This recipe is a little more complex then what I normally post....but let me explain. I love cheesecake. LOVE it! I also love anything pumpkin so naturally Pumpkin cheesecake would be one of my favorites. This is guaranteed to be the easiest cheesecake you ever make...and as long as you follow the ingredients and directions, it will not fail!

I've made many cheesecakes over the years and they don't always turn out well. Cheesecake can be touchy, and I've had some serious flops. I've also found a few recipes that are just about bulletproof. This is one of them. 

I've been using this recipe since 2005. I found it in one of those holiday recipe books they sell next to the checkout in the grocery store and I've been using it ever since. You should see how dog-eared and stained that book is!

Cheesecake recipes are slightly more strict then almost anything else I make. There is no wiggle room. I can't add more of this or take out some of that...but follow the recipe exactly and you'll be in love with the results!

Never fail Pumpkin Cheesecake

Grab your ingredients, a springform pan, a bowl, a hand mixer and a spatula and lets get this cheesecake started!

Ingredients...
Crust:
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar 
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice1 tsp vanilla extract (here's how I make it)
4 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened 
5 eggs
1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix) or 2 cups of homemade pumpkin puree minus 2 1/2 Tbsp.
1 cup packed brown sugar
2/3 cup granulated sugar

Making the crust: Heat oven to 325 F. 
Put cracker crumbs and sugar in 9" springform pan. Toss to mix. Slowly add in melted butter mixing thoroughly. Press into bottom of pan and about halfway up the sides. 

Place pan on baking sheet to prevent drips (I use a jelly roll pan) and bake for 8-10 minutes or until set. Cool 5 minutes at room temperature. Refrigerate about 5-10 more minutes or until completely cool.

Mix the filling:  In small bowl mix flour, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin. Set aside. In large bowl beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in brown sugar and granulated sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs 1 at a time on low speed, just until blended. Add vanilla and gradually beat in pumpkin mixture until smooth. Pour over crust.

Bake: Bake on center rack 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes or until set but center of cheesecake still jiggles slightly when moved. Turn oven off and open door about 4 inches. Let the cheesecake remain in oven for 30 minutes. 

Next, take the cheesecake out of the oven and place on wire rack. Run knife around pan edges to loosen cheesecake. Cool another 30 minutes before removing pan ring. Remove ring and cool in refrigerator about 6 hours or overnight before serving. 

A few tips and hints for cheesecake baking

Cheesecake baking is a lot easier if you know a few tips and tricks, after it's it's not like working with a regular cake. 

Cheesecake baking technique:

When baking a cheesecake, I always place the largest cake pan I have on the lowest rack of the oven. Fill with about 1/2" of warm water. This creates steam in the oven and helps to keep the cheesecake from cracking. Make sure the pan doesn't dry out or it won't work. 

If you have to add water during baking, open the door gently and pour more hot water into the pan.  Shut the door gently.

Cheesecake cutting technique:

Use a non serrated knife if you have one available. Rinse knife under hot tap water and dry with a paper towel. Press knife straight down into cheesecake then pull it out. Rinse knife under hot tap water and dry again before each cut. 

You might actually be able to get 2 cuts between rinses, but you'll still have to wipe the knife each time. The water warms the knife up allowing it to make a cleaner looking slice.

I promise you will love this recipe and find your self making it again and again! Enjoy!

~L

Want gardening and healthy living information sent right to your email weekly? Click right here to join my newsletter list and get new posts sent directly to you the day they're published!