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Pumpkin Cheesecake is the showstopping fall dessert that marbles silky vanilla cheesecake with spiced pumpkin into one gorgeous swirled slice. I make it every year for our Thanksgiving table, and it disappears faster than the pie ever does. If you love a creamy, make-ahead dessert, you will also want our bite-sized mini cheesecakes in your rotation.
A buttery graham crust, a pretty pumpkin swirl, and a cloud of cinnamon whipped cream make this the cozy centerpiece of any fall gathering.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 30 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 55 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 hours 15 minutes (includes chilling)
- 🍽️ Serving: 16 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 362kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Rich, creamy, and warmly spiced with pumpkin, cinnamon, and vanilla
- ✋ Difficulty: A little patience required, but easier than it looks, like our lemon cheesecake bars
Quick Answer
Press a buttery graham cracker crust into a springform pan. Beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs, sour cream, and vanilla into a smooth batter, then whip pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice into most of it. Layer the pumpkin and plain batters in the crust, dollop and swirl the reserved plain batter for a marbled top, and bake in a water bath until just set. Cool slowly, chill, and finish with cinnamon whipped cream.
Jump to:
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- The water bath prevents cracks. Baking the cheesecake in a foil-wrapped pan set in hot water keeps the heat gentle and even for a smooth, crack-free top.
- Two batters make the swirl. Reserving some plain vanilla cheesecake batter lets you marble it through the pumpkin for that bakery-pretty pattern.
- Room-temperature cream cheese is key. Softened cream cheese beats up lump-free, so the filling turns out silky and smooth every time.
- A graham crust adds the perfect crunch. Brown sugar and pumpkin spice in the crust give it a warm, cozy flavor that complements the filling.
- Slow cooling protects the texture. Letting it cool in the oven, then on the counter, then the fridge keeps the cheesecake creamy and dense, not rubbery.
- It is a make-ahead star. Cheesecake needs to chill anyway, so you can make it a day ahead and check dessert off your holiday list early.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It is a gorgeous swirled centerpiece that tastes like fall in every creamy bite.
- The make-ahead nature means one less thing to stress about on a busy holiday.
- It is the perfect fall finale to a comfort-food spread, right alongside a slice of banana bundt cake.
Key Ingredients
Here is what gives this cheesecake its rich, spiced flavor and creamy swirl. Most of it is classic baking staples plus a can of pumpkin.
- Cream Cheese: the foundation of any great cheesecake; bring it fully to room temperature for a lump-free filling.
- Pumpkin Puree: use pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, for the truest pumpkin flavor and color.
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: mixed with brown sugar and butter for a sweet, crunchy crust.
- Pumpkin Spice and Vanilla: the warm, cozy spices that make it taste like the season; a pinch goes into the crust too.
- Eggs and Sour Cream: they give the filling its rich, custardy texture, like the base of our mini cheesecakes.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
This cheesecake is easy to make your own with a few simple tweaks.
- Make it a full pumpkin cheesecake: skip the swirl and whip the pumpkin into all of the batter for a uniform pumpkin filling.
- Change the crust: use gingersnap or speculoos cookie crumbs for an extra-spiced base.
- Add a topping: a drizzle of caramel or a sprinkle of toffee bits takes it over the top.
- Make it bars: press it into a 9×13 pan and slice into squares, like our lemon cheesecake bars.
- Go no-bake-inspired: if cheesecake bars are more your speed, our no-bake raspberry cheesecake bites skip the oven entirely.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, pumpkin spice, and a pinch of salt. Press firmly into the bottom of a foil-wrapped springform pan.
- Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, flour, eggs, yolk, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside one-third, then whip the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice into the rest.
- Spread most of the vanilla cheesecake batter over the crust, then layer the pumpkin batter on top and smooth it out evenly.
- Using a teaspoon, dollop the reserved vanilla cheesecake batter all over the top of the pumpkin layer.
- Drag a toothpick through the dollops to swirl a pretty marbled pattern across the top.
- Bake in a water bath at 325 degrees F until the center is just slightly jiggly, then cool slowly and chill. Top with cinnamon whipped cream, slice, and serve.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Soften the cream cheese fully at room temperature so the filling beats up perfectly smooth with no lumps.
- Do not overmix once the eggs go in; too much air can cause cracks and a sunken top.
- Use a water bath and wrap the pan well in foil for the creamiest, crack-free cheesecake.
- Cool it gradually; crack the oven door, then finish on the counter and in the fridge to avoid a rubbery texture.
