This pumpkin cheesecake is very creamy and rich and topped with 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.
A fantastic mix of flavors
I come bearing a pumpkin cheesecake that is traditional but not so much.
The filling is a classic one, creamy with warm spices.
But it has a chocolate cookie crust and a mound of maple whipped cream on top—not so classic but so delicious together.
I was expecting a good cheesecake, but this one is great. The flavor is awesome. Really, truly remarkable.
Another recipe with chocolate and pumpkin that makes a great holiday dessert (and is much easier than cheesecake!) is the pumpkin swirl brownies.
Ingredient Notes
This recipe has three layers: the cookie crust, the pumpkin cheesecake filling and the whipped cream topping.
Quantities are listed on the recipe card towards the end of this post. The Ingredients page has more details and lists the brands we use.
- Chocolate crumbs: use plain chocolate wafers, not filled cookies.
- Cream cheese: the regular type, full-fat cream cheese is needed for consistency and creaminess.
- Pumpkin puree. You can use canned fresh pumpkin or make homemade pumpkin puree. Please don't mistake it for pumpkin pie filling, which is a different product.
- Brown sugar: Light or dark.
- Sour cream: The regular type, full-fat, is used for richness and creaminess.
- Maple syrup: It adds a fantastic layer of flavor. I like pure grade-A maple syrup.
How to make pumpkin cheesecake
Make the cookie crust
This cheesecake has a chocolate cookie crust that's easy to make.
- Cookies: Use plain chocolate wafers—any type you like—ground fine. You can make the crumbs and store them in an airtight container in the pantry or refrigerator.
- Butter: This base uses unsalted butter. You can also use brown butter, which gives it a deeper flavor, but it's an extra step.
- Time saver: Make the crust one or two days before. It can be stored in the refrigerator in the pan, well wrapped, for up to three days.
Make the filling
- Ingredients should be at room temperature. This is important for them to integrate well together, aiding in the creaminess and texture.
- Mixing: I do it all by hand, but you can use an electric hand beater only for the cheese and sugar part. I recommend doing the rest by hand, so you don't incorporate unnecessary air into the batter.
- Pour into the prepared pan (the mixture will be on the thin side) and bake according to instructions.
Cheese filling
Mix cream cheese with sugar first until very creamy and then add the eggs. Don't beat, we don't want to incorporate air. Stir until very well integrated.
Pumpkin
Add the pumpkin puree, cream, and flavorings at the end, and combine well. The cheesecake batter is rather thin.
Chocolate crust
It's a simple mixture of plain chocolate wafers and melted butter. I don't recommend using stuffed cookies, as they distract from the pumpkin and maple flavors.
Maple 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 usually 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 drizzled additional on top of the whipped cream before serving. It makes this pumpkin cheesecake even richer, if that's possible.
Kitchen Notes
- Organization: Read the recipe first and ensure you have the ingredients at the correct temperature, the utensils and equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier.
- Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer (like the OXO oven thermometer) to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend tracking how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
- 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 people, you can opt for the rectangular 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.
- Storage: Make the pumpkin cheesecake (without the topping) up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it, 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, such as orange zest, allspice, or ginger. Tweak and adapt this pumpkin cheesecake to your taste. Use the spices and flavors of your favorite pumpkin bread or cake as a guide.
- White granulated sugar can also be used instead of brown.
- 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.
Related recipes you might like:
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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Chocolate Crust
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Ingredients
For the cookie base:
- 2 cups ground chocolate wafers
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
For the pumpkin cheesecake:
- 14 ounces regular cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin pureé, canned or homemade, see Notes below
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup heavy cream, straight from the container
- few gratings fresh nutmeg, optional
For the maple cream:
- 1 cup heavy or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons sour cream, cold
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
For serving:
- extra maple syrup
- candied pumpkin, in small pieces (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Line the bottom of an 9-inch (24cm) cake pan with removable bottom with foil if wanted.
For the cookie base:
- 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).
- Stir 2 cups ground chocolate wafers in a medium bowl with ½ cup unsalted butteruntil the mixture looks like wet sand. Press this mixture into the prepared pan, covering the bottom.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack while making the filling.
- Lower it to 325°F (170°C) and leave it on.
For the pumpkin filling:
- In a large bowl, beat 14 ounces regular cream cheese and ½ cup brown sugar until smooth.
- Add 2 large eggsand 1 egg yolk and mix until well combined.
- Add 1 cup pumpkin pureé, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, few gratings fresh nutmeg (if using) and ¼ cup heavy cream. Stir to combine well, but don't beat much or overmix it. If using the electric mixer, do so at the lowest speed.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes. Turn the oven down to 300°F (150°C) and bake for about 40 minutes more. The cheesecake should still jiggle a little in the center.
- Turn off the oven, leave the door ajar, and let the cheesecake inside for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Cover the pan in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, run a smooth-bladed knife around the edges to loosen any stuck parts. Remove carefully from the pan and transfer to a serving plate. Spread the maple cream on top, and drizzle with extra maple syrup and candied pumpkin, if using.
For the maple cream:
- In a medium bowl, beat 1 cup heavy or heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons sour cream and 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup until thick. Be careful not to overbeat it so it doesn’t curdle.
Earl C Williams says
We loved the combination of flavors from the Oreo crust to the maple cream. Overall, a very good dessert worthy of serving to fussy guests.