Pumpkin Cheesecake
- 30m Prep Time
- 1h 15mCook Time
- 2h Ready In
A creamy pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust, spiced with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cardamom. Perfect for Thanksgiving or holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- butter for greasing
- 9/16 lbs gingersnaps or other hard cookies (such as Biscoff or vanilla wafers)
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 2 lbs regular cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 5 large eggs
- 1 pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 13 of 15 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 84.5 mg
- Iron: 0.8 mg
- Magnesium: 14.9 mg
- Phosphorus: 172 mg
- Potassium: 159 mg
- Zinc: 0.64 mg
Let's Prepare
Collect
Gather these ingredients — no prep needed yet.
- 9/16 lbs gingersnaps or other hard cookies (such as Biscoff or vanilla wafers)
- 1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 5 large eggs
- 1 pumpkin puree
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 3/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Prepare
- Melt 5 tbsp unsalted butter
- butter, for greasing
- 2 lbs regular cream cheese, at room temperature
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Preheat the oven to 275°F. Grease a 10-inch nonstick springform pan with butter, place it on a rimmed baking sheet, and set aside.
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Step 2.
Make the crust: Place 9 ounces (about 2 heaping cups) of gingersnaps or other hard cookies in a food processor and process until you get fine crumbs. Add 5 tablespoons melted unsalted butter and ¼ cup confectioners’ sugar, then pulse until evenly moist. (Alternatively, crush the cookies with a rolling pin in a plastic bag, then mix with butter and sugar in a bowl.) Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press into an even layer covering the bottom and about ½ inch up the sides.
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Step 3.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 32 ounces room-temperature cream cheese, 1 cup granulated sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch on medium speed for 1 minute, stopping halfway to scrape down the bowl and paddle.
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Step 4.
Add 5 large eggs one at a time, whisking on medium speed between each just until incorporated. Scrape down the bowl and paddle again.
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Step 5.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, ¾ teaspoon ground ginger, ¾ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt. Add this pumpkin mixture to the mixer bowl and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds, just until blended, scraping the bowl as needed.
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Step 6.
Pour the filling into the prepared crust, smooth the top, and tap the pan on the baking sheet a few times to release air bubbles. Bake on the middle rack for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the cheesecake is set and slightly puffed around the edges but still jiggly in the center. Avoid opening the oven door during baking to prevent cracking.
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Step 7.
Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake rest inside for 1 hour with the oven door closed. Then open the oven door and let it sit on the rack for 15 minutes more.
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Step 8.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and run a butter knife around the edge of the crust to loosen it from the pan. Let it cool to room temperature, then wrap and refrigerate overnight (or up to 3 days) before serving. To serve, use a thin-bladed pie server to carefully release the cheesecake from the pan as you cut it.