The BEST Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe (2024)

Published: Sep 26, 2018 · by Elizabeth Waterson · This post may contain affiliate links, which may pay me a small commission for my referral at no extra cost to you! Thank you for supporting Confessions of a Baking Queen!

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Creamy and filled with Pumpkin this Pumpkin Cheesecake has a gorgeous Biscoff Biscuit Crust and topped with fresh whipped cream. A perfect Halloween Dessert or Thanksgiving addition to the dessert table this Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust is the best Fall treat!

There is something about the month of October, that just makes me happy. It's as if the year starts to turn and the weather cools off (although it has not yet here in CA, 90 degrees is really getting OLD), it's halfway to my birthday, it's my dads birthday and pumpkin desserts seem to pop up everywhere.Especially Pumpkin Cheesecake.

There is something about seasonal desserts, I can't resist them. My favorite Italian restaurant does seasonal cheesecake and I can't wait for spring and Lemon Cheesecake and then fall and Pumpkin Cheesecake. I can't get enough. Even though I knew I could make cheesecake whenever I want. And this recipe has just confirmed that.

The caramelized flavor of the Biscoff crust really sets this pumpkin cheesecake apart from others. Some prefer to do the crust just on the bottom but I think more is better, so up the sides, I went. I also like a thick crust, the richness of the crust and creaminess of the cheesecake compliment each other so well.

I can GUARANTEE you I will be making this again before Halloween, I loved it, my friends loved it and so did my family. If you want another fall-inspired cheesecake try my pecan pie cheesecake.

Jump to:

How do you make a Biscoff crust
Ingredients
Water bath instructions
How to garnish pumpkin cheesecake
Fancy some more pumpkin? Try my:
Want some more Cheesecake Recipes?

It's not hard to make a cheesecake, you just need patience. And you should start with a great crust.

How do you make a Biscoff crust

Make sure you crush your Biscoff or Speculoos cookies well, I place them in a food processor. Then in a small bowl combine Biscoff crumbs and butter, mixing so each crumb is moistened. Press into the bottom and slightly up upsides of a springform or bottomless 9-inch pan. Place the pan in the fridge while you make the cheesecake.

Baking is a science and to really achieve the best results I highly recommend investing in a kitchen scale. This OXO Kitchen Scale is the one I use and is also the number one recommended kitchen scale by Cook's Illustrated. Think about it -what one person scoops into a "cup" is completely different from what someone else scoops!

Ingredients

Your basic cheesecake ingredients are here- cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar to this time, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, pumpkin, heavy cream, sour cream or Greek yogurt and eggs. Sounds like a lot but it's so easy to put together! You have to start with room temperature cream cheese, anything colder will leave you with lumps. Let it sit out on the counter for a while till its very soft, I even cut the blocks into chunks to make it quicker.

Start off in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl add the cream cheese and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium-high to really make a smooth base. Next, add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice then beat for another 2-3 minutes.

You can totally make your own blend of pumpkin pie spice at home with spices you probably already have in your cupboard! Check out my recipe for homemade pumpkin pie spice.

Add in pumpkin puree,vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sour cream mixing until fully combined. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps.

Pour into prepared pan. Place thespringform pan in a larger normal cake pan- place cake pan in roasting pan and fill roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil.

Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit. Turn oven off and let cool in oven for 1- 1 ½ hours then take out of roasting pan and wrap with plastic wrap. Let sit in the fridge overnight. Before making whipped cream.

