A creamy and spiced taste of fall, this amazing pumpkin swirl cheesecake is the perfect combination of a pumpkin pie and a rich cheesecake. With a ginger snap crust and swirls of pumpkin and cinnamon, this cheesecake will become a new fall favorite dessert.
Full disclosure: I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie or a plain cheesecake. Don’t get me wrong, I always eat a piece of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving, and it wouldn’t feel right if there wasn’t one there (being my dad’s favorite, there’s always going to be one there). The combination of cheesecake with swirls of spiced pumpkin filling though is just luxurious and incredibly tasty.
I worked for a restaurant a few years ago that always had this dessert available in the fall, and it quickly became one of my favorites that I looked forward to each year. We would even buy 2-3 whole cheesecakes to freeze and bring out for Thanksgiving and Christmas. This recipe came about from trying to recreate that incredible dessert, and I have to say it’s pretty spot on I believe.
Ingredients for Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Ginger Snaps – A graham cracker crust works great, but for a seasonal, fall cheesecake, ginger snap cookies give the crust a wonderful flavor.
Butter – You’ll need a little unsalted butter for the crust, which you’ll melt, so it’s the only ingredient typically kept cold that you don’t need to let come to room temperature here.
Cream Cheese – The main ingredient and structure for a cheesecake, you’ll want full-fat, block style cream cheese here. This recipe uses 32 ounces, which would be 4 8oz blocks, at room temperature. Avoid low-fat or cream cheese spreads.
Sugar – Sweetens the cream cheese, but also helps in firming the structure in cheesecakes. I use granulated white sugar in both the cheesecake and in the ginger snap crust.
Sour Cream – Adds a slight tang to cheesecake, but also softens the texture of cream cheese and adds moisture. You could replace with heavy cream, but I wouldn’t omit it. Bring to room temperature.
Vanilla – A little vanilla extract to flavor the base cheesecake.
Eggs – The addition of eggs in baked cheesecakes give them a smooth texture, custard-like flavor, and help thicken the batter as it cooks. I use 3 large eggs and 1 egg yolk here, at room temperature.
Pumpkin – About a cup of pumpkin puree is all you will need. Be sure to use regular pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Canned pumpkin puree is actually better than fresh as well here. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-spiced and sweetened, so will throw off the flavoring.
Spices – I add some ginger and cinnamon to the crust mixture, and more cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice to the pumpkin puree. These spices always help to enhance the flavor of pumpkin, but if you don’t have any in your pantry, you can also make your own pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool for a minute. Using a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies into small crumbs. Add the sugar, cinnamon, and ginger and pulse a few times to combine. Now slowly add the melted butter and pulse until well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies into a zipper locked bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin. Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine until you have a moist, sandy mixture.
Add the crust mixture to a 9 or 10” springform pan and spread around evenly. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, gently press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides, about an inch or so. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until set and slightly cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down some. Once cooled, wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a handheld mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar and cream together on medium speed until smooth and creamy with no visible lumps, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract and combine on low speed until fully mixed. Now add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. As soon as the last egg is combined, stop mixing.
In a mixing bowl, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and about 1 ½ cups of the cheesecake batter. Stir together until fully combined.
Add the cheesecake batter and the pumpkin batter to the crust, alternating a few spoonfuls at a time until all the batter is used. Using a knife or toothpick, drag it through the cheesecake from top to bottom and left to right to create a marbled, swirl pattern.
Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the springform pan into a larger, rimmed baking pan or roasting pan, then pour the water around the outside of the springform pan. The water should go up at least an inch, or up to halfway up the side of the springform pan. Now place into the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (this is for a 9” springform, if using a 10” springform, begin checking around the 55–60-minute mark). The outside should be mostly set with a still jiggly 2-3” center when it is done. Now turn off the oven and prop the door open slightly (I use a wooden spoon) and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour before removing.
After an hour, remove the pan and slide a knife around the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4-6 hours, ideally overnight. After the cheesecake is fully chilled, remove from the fridge and slide a knife around the cheesecake one more time, then unclasp the springform pan and slowly lift the outer ring off the cheesecake. Add desired toppings, if any, and serve.
Tips for Better Cheesecakes
Room Temperature Ingredients – Using cold cream cheese will cause lumps in the batter. Keeping all ingredients at room temperature makes it easier to mix and combine the ingredients without overmixing and adding too much air to the batter. Extra air in the batter will cause the cheesecake to rise and fall, creating large cracks.
Water Bath – Also known as a bain-marie, a water bath seems like extra work, but it has multiple uses when making a cheesecake. Using a water bath helps the cheesecake cook gently and evenly by keeping the surrounding temperature steady. It also keeps the air in the oven moist and humid, which prevents the top of the cheesecake from drying out as it bakes and cracking. Be sure to use hot water though, as adding cold water to the pan will lower the oven temperature and throw off the baking time. If you don’t have a large enough pan for a water bath, you can get similar benefits from placing a pan of water on the rack below the cheesecake as well.
