Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Cream

Very creamy and rich, this pumpkin cheesecake is topped with a luscious maple whipped cream. The chocolate cookie crust is the perfect base. It's a great dessert that comes together quickly, keeps well for several days, and can be frozen. Simply delicious!

I’m back with this awesome recipe to say Happy Halloween everyone!

With so many recipes flowing in from all of us food bloggers, I come bearing a pumpkin cheesecake. Yep, very traditional.

Except that it has a mound of maple whipped cream on top and a chocolate crust. And they go really well together. I was expecting a good cheesecake, but this one is great. The flavor is awesome. Really, truly awesome.

Main ingredients

This recipe has three layers: the cookie crust, the pumpkin cheesecake filling and the whipped cream topping.

Some thoughts about the ingredients:

• Cream cheese: use full fat and I still think the Philadelphia brand is the best.
• Maple syrup: it adds a fantastic layer of flavor. I like pure Grade A syrup.
• Cookie crust: chocolate wafers are wonderful in this recipe, but you can use a different cookie, even vanilla or graham crackers.
• Flavorings: I like to use vanilla with cinnamon and a few nutmeg gratings. Feel free to add something else you like with pumpkin and maple.
• Pumpkin puree: Canned - this is the simplest and fastest way of making this pumpkin cheesecake. Use the unsweetened type and don't mistake it for pumpkin pie filling, which is a completely different thing. Homemade: this is the healthier alternative with no additives. It's easy to make and can be frozen but you have to plan in advance. We have a whole post devoted to making homemade pumpkin puree.

Steps for making this recipe

Make the cookie crust

This cheesecake has a chocolate cookie crust. And it's dead simple.

• Cookies: use plain chocolate wafers. Any type you like. Ground them fine. You can make this ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator.
• Butter: unsalted butter is used for this base. You can also use brown butter, which will give it a great flavor, but it's an extra step.  
• Time saver: make the crust one or two days before the rest of the cheesecake. It can be stored in the refrigerator in the pan, well wrapped. 

Make the filling

Making perfect whipped cream

• The best trick I ever learned for making whipped cream is to add a tablespoon or two of sour cream per cup of liquid cream. It works, every single time. Simply put cold cream and cold sour cream in a bowl, add sugar if you want to, and whip as you normally would. The cream will hold better and your pumpkin cheesecake will look better. 
• About adding maple syrup: in this particular recipe, we use it as a sweetener instead of sugar. The result is as perfect as it looks in the pictures. The maple syrup gives it that particular smoky, wonderful flavor. 

Being such a huge maple syrup fan, I drizzle additional on top of the whipped cream before serving (image above). It makes this pumpkin cheesecake even richer. If that's possible. 

Tips & tricks

• Plan in advance: some components in this recipe can be made ahead and sometimes frozen for a few weeks.
• Pan sizes: if you're planning on serving many, you can opt for the rectangular, sort of sheet cheesecake, similar to what we do with our favorite baked easy cheesecake recipe. The dessert will not be as tall, but you can cut it into squares and serve more people.
• Storing: you can make the pumpkin cheesecake (without the topping) up to 3 days ahead and keep it refrigerated, well covered, in the pan. Remove at the last minute, top with the cream, and serve.
• Flavorings: play around with other flavors that appeal to you. Orange zest or allspice, maybe ginger. Tweak and adapt this pumpkin cheesecake to your own taste.
• Pumpkin dessert alternative: we have a very easy Pumpkin Cream Trifle that comes together in 15 minutes and only needs an hour of refrigeration before it's served.

Other similar recipes you might like:
Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake
The Best Oreo Cheesecake
Easy Baked Cheesecake 
Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake

Let me know in the comments below if you make this recipe! I’d love to hear what you think about it. Thank you for being here, I appreciate it! Let’s connect via Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Cream

★★★★★ 5 from 5 reviews

• Author: Paula Montenegro
• Prep Time: 15
• Cook Time: 105
• Total Time: 2 hours
• Yield: 8 servings 1x
• Category: Cakes & Cheesecakes
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

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Description

Super creamy and rich, this Pumpkin Cheesecake is topped with a luscious Maple Whipped Cream. The chocolate cookie crust is the perfect base. Simply delicious!

*Total time doesn't include refrigeration, which can be anywhere from 6 hours to a day. So plan accordingly. 

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

For the cookie base:

• 2 cups (200g) ground chocolate wafers
• ½ cup (110g) unsalted butter, melted

For the pumpkin cheesecake:

• 14 oz (400g) cream cheese, room tº
• ½ cup (100g) light brown sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin or butternut squash pureé (canned or homemade, see Notes below)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk
• ¼ teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• Few gratings fresh nutmeg, optional
• ¼ cup cream, straight from the container

For the maple cream:

• 1 cup (240g) whipping or double cream, cold
• 2 tablespoons sour cream, cold
• 3 Tbs pure maple syrup + extra for drizzling

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Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.
2. Line the bottom of an 9-inch (24cm) cake pan with removable bottom with foil if wanted.

For the cookie base:

1. Line bottom of 9-inch 24cm) springform pan with a large piece of aluminum foil, assemble pan, then pull extra foil up around the sides of the pan (see Notes below).
2. Grind cookies in the food processor, add the melted butter, and mix until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Or add already crushed cookies to the bowl with the melted butter and mix with spoon.
4. Put this mixture into the prepared pan and press firmly onto the bottom.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while making filling.
6. Don’t turn oven off.

For the pumpkin filling:

1. In a large bowl beat cream cheese and sugar just until smooth.
2. Add vanilla, eggs, and yolk. Mix until well combined.
3. Add pumpkin pureé, cinnamon, nutmeg (if using), and cream. Mix to combine well.
4. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes. Turn oven off and let cool inside the unopened oven for 1 hour.
5. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
6. Then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
7. When ready to serve, transfer to serving plate, spread maple cream on top, and drizzle with extra syrup and candied pumpkin.

For the maple cream:

1. In a medium bowl, beat cream with sour cream and maple syrup until thick.
2. Be careful not to overbeat it so it doesn’t curdle.

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Notes

• Canned pumpkin: this is the simplest and fastest way of making this pumpkin cheesecake or any other pumpkin cake for that matter. Use the unsweetened type.
• Homemade pumpkin puree: it's very easy, but you have to plan for it. Here is the post for making pumpkin puree from scratch. 
• Cookie base: can be made one or two days ahead and kept in the refrigerator. Bake it and let it cool completely first.
• Preparing pan: wrap the bottom of the pan with a large piece of foil, as instructed above. This makes it a snap to unmold; simply take out the removable sides, lift the foil putting your hand underneath, between the foil and the bottom of the pan,  lift the paper holding the cheesecake in your hand and peel the foil with the other hand. Transfer to the serving plate.
• Storing: this cheesecake (without the cream) can be kept in the fridge for 4-5 days, well covered in the pan it is baked. Add the cream 1 hour before serving and refrigerate until ready to serve for the best results.
• Plan in advance: some components in this recipe can be made ahead and sometimes frozen for a few weeks.
• Pan sizes: if you're planning on serving many, you can opt for the rectangular, sort of sheet cheesecake, similar to what we do with our favorite baked easy cheesecake recipe. The dessert will not be as tall, but you can cut it into squares and serve more people.
• Flavorings: play around with other flavors that appeal to you. Orange zest or allspice, maybe ginger. Tweak and adapt this pumpkin cheesecake to your own taste.

Keywords: pumpkin cheesecake

Paula Montenegro

I'm Paula, a baker for more than 30 years and your designated recipe finder, sharing the best ones on this blog, with simple ingredients + easy-to-follow instructions.