Packed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice, this Pumpkin Cheesecake is creamy and delicious, with the additional caramel and spice flavor of a Biscoff crust.
I have a special fondness for cheesecakes. It took me a few years to perfect cheesecake that is creamy, rich and baked without any cracks. I shared my detailed tutorial on how to make absolutely PERFECT cheesecakes in my New York cheesecake post. Here, I’ll be sharing my favorite Fall twist on cheesecake; a spiced pumpkin cheesecake with a biscoff crust. A foolproof and gorgeous dessert, perfect for Thanksgiving!
What you will get with this pumpkin cheesecake recipe
A pumpkin cheesecake, with a dense and creamy texture. A cheesecake packed with pumpkin and pumpkin spice flavor, and the addition of a biscoff crust for even more decadent flavor!A delicious pumpkin dessert for Thanksgiving, as an alternative to pumpkin pie. How to adapt this recipe for a graham cracker crust, or for an 8 inch cheesecake.How to adapt this recipe as a pumpkin spice latte cheesecake, or a sweet potato cheesecake. A recipe that has been tested multiple times for foolproof results! A step by step recipe with tips to prevent cracks on the surface.
And best of all, with these pumpkin cheesecake recipes, I’ll show you how to make different variations to suit your cheesecake preferences!
Variations of this spiced pumpkin cheesecake that you can make
My favorite variation – pumpkin spice latte cheesecake!Pumpkin cheesecake with a graham cracker crust or a gingersnap crust.This is a recipe for a 9 inch cheesecake, but you can adapt it to make an 8 inch cheesecake too.Substitute the pumpkin puree for a sweet potato cheesecake.
How to make the cheesecake recipe
If you’re a novice baker, it’s better to have all the ingredients ready before starting. This recipe is broken down into three parts;
Prepare the cheesecake pan
The first step is to prep the cheesecake pan. I use a springform pan, but you can use a cheesecake pan with a loose bottom as well. Lightly butter the inside of the pan, and line the bottom with parchment paper. Cut a strip of parchment paper to line the sides of the pan as well. This will make it easier to release the cheesecake from the pan when the time comes. Once the inside of the pan is lined, you will also need a large piece of foil to wrap the entire pan from the outside. This foil should be one piece, which will help keep the water out while the cheesecake is baking.
A foil pie dish – Place the cheesecake pan in the foil pie dish, and mold the foil around the cheesecake pan. This will work for a 9 inch or 8 inch pan. Parchment paper – You can use parchment paper, but you will need to use twine to tie the parchment paper tightly to the pan so that it doesn’t move. You can also bake the cheesecake WITHOUT a water bath. The spiced pumpkin cheesecake will have higher sides (sunken middle), but it’ll still be just as delicious!
The crust
For this spiced pumpkin cheesecake, I made the crust with biscoff cookies, because I love that combo of caramel and spice flavors. But you can make it with graham cracker crumbs or gingersnap cookie crumbs as well. The cookies are first crushed and mixed with melted butter in a medium sized bowl. You can crush the cookies in the food processer because it’ll make the job so much easier. This mixture should still be crumbly, but should hold together when squeezed in your hand. Press the cookie mixture into the bottom of the cheesecake pan to form an even crust. I personally like the crust to go halfway up the sides of the pan, but this is not necessary. Bake the crust in a preheated oven for a few minutes to allow the crust to set. This simply prevents the crust from being too crumbly. Refrigerate the crust to let it cool down, while you make the cheesecake filling.
Making the pumpkin cheesecake filling
For the cheesecake, it’s important that all the ingredients are measured and ready to go. The cream cheese absolutely has to be at room temperature. It’s also important to preheat your oven at this point. The first step is to whisk the cream cheese, cornstarch, spices, salt, and brown sugar in the mixing bowl or a large bowl. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can use granulate sugar combined with a little molasses instead. Mix the cream cheese until there are no lumps, and it’s smooth and creamy. A spiced pumpkin cheesecake obviously wouldn’t be complete without the pumpkin, so the next step is to add the pumpkin puree into the cheesecake batter. I prefer to add the puree AFTER creaming the cream cheese, so that we can absolutely make sure there are no lumps in the batter. For convenience, you can use pumpkin pie spice mix from the supermarket which is perfect for this recipe. However, I like to use a spice mix that I put together myself, which I use to make masala chai, combined with a little extra cinnamon. I’m absolutely crazy for this masala chai spice mix, and have added it to so many of my other bakes too. If you want to make your own spice mix, you can use my chai spice mix here (with extra cinnamon added separately), or you can make your own pumpkin pie spice mix too. Once you have a smooth spiced pumpkin cheesecake batter, the final step is to add the eggs. This step is important because mixing eggs will introduce air into the batter. You need to make sure that you mix in the eggs without incorporating too much air. Here are two ways to do this; The first method is my preferred method, but I have also used the second method plenty of times successfully. Finally pour the spiced pumpkin cheesecake batter into the prepared cheesecake pan.