Eggs Last – When mixing cheesecake batter, make sure to add the (room temperature!) eggs as the last ingredient. You can mix the cream cheese and sugar at a higher speed for a few minutes if you wanted to and it won’t really make a difference in the final product. Overmixing the eggs or mixing at a high speed, however, will introduce too much air into the batter, trapping air and causing a rise and fall effect while the cheesecake cooks, leading to large cracks.
Don’t Peek or Overbake – Opening and closing the oven can cause cool air to pour in and crack the cheesecake top, especially early into the baking time. Eventually you’ll have to check on it near the end of the cook time, but it should be safe by then. Overbaking will cause the cheesecake to dry out and have a weird texture and lots of cracks. The eggs give cheesecake a custard-like texture and flavor, so the center should still have some jiggle. Overcooking will also cause the entire cheesecake to rise like a souffle, and crash back down as it cools, leading to large cracks through the entire dish.
Proper Cooling & Chilling – Turning off the oven and leaving it slightly open after the cheesecake has cooked allows the cheesecake to cool slowly without a quick and sudden change in temperature that can cause cracks. Allow for 30 minutes to an hour, then remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack until the cheesecake cools to room temperature. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate, overnight or 24 hours for best flavor. It may seem like a long cooling and chilling period, but cheesecake needs patience. Cooking is only the first part, as cheesecake needs time to cool and allow the cream cheese and eggs to fully set.
Storing Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Allow cheesecake to cool completely in the springform pan, then wrap the entire thing with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 4-6 hour and up to 24 hours before serving. After removing the ring from the pan, you can serve it straight from the bottom of the springform pan and keep it on there when storing. Cover again with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
If you want to move the cheesecake to another base or container, I recommend placing a round piece of parchment paper or foil at the bottom of the springform pan before baking and spray with some cooking spray. Once cooled and ready to serve, use a large knife or spatula to remove the cheesecake from the bottom of the springform pan.
You can also freeze cheesecake for up to 3 months. You can freeze the cheesecake on the bottom of the springform pan, or remove it as mentioned above. Allow to cool completely, then place uncovered in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Once it has hardened slightly, wrap in 2-3 layers of plastic wrap and then aluminum foil and place in freeze. Thaw overnight in refrigerator before serving.
📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust:
- 1 ½ cups ginger snap cookies , crushed (25-30 cookies)
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter , melted
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake:
- 4 8-ounce blocks full-fat cream cheese , at room temperature (32 oz)
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup full-fat sour cream , at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs , at room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Melt the ¼ cup of butter and set aside to cool for a minute. Using a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies into small crumbs, equaling about 1 ½ cups. Add 3 tablespoons sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon, and ¼ teaspoon ground ginger and pulse a few times to combine. Now slowly add the melted butter and pulse until well combined. If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies into a zipper locked bag and crush with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin. Add all the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and stir to combine until you have a moist, sandy mixture.
- Add the crust mixture to a 9 or 10” springform pan and spread around evenly. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, gently press the mixture into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides, about an inch or so. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 10-15 minutes until set and slightly cooked. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool down some. Once cooled, wrap the outside of the springform pan with aluminum foil.
- Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a handheld mixer, combine the 32 ounces of cream cheese and 1 ½ cups of sugar and cream together on medium speed until smooth and creamy with no visible lumps, about 2 minutes. Add ⅓ cup of sour cream and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and combine on low speed until fully mixed. Now add the 3 eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, and mix on low speed until just incorporated. As soon as the last egg is combined, stop mixing.
- In a mixing bowl, add 1 cup pumpkin, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, and about 1 ½ cups of the cheesecake batter. Stir together until fully combined.
- Add the cheesecake batter and the pumpkin batter to the crust, alternating a few spoonfuls at a time until all the batter is used. Using a knife or toothpick, drag it through the cheesecake from top to bottom and left to right to create a marbled, swirl pattern.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Place the springform pan into a larger, rimmed baking pan or roasting pan, then pour the water around the outside of the springform pan. The water should go up at least an inch, or up to halfway up the side of the springform pan. Now place into the oven and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes (this is for a 9” springform, if using a 10” springform, begin checking around the 55–60-minute mark). The outside should be mostly set with a still jiggly 2-3” center when it is done. Now turn off the oven and prop the door open slightly (I use a wooden spoon) and allow the cheesecake to cool in the oven for an hour before removing.
- After an hour, remove the pan and slide a knife around the cheesecake to loosen it from the sides of the pan and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled, cover or wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4-6 hours, ideally overnight. After the cheesecake is fully chilled, remove from the fridge and slide a knife around the cheesecake one more time, then unclasp the springform pan and slowly lift the outer ring off the cheesecake. Add desired toppings, if any, and serve.
Equipment Used
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