
- Add vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and pumpkin spice and stir until well-combined.1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup (244 g) pumpkin puree¹, 2 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating until just mixed after each addition (and scraping down the sides after each addition).3 large eggs
- Spread cheesecake batter evenly over prepared crust.
- Transfer pan to a foil lined baking sheet and place in center rack of 350F (175C) oven. Bake for 40 minutes or longer (see note!), until center of cheesecake is almost set (center may jiggle very slightly, edges should be set and may be slightly puffed or very slightly cracked).
- Allow pumpkin cheesecake to cool to room temperature and then transfer to refrigerator and chill for 6 hours or overnight.
- Before serving, prepare your cinnamon whipped cream.
Cinnamon Whipped Cream³
- For the cinnamon whipped cream topping, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and ground cinnamon in a clean medium-sized bowl.¾ cup (175 ml) heavy cream, ¼ cup (30 g) powdered sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Use an electric mixer to stir on low-speed. Gradually increase speed to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe or dollop whipped cream over chilled cheesecake. Slice, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
¹Pumpkin note
Be sure to grab pure pumpkin puree (the only ingredient on the can should be “pumpkin”) and not “pumpkin pie filling”, which contains other ingredients and is usually sold right beside the pumpkin puree.²Video note
Whoops! The video says to preheat the oven to 375F but this cheesecake should actually be baked on 350F (as the written recipe indicates) instead.Baking time
Exact bake time can vary depending on your oven, whether you bake your cheesecake on a baking pan or not, the color of your springform pan (light or dark), and even the precise temperature of your ingredients. Because of this I recommend checking your cheesecake at 40 minutes (the amount of time it takes me) and adding time as needed. Some readers have reported needing to bake their cheesecake upwards of an hour! Follow the cues indicated in the recipe to tell that it’s done, you can use an instant read thermometer to check that it’s done if you aren’t sure, the temperature should exceed 160F (70C).³Whipped cream
I used a Wilton 2D tip to pipe the whipped cream onto my cheesecake.Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Pumpkin cheesecake may also be frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe originally published 10/13/2017, while the recipe remains the same, the post has been updated and improved and a video has been added!
Related Recipes
My pumpkin cheesecake recipe was originally published in 2017. The recipe remains unchanged, but I’ve updated the photos, added a video, and updated the blog post to make it more helpful.
Donna Stewart
Hi sam, would like to make this cheese cake for my exam Tuesday at school, however, I am supposed to have a fruit filling for the top. Do you think it would go well with it or it will mess with the taste?
Sam
Hi Donna, I think it depends on the type of fruit and personal taste. I’ve never tried a fruit topping with this pumpkin cheesecake, but I have used one on my classic cheesecake recipe.
Donna Stewart
Ok. Sam I used the strawberry filling on top of it and I also used the cinnamon whipped cream, muah, it was splendid, got the highest grade. Thanks sam
Sugar Spun Run
That sounds delicious, Donna! I am so glad that you enjoyed it. 🙂
Jessica
This was my first time making a cheese cake. It was a huge hit turned out amazing, no cracks, absolutely perfect!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake, Jessica! 🙂
Heather Roberts
Am I able to use a glass 9 inch pie dish to make this recipe i do not own a spring form pan 🙁
Sam
Hi Heather! This recipe will make much more than you would need to fill a 9″ pie pan, you might be better off cutting the recipe in half. Make sure to not over-fill the pie pan and you should be fine. Also keep in mind that the bake time will be much less in the pie plate. I hope that helps!
David
Hey Sam, David here.
I tried this recipe (my first cheesecake attempt) it cooked weird. It looked sunken in the middle.
Also, after chilling all night and most of day in fridge I finally went to serve it and the crust stuck to the bottom. I could not get it off. The cheesecake part came right off the crust. Should I have taken it out of the springform pan earlier or do you think I made it wrong?
Tasted good though. 🙃
Sam
Hi David!
Hmm, it shouldn’t sink in the middle, did the sinking happen in the oven or after it cooled? Did the pumpkin cheesecake cool completely at room temperature before you put it in the fridge? If not that could have affected how the crust came away from the springform pan. Other than that you did not need to take it out of the springform pan earlier, I always leave mine in the springform pan until I am ready to serve. I’m glad you enjoyed the taste and hope that helps!
Catherine
Could I make this in a 9×13 glass pan?
Sam
Hi Catherine! That shouldn’t be a problem, I would bake at the same temperature but I’m sure it will need to bake for less time. Unfortunately since I haven’t tried this pumpkin cheesecake in that particular pan I’m not positive how long it would take to bake, if you try it would you let me know how it works out for you?
Barb
Hi Sam- I will be making this when my son comes home for Christmas. He loves Gingersnaps and was wondering if a Gingersnap crust would work with this recipe. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and I’m sure you are excited about your baby boy arriving soon!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Barb! I have not tried it in a gingersnap crust before. Sounds delicious! I think that it will be fine, however without trying it myself I can not advise. If you do try it, let me know how it turns out. I hope that you have a wonderful visit with your son.:)
Sam
Hello I am a first time baker and I followed the directions, but my filling was a lot thicker than yours and seemed to fill above the crust is this okay? I am worried I did something wrong!
Sam
Hi Sam! Are you using the same size pan? It’s OK if the filling goes over the crust, you just don’t want it near the brim of the pan in case it rises any (that way it doesn’t overflow in your oven). I hope it turns out for you!
Carolyn
How long will the whipped cream keep before serving ? I’m making this for thanksgiving and everyone can’t wait for the cake!
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Carolyn! I have made this whipped cream up to 3 days in advance and had it keep beautifully, however, because all baking environments differ I generally recommend you make it the same day you intend to use it. 🙂
Melissa
Just made this yesterday and in the fridge. At what point should I take it out of the fridge and spring foam pan before doing the whip cream and serving ? Looks delicious so far and very easy as a first time cheese cake maker 😉
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Melissa! Congrats on making your first cheesecake! You can release the springform pan once the cheesecake has cooled. I typically leave it on the pan base and add whipped cream right before you’re ready to serve. I hope everyone enjoys the pumpkin cheesecake! 🙂
Juli Barr
best pumpkin cheesecake I ever made! love love love this recipe and so did my colleagues! thank you for sharing it 🙂
Sam
Thank you so much, Juli! I am so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin cheesecake so much. 🙂
Lamandalynne
On the directions for the cinnamon whipped cream topping, directions #2 and #3 are the same. You may want to edit that.
Aside from that, the topping is amazing!!!
Thank you for sharing!!
Sam
I am so glad you enjoyed the cheesecake. Thank you so much for letting me know about the error in the instructions. I will go fix it now. 🙂
Shirley Johnston
Quick question….do you spray the spring form pan with baking spray before adding the graham cracker crumbs?
Shirley J
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Shirley! No, it is not needed for this recipe. I hope that you enjoy your pumpkin cheesecake! 🙂
Rebecca
Can’t wait to try it! Looks delicious. What’s in the pumpkin spice? Can I combine cinnamon, nutmeg and maybe cloves as a replacement? Would like to use what I have on hand already if possible . TIA
Sam
Hi Rebecca! Here is my Pumpkin Spice recipe, you can use that to make your own. I hope you love the pumpkin cheesecake! 🙂
Ali Kayn
Have you tried making your own Graham crackers? I’ve never seen them anywhere.
Sam
Hi Ali! I have not tried making my own graham cracker crumbs. I’m sorry.
Leslie
Why does she say 375 in the video but the recipe says 350?
Sam
Hi Leslie! 350 is correct, sorry about that!