This cheesecake has been a huge success at the bakery since its introduction. It’s a lovely dessert for an autumn dinner party. I love to make cheesecakes when I’m entertaining because they can be made one to two days in advance, long before guests even arrive.–Allysa Torey
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust FAQs
To toast pecans, place them on a baking sheet in a 350°F (180°C) oven for 15 minutes, or until lightly browned and fragrant.
If you want to make mini cheesecakes yourself (as shown above), you’ll need a special pan. We’d suggest this one, a mini springform cupcake pan. Just be sure that you adjust your cook time and bake until the edges are set and the centers only slightly jiggle, 18 to 20 minutes.
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Pecan Crust
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs
- 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans
For the filling
- 3/4 pound cream cheese, softened
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin purée
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
For the sweet vanilla whipped cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the garnish
- Toasted pecan halves
Instructions
Make the crust
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
- In a small bowl, combine the butter with the gingersnap cookie crumbs and pecans. Press into the bottom of a buttered 10-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Make the filling
- In a large bowl, on the low speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until very smooth. Gradually add the sugars. Add the eggs, one at a time. Add the pumpkin purée and mix until just blended. To ensure that the batter has no lumps and that no ingredients are stuck to the bottom of the bowl, stop the mixer several times and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Stir in the heavy cream and cinnamon.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and set the pan on a baking sheet. Bake until the edges are set and the center moves only slightly when the pan is shaken, about 1 hour.
- At the end of the baking time, turn off the heat and, using a wooden spoon to keep the oven door slightly ajar, cool the cake in the oven for 1 hour before removing it. Cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours or overnight.
Make the vanilla whipped cream
- Place all the ingredients in a medium-size bowl and whip with an eggbeater or a whisk until soft peaks form. Serve immediately or cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Serving the cheesecake
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes before cutting and serving. Garnish with the sweetened whipped cream and toasted pecan halves.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
This pumpkin cheesecake has all those nice autumn flavors, perfect to take to a fall get-together. The blend of gingersnap and pumpkin is always a winner, and the texture was much lighter than other cheesecakes, sort of a fluffy pumpkin pie feel.
Yummy, Yummy in my tummy—the pumpkin cheesecake was very tasty. The crust was unusual but complemented the cake very well. The toasted pecans on the sweetened whipped cream was a good idea to add a crunchy texture to the dessert.
Any thoughts on making this without the crust to make it gluten free?
Debbie, we didn’t test it that way, so I don’t want to send you on a fools errand. But we do have gluten-free crust recipes. Does that help?
What brand of ginger snap cookies were used?
Hi, Carol. There’s not a specific brand required. Any plain gingersnap will work.
This is absolutely delicious and a winner! I’ve made this four times and was a special request for this Thanksgiving. I’ve been making my crust with Graham Crackers and everyone still loves it. A perfect Autumn desert.
Gemma, thanks so much for writing in and telling us how much you like the cheesecake. We rely upon feedback from readers and cooks like you to make sure were on target with our recipe choices. Apparently, we hit a bullseye with this one!