Thanksgiving is just days away. Bring on all the delicious comfort foods and drinks. I’m so ready! This heavenly Pumpkin Cheesecake (gluten-free) is sure to please you and your guests after a big holiday feast.
I’m a lover of most anything pumpkin. I love pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie ice cream, pumpkin roll, and, of course, this delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake.
It is a decadent dessert, perfect for the holidays. Filled with a pound of rich and creamy cream cheese, pure pumpkin, warm spices, and a gluten-free gingersnap cookie crust…what’s not to love here?
Cheesecakes are one of my favorite desserts, but they can be on the pricey side. Make this Pumpkin Cheesecake (gluten-free) and save some dough but also wow your guests at the same time.
If you have ever made a cheesecake, you know that it takes time to prepare it, bake it, and have it set up. Cheesecakes aren’t a fast dessert to make by any means; they’re just totally worth it!
And believe me when I say that this Pumpkin Cheesecake is SO worth the effort and time.
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
For the crust, I chose to use a gingersnap cookie. You can choose to use graham crackers instead, however, I think the flavor of the gingersnap cookies pairs well with the pumpkin and spices.
First, you will need to crush up the cookies into fine crumbs. A food processor or even a high speed blender would work best for this step.
Second, add in the granulated sugar and melted butter and mix everything until it resembles moist sand.
Next, line your springform pan with parchment paper that has been cut to the size that will fit the bottom of pan. Spray the parchment paper with a little cooking spray.
Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. I used the bottom of a weighted glass to help me press it down firm enough.
You can go up the edges a bit if you’d like, but I just kept the crust to the bottom of the pan.
Bake crust for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Once done, let crust cool while you make the cheesecake filling.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
Before you start on the filling, make sure the cream cheese is softened, this makes it easier to blend and ensures the mixture is creamy. Also, make sure your eggs are at room temperature before adding into the other ingredients.
Start by blending the cream cheese and sugar together. Then, add in the salt, vanilla extract, sour cream, and pumpkin pie spice. Next, add one egg in at a time while blending in between.
Last, add in the pure pumpkin slowly while beating. Mixture should be creamy and smooth in texture.
Before you add the cheesecake filling into the pan, wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil all the way up the sides to the top of the pan.
Because this cheesecake bakes in a water bath, this step is crucial, trust me!
I would wrap the pan at least 2-3 times to ensure water doesn’t leak into the pan. You do not want a soggy crust, bleh.
Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. It looks like it will overflow but it’s just the right amount of filling and will go almost to the top of the rim of the pan.
As mentioned above, you will be baking this cheesecake in a water bath. So use a large roasting pan for this process.
Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan and add enough hot water to the roasting pan until the water is about half way up the side of the springform pan. This process helps the cheesecake to bake more evenly throughout.
Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. After the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and crack open the oven door and let it sit in there for one hour.
Next, take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool for another hour on the counter.
Finally, after all that lol, chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 5 hours or, even better, overnight. We chilled ours overnight and it was perfect.
Once chilled you can add whip cream, caramel sauce, or whatever you like to the top of your cheesecake. This is where you can get creative 🙂
As you can see by the pictures, we added gingersnap cookies all around with whipped cream and drizzled with caramel sauce, yum!
This recipe makes about 14 servings depending on the thickness of the slice.
We sincerely hope you all have a wonderful time with loved ones this Thanksgiving day.
Happy Eating and happy Thanksgiving!
Pumpkin Cheesecake (gluten-free)
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2 1/2 cups gluten-free gingersnap cookies, finely ground
- 12 tbsp. butter, melted
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
For the Filling:
- 4 bricks cream cheese, softened
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp. pumpkin pie spice
- 1 15 oz. can pure pumpkin
Instructions
For the Crust
- First, you will need to crush up the cookies into fine crumbs. A food processor or even a high speed blender would work best for this step.
- Second, add in the granulated sugar and melted butter and mix everything until it resembles moist sand.
- Next, line your springform pan with parchment paper that has been cut to the size that will fit the bottom of pan. Spray the parchment paper with a little cooking spray.
- Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the pan. I used the bottom of a weighted glass to help me press it down firm enough. You can go up the edges a bit if you'd like, but I just kept the crust to the bottom of the pan.
- Bake crust for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees. Once done, let crust cool while you make the cheesecake filling.
For the Filling
- Start by blending the cream cheese and sugar together. Then, add in the salt, vanilla extract, sour cream, and pumpkin pie spice.
- Next, add one egg in at a time while blending in between.
- Last, add in the pure pumpkin slowly while beating. Mixture should be creamy and smooth in texture.
- Before you add the cheesecake filling into the pan, wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil all the way up the sides to the top of the pan. Repeat 2-3 times to ensure water does not get into the pan.
- Pour the cheesecake filling on top of the crust. It looks like it will overflow but it's just the right amount of filling and will go almost to the top of the rim of the pan.
- Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan and add enough hot water to the roasting pan until the water is about half way up the side of the springform pan. This process helps the cheesecake to bake more evenly throughout.
- Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour and 45 minutes at 325 degrees Fahrenheit. After the cheesecake is done baking, turn off the oven and crack open the oven door and let it sit in there for one hour.
- Next, take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool for another hour on the counter.
- Finally, chill the cheesecake in the fridge for at least 5 hours or, even better, overnight.
- You can decorate the top of cheesecake with caramel sauce, whipped cream, and more gingersnap cookies, if desired.
- This recipe makes about 14 servings depending on the thickness of the slice. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I made it for my mother in law. She loved it ( we all do!) Flavor was phenomenal! Followed the instructions with minor changes (cut down the butter to ~9 tbsp when I noticed that the crust is almost like wet sand). Mine turned out a bit soft, refrigerated it for over 24 hours helped the texture. I think next time, I might leave it bit longer or keep the oven door closed after it has baked. Overall, it’s a great recipe and it’s a keeper!! Thanks, Marcie!
So glad to hear you liked this cheesecake recipe, and your mother in law, too! I hope the little changes you make will help to improve the texture next time. It’s funny how each oven is so different or even elevation can affect the final outcome of a recipe. But, overall, I am truly glad it worked out for your family! Thanks for sharing!! 😁👍🏼
Marcie
I made this and everyone loved it! I wanted to ask if anyone else had issues with how much butter was in the crust? I noticed that water did not get inside the pan however, butter got out. I felt like it was a ton of butter before I put it in but I assumed it would be fine. What do you suggest? Should I cut the butter down? Bake the crust longer? I followed the recipe exactly.
Hello Jannette,
Thanks for writing us and letting us know everyone loved the cheesecake!That’s certainly good news 😀👍🏼 I haven’t heard anyone tell me that there was too much butter in the crust. But, if it was an issue for you, I’m thinking to maybe cut down to about 9-10 TBSP. of butter, see how that works out for you. I don’t necessarily think it needs to bake longer, but your oven is different. So, if you feel it could also bake for another minute or two then you could try that also. Let us know if you ever do make this cheesecake again and try those minor adjustments and see how it comes out.
Take care,
Marcie
This turned out PERFECT! I followed the recipe as written, except didn’t notice I was supposed to leave the oven door cracked open-I left it closed. I live in Colorado, so maybe that was needed for the altitude anyway? It’s definitely a “splurge” recipe and very far from healthy, but not sure anyone eating cheesecake is eating it for their health. I’ve made a ton of cheesecakes and never used a water bath to cook. But I’d say it was definitely worth the effort! It definitely got many thumbs up from our family!!
Hello,
Thanks for the great review! This makes my heart happy that it worked out so well for you and that your family really enjoyed it! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving feast!❤️
Marcie
Flavor was terrific. Unfortunately the finished product was a long ways from completely cooked. My oven had a thermometer in it next to the cheesecake. This is the only cheesecake recipe I have ever followed that had you leave the cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open instead of leaving it in the oven after the completed baking time with the oven turned off and the door CLOSED. Perhaps that would have made a difference.
Hello BJ,
Thanks for trying our recipe! Glad the flavor was terrific but bummed to hear the texture didn’t turn out quite as it should have been. Some things that come to mind are elevation differences, oven temperature differences (all ovens vary), and perhaps just making sure refrigerated ingredients are kept at room temperature before using. Many food bloggers will attest to the method of keeping baked cheesecake in the oven with the door cracked open just a tad to bring down the temperature of the oven a bit. This allows the cheesecake time to cool down but not too quickly or else the top will become cracked. Thats the method I followed here with great results.
If you do make this again and try your method of keeping it in the oven with the door closed after it has baked, let me know how it turns out. I like learning new methods.
Thanks,
Marcie
This looks AMAZING! Thanks for the detailed instructions. I’ve never baked anything in a water bath before so this is going to be a totally new experience. Do most people get it right the very first time or do you recommend making a trial one a week or two prior to Thanksgiving?
Hello Suzanne,
Thank-you! We sure do love this pumpkin cheesecake recipe in our house. I was always a little intimidated by making cheesecakes, but I found that they’re relatively easy to make, they just take time to make/bake. So, give yourself plenty of time! That being said, I think if you follow the instructions you shouldn’t have any problems. The cheesecake you see in my pics was me making it only once! But, if you feel you may need to do a trial run before the big Turkey day…give it a go! Let me know if you decide to do a “practice run” cheesecake or if you decide to whip it up that week!
P.S. Just make sure to wrap the springform pan very well in aluminum foil. It’s to prevent water from getting through. I noticed I got a little water in mine, but it didn’t ruin the texture or the flavor. Hope that helps!
Marcie