The leaves have almost all fallen and the weather has been a bit Bipolar here in Wisconsin. From 45 to 75 degrees all in 2 days, however, I was still in the mood to make a marbled pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust.
A super creamy and smooth pumpkin cheesecake filling slathered on top of a crunchy and spiced gingersnap crust. Thanksgiving will be thanking me for this after dinner dessert. In addition, you will have to eat a slice of this even after a turkey and stuffing coma.
Ingredients
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream: full fat
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree: not pumpkin pie filling
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground Ginger
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Ginger cookies
Step by step instructions
Gingersnap crust
Making the gingersnap crust is pretty simple!
First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 inch springform pan with vegetable shortening. Set aside.
Second, with a food processor, pulse down the ginger snap cookies to a fine crumb mixture. Pour in a medium mixing bowl and add the melted butter, ginger, cinnamon, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Mix together until combined.
Third, press the crumb mixture firmly in the bottom of the springform pan. Pre-bake crust for 10 minutes in oven. Remove and set aside.
Pumpkin cheesecake filling
First, mix the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add in the vanilla extract and sour cream and blend until completely combined.
Second, add in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Once the last egg has been added and combined into the batter, stop mixing!
Lastly, remove roughly two cups of batter into another medium bowl (you should have two cheesecake batter bowls). Stir in the pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie pie spice to the one bowl. Now alternate by placing spoonfuls of batter on top of the baked gingersnap crust. Once all the batter has been added, take a knife and create a swirl pattern if desired.
Water bath and bake pumpkin cheesecake
- Place the 9inch springform pan (one with cheesecake) into a larger cake pan. Set inside a roasting pan. Pour warm tap water up until it reaches about ¾ the way up on the 10 inch cake pan.
- Put in the oven and bake for 60-70 minutes or until the cheesecake is set. The middle will still be jiggly. Open the oven door slightly and let the cheesecake cool for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let is cool to room temperature before chilling.
- Cover with aluminum foil and chill the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight.
- Serve with whipped cream, caramel sauce or even some nuts!
- Store and cover left over cheesecake in the fridge for up to 5 days!
Tips and tricks
- All the cheesecake batter ingredients NEED to be at room temperature so the batter combines quickly, so the eggs are not over mixed.
- Do not use any cream cheese spread, be sure to use the cream cheese blocks.
- Be sure to bake cheesecake in a water bath as this will help to prevent the cheesecake from cracking. This was previously discussed on my Biscoff cheesecake recipe.
- Leave cheesecake in the oven to cool at least 1 hour before removing to completely cool to room temperature.
- Be sure to lower oven racks to bottom third of oven to prevent burning of any cheesecake. Slow and steady wins the race!
Storage of pumpkin cheesecake
Pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust can be frozen for up to 3 months. Be sure to thaw in the refrigerator before serving. In addition, do not freeze it with any toppings on it!
Substitutions and variations
- Make into cheesecake bars
- Add in some pecans of walnuts to enhance flavor
- Make with a graham cracker crust
FAQ's
The jiggle test will let you know what the cheesecake is done. When moved slightly the center will jiggle a little bit.
Marbled pumpkin cheesecake with gingersnap crust
Equipment
- Electric hand mixer
- Food processor
- 9 inch springform pan
- 10 in cake pan
- Roasting pan
- spatula
- knife
- Measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Gingersnap crust
- 1½ cups gingersnap cookies pulsed down to a fine cookie mixture
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
- pinch of salt
Pumpkin cheesecake filling
- 32 oz cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ¼ cup full fat sour cream room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
Gingersnap crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Adjust the oven rack to the lower position. Grease the 9 inch springform pan with shortening. Set aside.
- Using a food processor, pulse the gingersnap cookies down to a fine cookie mixture/crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter, ginger, ground cinnamon, light brown sugar, and pinch of salt.
- Press firmly into the bottom of the 9 inch springform pan. Use the bottom side of a measuring cup to pack down the crust. Prebake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Pumpkin cheesecake filling
- Using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium in a large mixing bowl until it is smooth and creamy (approx 2 minutes).
- Add in the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until fully incorporated. Add in the eggs, ones at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Stop mixing after the final egg is incorported into the batter. Overmixing can cause the cheesecake to crack as it cools.
- Scoop out approximately 2 cups of batter into a separate medium mixing bowl. Stir in the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon until combined. Begin adding spoonfuls of each batter (plain and pumpkin) on top of the prebaked crust. Once all the batter has been added, use a knife to create the swirl if desired.
Water bath and assembly
- Place the 9 inch springform pan within a 10 inch cake pan. Place both pans inside a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan up with warm tap water until it reaches about ¾ of the way up on the 10 inch cake pan.
- Put pan in the oven and bake the cheesecake for 60-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. When it's done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly jiggle if you shake the pan. Turn the oven off and crack the oven door slightly. Let it cool in the oven for 1 hour. Remove the cheesecake from the oven to cool completely at room temperature. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Be sure to use a knife to loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the springform pan. Then, remove the rim and add your desired toppings (whipped cream, caramel sauce, or nuts). Serve and enjoy!
- Cover the leftover cheesecake and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Cheesecakes
No bake dragonfruit cheesecake
Red, white and blue cheesecake
Gingersnap crust cheesecake bars
Fun fact of the day
Grapes light on fire in the microwave
Carrie
Thank you for the add!