*This blog post contains affiliate links, so we may earn a small commission when you make a purchase through links on our site at no additional cost to you.
Fall has arrived and Thanksgiving is just around the corner! If you’re like me and my family we are creatures of habit. Every year it’s the classic pumpkin pie and or apple galettes but this year we are changing things up! Here’s a fun new change, a creamy pumpkin swirl cheesecake!
This cheesecake will hands down become your new favourite dessert to serve this holiday season (and that’s a promise). Not only does it feed a crowd but it’s also a fantastic make ahead dessert. It’s everything you love in a classic cheesecake but with bursts of pumpkin spice.
Ingredients
- Pumpkin puree
- Graham crackers/crumbs
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Whipping cream/heavy cream
- Butter praline pecans
- Eggs
- Pure vanilla extract
- Ground cinnamon
- Ground ginger
- Ground cloves
- Ground nutmeg
Variation
Is your favourite part the crisp graham cracker crust? Then you’ll want to double the crust and make it extra thick! Don’t forget to double the bake time for the crust as well!
What to do with Leftover Pumpkin Puree
If you are not using the entire can of puree in a recipe then you can freeze the leftovers. Place extra pumpkin puree in a glass container or an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to leave room at the top of the glass jar as the pumpkin puree will expand as it freezes.
Recipes that use Pumpkin Puree
- Baked Mini Pumpkin Doughnuts
- Pumpkin Seed Muffins
- Simple Pumpkin Muffins
- Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
- Pumpkin Squares
Tips for the Perfect Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
- Don’t leave making this recipe to the last minute. Making a cheesecake involves patience and leaving the right amount of time for the cheesecake to rest and slowly cool down. If you try and rush it you’ll have an unsuccessful cracked and sunken cake!
- Make sure you use plain pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Use original full fat cream cheese. Do not use light cream cheese!
- It’s best to use cream cheese bricks as the texture is more stable than cream cheese spread (in the containers).
- Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature; cream cheese and eggs. This will help with a smooth filling that won’t be over beaten.
- Use a small offset spatula to spread out the filling in your pan.
- Use a water bath for the best results.
How to Make a Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Step One: Make your crust. Using a rolling pin crush graham crackers into fine crumbs.
Step Two: Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter together, mix well. Add the crumb mixture to a springform pan and firmly press the mixture in the bottom of the pan and up the sides. Pre-bake the crust and set aside.
Step Three: Make your cream cheese filling. In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and there are no more lumps (scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed). Add your sugar, then eggs and vanilla, and beat well. Remove 1 3/4 cups of the plain batter to a medium bowl. Add pumpkin puree and spices, mix together.
Step Four: Add a layer of the plain batter (using half of the batter) to the graham cracker crust. Then spoon dollops of the pumpkin mixture. Using a butter knife, drag and swirl the pumpkin mixture into the plain mixture creating a marble effect. Add the remaining batter to create another layer and dollop the rest of the pumpkin mixture, repeat your swirls.
Step Five: Place the cheesecake into a roasting pan and add 1 inch of boiling water around the cheesecake to create a water bath. Then bake until the center of the cheesecake has a slight wobble when you gently shake the pan. Let the cheesecake cool down in the oven for 1 hour with the oven door slightly ajar. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Step Six: Decorate with dollops of whipping cream and butter praline pecans before serving.
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
This pumpkin swirl cheesecake is the perfect fall-inspired dessert. It’s smooth, rich and creamy with warm, spiced flavours and pockets of pumpkin running throughout. Not to mention it has a crisp graham cracker crust (that we all love).
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (approx. 18 graham crackers)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 4 pkg (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
ToppingÂ
- fresh whipping cream (approx. 1/3 cup)
- butter praline pecans (approx. 12)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ËšF. Set out a 9 inch springform pan and line the outside of the pan with tin foil (this is to protect the cake while in the water bath). You do not need to grease the pan.
- Make your crust. Crush graham crackers into crumbs by using a rolling pin or placing them in a food processor. Add the crumbs to a medium sized bowl with the 1/4 cup sugar and the melted butter. Mix until combined.
- Add the graham cracker mixture to your pan and press the mixture firmly into a single layer on the bottom and slightly up the sides, approx. 1 1/2 inches up the pan.
- Pre-bake the crust for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside while you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling. In a large bowl of a stand mixer add cream cheese. Using the paddle attachment beat the cream cheese on medium speed. Slowly add the sugar and beat until smooth and creamy, scraping down the bowl as you need. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
- Add eggs one at a time and beat on low just until combined.
- Remove 1 3/4 cups of the filling and add to a medium sized bowl with the pumpkin puree, ground cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. Mix to combine and set aside.
- Fill a kettle with water and bring to a boil. You will use this later for your water bath.Â
- Meanwhile, pour half the plain cheesecake filling over the crust and smooth out to the edges. Add dollops of the pumpkin filling on top and using a butter knife cut through the dollops and drag into swirls (be careful not to touch the crust). Repeat making one more layer.
- Prepare the water bath. Place the springform pan in the middle of a roasting pan. Carefully pour 1 inch of the hot water inside of the pan (around the cheesecake).
- Bake the cheesecake for 55-60 minutes or until the center slightly wobbles when you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. Leave the oven door slightly ajar. Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for 3-4 hours or overnight.
- Slide a butter knife around the edges of the pan before releasing the cheesecake.
- Top with dollops of whipping cream and butter praline pecans.
Notes
Variation: For a thick graham cracker crust, double the crust recipe and bake time.
Store the cheesecake in the refrigerator covered for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months. It’s best to decorate the cheesecake once you are ready to serve.Â
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 of 12
- Calories: 554
- Sugar: 37.1g
- Sodium: 410mg
- Fat: 36.4g
- Saturated Fat: 20.7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 0
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 50.6g
- Fiber: 1.9g
- Protein: 9.6g
- Cholesterol: 158mg
FAQ’s
Typically a soggy cheesecake indicates an improper seal when in the water bath. If the springform pan isn’t sealed properly water can leak into the bottom of the pan and cause a soggy graham cracker crust.
Some common issues for a cracked cheesecake are:
1. Overbaking
2. Overmixing the batter
3. Sudden temperature changes. You want to bring the temperature down slowly after the cheesecake bakes.
Yes, a pumpkin cheesecake is a great make-ahead dessert. You can prepare the cheesecake a day or two in advance and refrigerate until serving. Just don’t decorate the cheesecake until ready to serve.
This blog post has been sponsored by Bulk Barn Canada where you can find all your baking needs! All opinions are my own and I’m so happy to work with brands I love so I can continue to share these recipes with all of you! I hope you guys get to a Bulk Barn soon and try out this recipe.
Leave a Rating and Comment!
I love hearing from you! Leave a comment with any questions or how your recipe turned out (your email address will not be published)!