Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe ~ this mile high, super creamy cheesecake is a spectacular way to end a holiday meal!
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Paula Deen’s Pumpkin Cheesecake is a rich, creamy fall classic with plenty of pumpkin and warm spice. It’s the kind of dessert that feels right at home on a Thanksgiving table, and the texture lands somewhere between classic cheesecake and pumpkin pie.
Ingredients matter in a holiday dessert, and I recommend full fat brick style cream cheese and Libby’s canned pumpkin for best results.
How to get a lump-free cheesecake filling
- Start with fully room-temperature cream cheese. Cold cream cheese is the main culprit behind little lumps that never quite disappear.
- Beat the cream cheese by itself first until completely smooth before adding anything else.
- Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until incorporated.
- Scrape the bowl often, especially the bottom and around the beater, where little pockets of cream cheese hide.
- Once the eggs are in, don’t overbeat. Too much air can make the cheesecake puff up and then crack as it cools.
If you do end up with a few stubborn lumps, you can push the filling through a fine-mesh sieve before pouring it into the crust.
How to know when pumpkin cheesecake is done
The edges should look set and slightly puffed, but the center should still have a gentle wobble when you nudge the pan. You’re looking for a small jiggle in the center, not a loose slosh.
If you use a thermometer, the center is generally done around 150°F. Don’t wait until the whole cheesecake looks firm in the oven ~ it will continue to set as it cools. Overbaking is what usually leads to a dry texture and cracking.
Storing your cheesecake
Once completely cool, cover the cheesecake and refrigerate it. It will keep well for about 4 days, which makes it a great make-ahead dessert.
You can also freeze it, whole or by the slice, for up to 1 month. Wrap it well and thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
crust
- 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 stick melted salted butter
filling
- 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 15-ounce can pureed pumpkin
- 3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Set oven to 350F
- To make the crust, in medium bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Press down flat into a 9-inch spring form pan. Set aside.
- For the filling, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, sugar and the spices. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.
- Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place in oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let sit for 15 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.
Notes
- The recipe is unclear about where to spread the crumbs. In the video, here, Paula just dumps the crumbs in the bottom of the pan and presses them in. But when she is cutting the finished cake, there are crumbs up the side. (I hate when they tell you to do one thing, and then show you a finished product that is clearly done a different way) If you want crumbs up the sides as well, you will need more crumbs. I used almost double the recipe, but as you can see my crust was a little heavy.
- This cake, like many cheesecakes, cracks after it’s baked. Mine developed a cavernous crack. Paula’s recipe never mentions the possibility of cracking, even though many of the online reviewers reported the problem. I think that’s a major flaw since most people would be most likely making this cheesecake as an occasion dessert. You’d want to know if it was going to have a huge unsightly gash in the middle of it. So, my point is, if you want to make this cheesecake, be prepared to glaze the top with something to hide the crack. I used sweetened sour cream, ( 1 cup sour cream whisked with 1/4 cup powdered sugar) but I also think a chocolate ganache would be delicious.
- To prevent the cracking, try baking your cheesecake in a water bath.
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