Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Cream

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!

I’m back on board, just in time for Halloween!

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.

Steps for making this pumpkin cheesecake:

• Prepare the chocolate cookie base.
• Have all ingredients at room t°. This is important so that they blend well together which will aid in the creaminess and texture.
• Mix cream cheese thoroughly until no lumps remain and add sugar. Mix well.

• Add eggs and yolk and mix very well. I recommend doing it by hand so that we don't incorporate unnecessary air into the batter (image above).
• Mix in pumpkin puree, flavorings, and cream (image below). That dark blob you see below is the vanilla paste, which I use whenever you can because I think it flavors more than the regular one. 

• Pour into the prepared pan (the mixture will be on the thin side) and bake according to instructions (image below).

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. 

About pumpkin puree.

Canned: 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: the not so fast but incredibly flavorful way is to make your own pumpkin or squash puree. It's very easy, but it takes some time for it to be ready. There is a detailed tutorial in the post for Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake. I use this all the time because where I live (Buenos Aires) there is no canned available. 

How to make a cookie crust.

This cheesecake has a chocolate cookie crust. It is 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. 

Other recipes you might like:
Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake
The Best Oreo Cheesecake
Easy Baked Cheesecake 
Homemade Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi
Pumpkin Apple Crumb Cake
Glazed Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Roasted Pumpkin with Herbs and Goat Cheese

Let me know 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.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Cream

★★★★★ 5 from 4 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!

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Scale 1x2x3x

Ingredients

For the cookie base:

• 2 cups (200g) ground chocolate wafers
• 1/2 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
• ¼ cup cream

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 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

Tips & tricks for making this recipe:

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 it takes some time for it to be ready. There is a detailed tutorial in the post for Pumpkin Pecan Sheet Cake.

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 bottom of pan with a large piece of aluminun paper, 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 ceam) 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 best results.

Keywords: pumpkin cheesecake

adapted from Food & Wine Annual Cookbook 2011

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.