Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe (9 Inch)

This creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe with a buttery homemade graham cracker crust is a must-make Thanksgiving dessert and a great way to use up leftover canned pumpkin. Baked in a 9 inch springform pan with no water bath required!

In just a few short weeks we’ll be celebrating Thanksgiving for two.

When I walked around the mall, I noticed all of the stores are decorated for Christmas already.

Christmas trees standing tall with decorations for sale. Mannequins wearing holiday sweaters and boots. A sign sitting in the kitchen store window, warning us how many days we have left until Thanksgiving and Christmas (poor Halloween).

The mall itself hasn’t gotten ready for Santa yet, but give it another week or two and the mall will be transformed into a winter wonderland.

As long as I don’t hear Christmas music before Thanksgiving, I’ll be set.

Every Thanksgiving, I’m not allowed to make dessert. Me, of all people, can’t make dessert for the family because Dad insists he will make the pumpkin pie.

Every year I tell him to scale down the recipe to make a small pumpkin pie. Every year he ignores me and makes two pies because both will eventually get eaten.

He’ll even do a test run for Halloween though he’s been using the same recipe for the past how many years now. You know, just in case this is the year it fails. Every year.

Because I’m not allowed to make Thanksgiving dessert, I have to make all of my pumpkin desserts ahead of time to enjoy the season.

Since I make cheesecake recipes a lot including my pecan pie cheesecake, it was only fitting to make Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe with a homemade graham cracker crust.

It’s my classic cheesecake recipe with canned pumpkin added and served with homemade whipped cream on top to make one deliciously creamy fall-inspired dessert.

The best part is no water bath required, making this a really easy recipe for pumpkin cheesecake!

I know this 9 inch cheesecake recipe feeds more than two, but a lot of people including myself enjoy the holidays with family. Maybe this year you need more slices to share.

If you are here looking for a small cheesecake, check out my small pumpkin cheesecake recipe or Instant Pot pumpkin cheesecake. Same concept, just adjusted for a 6 inch pan size.

And if you find yourself without enough oven space, check out my no bake pumpkin cheesecake bars.

Whether you make your 9 inch pumpkin cheesecake in lieu of pumpkin pie or have leftover canned pumpkin to use up, one bite and this no water bath cheesecake recipe will be your new holiday favorite.

Ingredients For Pumpkin Cheesecake

Here’s what you need to make your recipe for pumpkin cheesecake:

• Graham cracker crumbs: It’s the most traditional for the crust, but you can use any cookie crumb you want. I use a food processor to crush mine very finely.
• Butter: Needed to bind the crust
• Salt: Just a pinch is needed if using unsalted butter
• Cream cheese: It’s not cheesecake without cream cheese! Use full-fat cream cheese because the low fat and fat free versions have more water in them and may be too watery after baking.
• Granulated sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the tanginess of the cream cheese
• Eggs: Adds structure to the batter and also helps the cheesecake rise
• Vanilla: Adds flavor to the batter
• Cinnamon: Adds a bit of fall to the batter

Make sure of your ingredients are at room temperature and not cold to the touch!

If they are after sitting out for a bit, you can microwave cream cheese in 5-10 second increments (without the foil wrapper! Do not microwave the foil wrapper) and place eggs in a warm bowl of water.

If the cream cheese or eggs are too cold, the batter will seize up and become lumpy. And you don’t want a lumpy cheesecake.

What pan do I need to make cheesecake?

All 9 inch cheesecake recipes use a springform pan because you can remove the sides of the pan without ruining the cheesecake.

Cheesecake is way too delicate to invert it from the pan like you would with my small chocolate cake.

Don’t have a springform pan? Check out my mini pumpkin cheesecakes made in a cupcake pan or add 1/2 cup pumpkin puree to loaf pan cheesecake.

How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake

Now that you gathered your ingredients, here’s how to make your pumpkin cheesecake:

1. Mix together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and salt then pat into the bottom and sides of your springform pan.
2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
3. Add egg, pumpkin, and vanilla then transfer to your pan.
4. Bake at 350F for 35-40 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 150F. There will still be a slight wiggle in the middle.
5. Cool 1 hour then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Refrigerate leftover cheesecake in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Why did my cheesecake crack?

Because you don’t need a water bath, your cheesecake is slightly more prone to cracking. However, if you understand why cheesecake cracks, then you can prevent it from happening in the first place.

First reason is you overbaked it, causing it to dry out and crack. This happens because you couldn’t tell when it was done.

Cheesecake is a custard not a cake so it will forever jiggle in the middle when you move it. No matter how long you bake it, the movement will not go away.

The best way to check if your cheesecake is done is when the internal temperature reaches 150F using a digital thermometer.

However if you don’t have one, visually it’ll be firm to the touch and only a small circle in the center jiggles when moved.

If a large portion is moving, you can put it back in for another 5 minutes. Don’t use a knife to check as the hole left behind may cause cracking.

Another reason your cheesecake may crack is your pan is too small. Cheesecake batter will rise in the pan thanks to the eggs.

If your pan is too small, the batter may rise above your pan. As it cools, it’ll sink back into itself, which causes cracking.

Make sure you’re using a 9 inch springform pan as directed.

How To Decorate Cheesecake

As mentioned earlier, I used homemade whipped cream to garnish my pumpkin cheesecake.

You can also use maple whipped cream, honey whipped cream, or even cream cheese whipped cream.

I also drizzled a bit of homemade caramel sauce on top.

What To Do With Leftover Canned Pumpkin

You won’t use a whole can of pumpkin for cheesecake, so here are some more pumpkin recipes you can make:

• Eggless Pumpkin Pie
• Mini Pumpkin Pie
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies
• Pumpkin Biscotti
• Pumpkin Poke Cake
• Pumpkin Mashed Potatoes
• Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Source: Adapted from Taste Of Home

First published October 29, 2015