Baking the cheesecake
To ensure even baking, cheesecakes are typically baked in a water bath. So you’ll have to use a large pan to function as the water bath, which will easily fit the cheesecake pan in it. Before you bake this spiced pumpkin or pumpkin latte cheesecake, make sure to knock the pan against a hard surface to remove any excess air in the batter. You can also slap the surface of the cheesecake using the back of a large tablespoon. Especially over areas where you see bubbles on the surface. This method also helps air bubbles travel to the surface and pop. Place the cheesecake in the larger pan, and transfer it to your preheated oven. Pour hot water (boiling water or very hot tap water) into the larger pan, until it comes up to about at least 1 inch or halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is done. It’s done when the cheesecake is mostly set, with it being slightly jiggly in the center. After baking, the spiced pumpkin cheesecake should be allowed to cool completely in the cake pan. Do NOT try to release it from the pan until the cheesecake is completely cooled. The residual heat allows the cheesecake to cook a little further. Another reason to wait is because warm cheesecake is too soft, and removing it too early may cause cracks in the cheesecake.
Pumpkin cheesecake topping
Allow the cheesecake to chill overnight in the fridge. Use a thin blade or spatula to release the sides of the cheesecake from the cake pan, then carefully release the cheesecake from the pan. This cheesecake is absolutely good to be served just as is! However, I like to top this spiced pumpkin cheesecake with crushed biscoff cookies, on top of whipped cream. Just before serving, whip some CHILLED heavy cream until light and fluffy, almost at stiff peaks. Then pile it on top of the chilled cheesecake. You can also pipe the cream along the edge for a more refined look. Top the whipped cream with pieces of biscoff cookies. Now your spiced pumpkin cheesecake with a biscoff crust is ready to be served.
How to cut clean slices from the cheesecake
Cheesecakes are quite dense, so cutting slices can be messy. To ensure clean slices,
Dip a sharp knife in hot water and then wipe it clean.Cut the cheesecake with the hot, clean knife. Wipe the blade clean and dip the knife in hot water again. Wipe the blade and cut the next slice.
Ensuring the knife is clean and warm between each cut will give you clean, neat slices.
How to make sure there are NO cracks in your baked cheesecake
There are several ways to make sure that your cheesecake has no cracks. Let me summarize them here. Mixing the cheesecake without incorporating too much air – It’s important not to over-mix the batter. Especially when adding the eggs. That is why I prefer to whisk the eggs separately, and then add them to the batter. This helps the eggs mix into the batter more easily, without adding too much air. Removing excess air – Any air pockets will expand in the cheesecake, creating cracks in the baked cheesecake. To remove excess air, you can either knock the pan firmly on a hard surface. Or you can use the back of a spoon to slap the surface of the cheesecake to break up any air bubbles in the batter. Using a water bath – If the cheesecake batter heats up rapidly, this can result in cracks. To prevent this rapid temperature shock, a water bath is utilized to temper the oven heat. This will prevent the cheesecake from heating up too fast and unevenly. Bake at a lower heat – If you don’t want to or cannot use a water bath, you can bake this spiced pumpkin cheesecake at a lower heat. This helps the cheesecake heat up and cook slowly. Cool down to room temperature – Allowing the cheesecake to cool down gradually will also help any cracks (if they do form) settle down.
What to do if your cheesecake does form cracks
Honestly, no one cares if it’s still lip-smackingly delicious! If anyone you know cares about cracks in your cheesecake, you should unknow them immediately. When I was still learning to make cheesecakes when I was little, I remember getting grand canyon-esque cracks in my cheesecakes that made me so upset. I shed enough tears over those cheesecakes to even fill the said grand canyons.
But the truth is, once I served those babies topped with whipped cream (or sour cream), no one cared. No one even knew. All they did know was that the cheesecake was abso-freaking-lutely delicious! All is well that ends well. Or something like that.
This spiced pumpkin cheesecake is pure deliciousness. Perfect for Fall, and most definitely worthy of your thanksgiving spread! You could even feed your inner basic b*#ch by turning this cheesecake into a pumpkin spice latte cheesecake! I promise, you won’t be disappointed!
