Description
This delicious pumpkin cheesecake recipe features a spiced pumpkin filling on a gingersnap cookie crust, baked in a water bath for extra creamy texture and finished with a Cool Whip topping. Perfect for fall and holiday desserts.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crust
- 1 box (12 ounces) gingersnap cookies
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
- 4 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 large eggs
- 1 container (8 ounces) Cool Whip
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Water Bath: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Place a large sheet pan filled halfway with hot water on the bottom rack to create a steam bath.
- Prepare Pan and Crust: Line the bottom of a 12-cup 9-inch springform pan (with 3-inch sides) with parchment paper. Then crush 35-40 gingersnap cookies to make about 2 cups of crumbs. Mix crumbs with ¼ cup sugar and 6 tablespoons melted butter, then press evenly into the pan bottom.
- Mix Cheesecake Batter: Beat the softened cream cheese with brown and granulated sugars until creamy. Add heavy whipping cream, pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves), mixing until combined.
- Add Eggs: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and gently fold them into the batter until just combined. Avoid overmixing to prevent puffing and cracking.
- Assemble and Bake: Pour the cheesecake batter onto the crust in the prepared springform pan. Place the pan directly over the sheet pan with hot water in the oven. Bake at 325°F for 90 minutes.
- Cool in Oven: After baking, turn the oven off and crack the door open slightly to cool slowly for 5-7 minutes. Remove the cheesecake and run a knife around the edges to loosen it from the pan, but do not remove the sides yet.
- Room Temperature and Chill: Let the cheesecake cool on the counter for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until fully chilled.
- Decorate and Serve: Remove cheesecake from the springform pan and peel off the parchment paper. Use a piping bag fitted with tip 1M to decorate the top edges with Cool Whip. Add extra gingersnap cookies between the swirls and dust with pumpkin pie spice before serving.
Notes
- Use a 12-cup 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides for proper volume; smaller pans will overflow.
- If your 9-inch pan holds less than 12 cups, use a 10-inch springform pan and reduce baking time to 80 minutes.
- Line your pan with parchment paper under the crust for easy removal after chilling.
- Baking with a steam bath ensures a smooth, creamy cheesecake texture.
- Loosen sides after baking while cheesecake is warm to prevent cracking as it cools and shrinks.
- This cheesecake benefits from chilling overnight or 1-2 days ahead to allow flavors to meld.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 310 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 120 mg