- Chill overnight for clean slices and the best flavor, the same patience that pays off with our no-bake raspberry cheesecake bites.
- Wipe your knife between cuts with a warm, damp cloth for picture-perfect swirled slices.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Pumpkin Cheesecake is the kind of dessert that needs little more than a generous swirl of cinnamon whipped cream and maybe a dusting of extra pumpkin spice on top.
It is the perfect ending to a fall feast, so serve it after the turkey alongside other cozy sweets like our spice cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for a dessert table everyone will remember.
For a festive party spread, slice it small and set it next to bite-sized treats like our candied grapes and a refreshing layered lemon blueberry trifle so there is something for every sweet tooth.
Pumpkin Cheesecake FAQs
A water bath gives you the creamiest, most crack-resistant cheesecake by surrounding it with gentle, even heat. You can bake it without one, but the top is more likely to crack and the texture can be slightly drier.
Yes, and you should. Cheesecake needs to chill for several hours or overnight to set, so making it a day ahead is ideal and frees up your oven for the holiday.
Absolutely. Chill it completely, then wrap the whole cheesecake or individual slices tightly and freeze for up to two months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
Cracks usually come from overmixing, overbaking, or cooling too fast. Mix gently once the eggs go in, pull it while the center still jiggles slightly, and cool it gradually.
Pumpkin puree is just cooked, pureed pumpkin with nothing added. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and spiced. This recipe uses pure pumpkin puree so you control the flavor.
Keep it covered in the refrigerator for up to five days. For longer storage, freeze individual slices and thaw them in the fridge as you want them.
Craving more creamy cheesecake? Our bite-sized mini cheesecakes give you all the flavor in a perfectly portioned, party-ready treat.
Love a holiday showstopper? Try our rich pecan pie cheesecake next.
Craving fall flavors? Our caramel apple cheesecake bars are easy and crowd-pleasing.
For handheld portions, our mini pumpkin pies bake right in a muffin tin.
Skip the coffee shop line and float my pumpkin cream cold brew next to a slice.
For the pure classic underneath all the fall spice, my vanilla bean cheesecake is the one to master.
If hidden cheesecake layers excite you, our Cream Cheese Banana Bread bakes one right into the loaf.
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon pumpkin spice
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- pinch salt
For the cheesecake:
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened
- 3 whole eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 11 ounces pure pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ recipe stabilized cinnamon whipped cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, pumpkin spice, brown sugar, and salt until well combined. Press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl with an electric hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, add the cream cheese and whip until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add in the eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar, flour, and vanilla. Whip until combined.
- Take 1/3 of the mixture and add it to a small bowl, set aside.
- Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice into the first bowl, and whip until combined. Pour half of this mixture over the graham cracker crumbs, smooth evenly.
- Add 3/4 of the vanilla cheesecake mixture on top, and smooth out evenly.
- Add the remaining pumpkin cheesecake mixture on top of the vanilla, smooth out evenly, be careful and make sure to cover up all the vanilla mixture.
- Using a teaspoon and the remaining vanilla cheesecake, make small dollops all over the top.
- Take a toothpick and swirl through the dollops to make a pretty pattern.
- Wrap the outside of the springform pan in a double layer of foil and then place it in a roasting pan with 1-2 inches of hot water.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until the center is just slightly jiggly. Once done baking, turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake inside the water bath with the door closed for 40-60 minutes.
- Then remove it from the water bath and let it finish cooling on the counter completely before transferring it to the fridge to set for 8 hours or overnight.
- Slice and serve with the cinnamon whipped cream, or topping of your choice.
Notes
- The whipped cream is not included in the nutritional value.
- I highly encourage you too add pumpkin pie spice to the crust, it really gives this cheesecake a little more pumpkin power!
- Make sure that you cool your cheesecake on the counter, this helps prevent cracking before you place it in the refrigerator to cool completely
- This does need a full 8 hours to set up, do not skimp on that, its hard to wait but it’s worth the wait!
- You can swap vanilla bean paste 1:1 with vanilla extract in this recipe.
- Make sure you use pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, it’s easy to get them mixed up!
- My trick for cutting the perfect slice of cheesecake is to run a sharp knife under warm water, wiping it off and cutting, perfect slice every time!
- You can use regular graham crackers for this or the pre-packaged crumbs.
- Make sure you do not skip the water bath, this is essential!
- This can be frozen, see above on how to do that.
Nutrition
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Thanks so much Jess!
Such a beautiful cheesecake. Love this recipe for the Fall season. Pinned!