Perhaps pie is not your jam. Or maybe you’d like to shake up your holiday dessert table a bit. In any case, this pumpkin cheesecake says fall flavors and delicious all swirled into one. I have made it for several Thanksgiving dinners over the years. It never lasts very long.
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs (from 10 whole crackers)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp. butter, melted
For the filling
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) bar cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp. unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (homemade if you’ve got it)
- 1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 1 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Place oven rack in center of oven.
- Grease 9-inch springform pan.
- In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter. Press firmly into bottom of prepared pan. Bake until golden at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Beat together cream cheese and sugar on low speed with an electric mixer. Add flour, then pumpkin puree and spices, mixing well after each addition, but taking care not to over-mix.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each.
- Place springform pan on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour pumpkin filling into crust. Gently smooth top with a spatula.
- Place in oven. Reduce oven temperature to 300 F. Bake 45 minutes without opening the oven. To prevent the top from cracking, leave cheesecake in oven for 2 more hours without opening.
- Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours.
- Remove from springform pan and serve, topped with homemade whipping cream or a dusting of cinnamon.