Water bath instructions

Make a water bath to bake the cheesecake
- Place theSpringform Pan(affiliate link)in a large Round Cake tin
- Place the Cake Tin in a Roasting Pan and fill the roasting pan with hot water, stopping halfway up the side of the cake tin
Let the cheesecake rest in the oven when baked
- When about the inner 2-inch diameter of the cheesecake is jiggly and the rest is set I turn the oven off and let the Cheesecake rest in the oven for 1 hour, I usually prop the oven door open with a wooden spoon for the last 20-30 minutes
Cooling the cheesecake
- Take Cake Pan out of the Roasting pan and let Cheesecake cool further on a wire rack for one hour
- After the cheesecake has cooled wrap it in plastic wrap and let the cheesecake chill overnight or a minimumof 6 hours

How to garnish pumpkin cheesecake

With most cheesecakes, I love to add fresh whipped cream.I have a whole post dedicated to making stabilized whipped cream, it only takes 4 ingredients and five minutes. I love how the airy whipped cream complements the crunchy crust and thick cheesecake. And because we are doing a pumpkin cheesecake with all the fall flavors I like crushing more of the speculoos cookies on top, it gives the cheesecake a fun look while adding more flavor and texture.

Tips & Tricks for Baking a Perfect Cheesecake

As always I highly suggest you take these steps to make sure you have the best cheesecake possible

Bake your cheesecake the day before
- Baking your cheesecake the day before means it has plenty of time to chill (very necessary) and it is already made so you can focus on other party planning things!

How do I make a cheesecake with no cracks

Do not overwhip the cheesecake, you do not want a ton of air bubbles. Air bubbles = cracks
When you pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan tap the tin on the counter to release any air bubbles
Bake the Cheesecake in aSpringform Pan(affiliate link) for easy release when you serve it
Do not open the oven doors when the cheesecake is baking you want all the hot air to stay in the oven until you turn the oven off
Bake the cheesecake in a water bath (see above)

What is the best way to serve cheesecake with clean slices

When cutting the cheesecake to serve always have a hot cloth nearby to wipe the knife clean after each cut
When serving let the cheesecake sit for 5-10 minutes before serving

Fancy some more pumpkin? Try my:

Chocolate Chunk Pumpkin Bread Recipe
Pumpkin Blondies Recipe
Nutella Pumpkin Tiramisu
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Recipe

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Biscoff Crust

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5 from 6 reviews

Print Recipe

Total Time: 10 hours
Yield: 1- 9 inch Cheesecake 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale

Biscoff Crust

12 oz Biscoff Cookies, finely crushed
6 tbsp butter melted

Pumpkin Cheesecake

2 lbs Cream Cheese, softened
200 grams (1 cup) Granulated Sugar
100 grams (½ cup) Light Brown Sugar
1 15oz can Pumpkin Puree (no pumpkin pie filling)
1 tbsp & 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
3 tbsp vanilla extract
2oz (¼ cup) Heavy Whipping Cream
4oz (½ cup) Sour Cream (or Greek Yogurt)
4 Large Eggs, at room temp.
Optional Garnish with Whipped Cream & Pieces of Biscoff Cookies

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Instructions

Biscoff Crust

Grease a 9-inch springform pan set aside. Preheat oven to 350F/180C. In a small bowl combine Biscoff crumbs and butter. Press into bottom and slightly up upsides of prepared pan. Place in fridge while you make the cheesecake.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment beat cream cheese for 3 minutes on medium speed. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice then beat for another 2-3 minutes on low- medium speed. Add in pumpkin puree, vanilla extract, heavy cream, and sour cream mixing until fully combined. You should have a creamy batter with no lumps. Add in eggs one at a time. Do not over mix.
Pour into prepared pan. Place 9-inch springform pan in a 10-inch cake pan- place cake pan in roasting pan and fill roasting pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the cake pan. This prevents ANY water from getting in the cheesecake and you don't have to wrap everything with foil.
Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes to 1 hour and 45 minutes, the middle of the cheesecake should jiggle just a little bit, the internal temperature should reach 145F when it is done. Turn the oven off, slightly crack the door open, and let cool in oven for 1- 1 ½ hours then take out of the roasting pan and wrap with plastic wrap. Let sit in the fridge overnight.
Use an angled spatula or knife to loose cheesecake then release from the springform pan. I like to pipe stabilized whipped cream on top and add more crushed Biscoffbiscuits. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days.