Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

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This luscious and creamy vanilla cheesecake with swirls of spiced pumpkin cheesecake sits atop a flavorful gingersnap crust. Top with homemade pumpkin spice whipped cream or your favorite seasonal topping.

Ok, while summer is grand and all, who else gets super excited for fall? Any hands in the air? Because mine is waving around like a maniac just in case you can’t see me through the screen.

Fall is the season of apples, cinnamon, pumpkin, and all of the good things that make the baking world go round. Something about the crisp air, the big round pumpkins at every market stand, and the leaves changing color call me back to the kitchen to bake.

This pumpkin swirl cheesecake is the perfect way to welcome the changing weather, all while enjoying the creamy and decadent texture that only cheesecake can bring.

While I haven’t always been a huge cheesecake fan, I’ve won myself over through the years, and now I can say it’s one of my favorite things to bake.

If you love the texture of real pumpkin and the warmth of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger (also known as pumpkin spice), you’re going to be begging for another slice of this pumpkin cheesecake with its gingersnap crust.

And if you’re sold out for the pumpkin spice life like I am, you must try a few of my recipes from previous years. Pumpkin fudge is a personal favorite, but don’t let the season go by without trying some pumpkin spice cookies, OR the super fun (and super easy) pumpkin Rice Krispies treats.

Yes, we love graham crackers all day every day, but I hold a special place in my heart for gingersnap cookies.

Not only are gingersnap cookies just plain fabulous for eating (and dunking into milk), but they also make a particularly festive cheesecake crust.

Add those holiday spiced, everything nice cookies into a food processor and give them a crushing. Then mix with butter, sugar, cinnamon, and ginger and press it into a springform pan. What’s not to love?

Oh, and if you are ride-or-die with the homemade graham cracker crust? You can absolutely do that instead! Just use my graham cracker crust recipe in place of the gingersnap version.

All you need are 4 blocks of full fat cream cheese (softened of course), some sugar, heavy whipping cream, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), vanilla extract, eggs, and 2 extra egg yolks for a rich texture.

Most of all, we need to talk about cheesecake and room temperature ingredients. I feel like I give this lecture often, but it is warranted: always use room temperature ingredients.

That includes your cream cheese, heavy cream, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), and eggs. It does require a bit of planning ahead, but if you set everything out the morning before you bake you should be good to go.

Why room temperature you ask? Well, all these ingredients need to blend and come together into a smooth, consistent batter in order to get the perfect cheesecake texture. Having cold ingredients makes this process more cumbersome, and you’re going to have more lumps and bumps than you need.

Just trust me, you’ll love the results!

Seriously, does it get any easier than that!?

Add your gingersnaps to a food processor and crush them until they resemble fine crumbs. I like to use the pulse feature towards the end just to make sure I get the perfect consistency.

Then go ahead and pour those crumbs into a large bowl and add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and melted butter. Stir everything together to combine, making sure all of the crumbs have been moistened with butter.

Empty the crushed gingersnap mixture into the prepared springform pan, and press it into the bottom of the pan in an even layer. You can do this with your fingers or the bottom of a measuring cup.

Add the pan to the oven and bake for 8 minutes– just long enough for it to crisp up ever so slightly and provide a sturdy base for the cheesecake filling.

Once the crust has baked, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool while you prepare the pumpkin swirl cheesecake filling.

Start off by adding softened cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl with a handheld mixer. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth, creamy, and uniform. This should take about 2 minutes, and you may need to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Once the cream cheese is silky and smooth, add in the granulated sugar and beat again until well combined– about another 2 minutes.

Reduce your mixer to low speed, then add the heavy cream, sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and vanilla extract while the mixer is running. Mix until everything is completely combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Make sure to keep your mixer on low, as incorporating too much air at this point can cause cracks in your cheesecake once baked. Slow and steady wins the race!

Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix on low just until the eggs disappear into the cheesecake batter. Do the same with the egg yolks. Remember: you want your batter to be smooth, creamy, and lump-free.

If there are lumps, crush them with a silicone spatula and mix until everything is silky smooth.

All you have to do is add in the pumpkin purée, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Give it a gentle stir until combined. It should come together pretty quickly.

Again, you don’t need to aim for perfect symmetry here. Part of the charm of a “swirl” style cheesecake is the haphazardness of it. So go slow, swirling everything together until it looks like a pumpkin spice dream.

Fill the outer pan with hot water halfway up the sides of the middle pan, then carefully transfer the whole thing to the oven.

This is my tried-and-true approach to baking with a water bath, and I’m telling you it is SO much easier than the conventional method. No worries about spilling boiling hot water all over your precious toes as you waddle to the oven.

Once your water bath is prepared, bake the cheesecake for 1 hour 35 minutes or up to 1 hour 50 minutes. You will know your cheesecake is done when the center has just a bit of jiggle. This should be a section about 2″ in diameter, and no larger than that. If the jiggly bits are wider than 2″, you need to bake it for a little longer.

A foolproof way to know your cheesecake is done is to check the internal temperature. I use my digital instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature has reached 145ºF (63ºC), and that way I know we’re good to go without any guesswork needed.

Allowing the cheesecake to cool in the oven prevents those deep cracks you see in homemade cheesecakes sometimes. Nothing a good topping won’t cover, but the best texture comes from this slow cooling process.

After the hour is up, remove the springform pan from the nesting pans and allow it to cool on a wire cooling rack for another 2 hours.

Once the cheesecake is cooled to room temperature, wrap it tightly and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best.

Use a spatula or butter knife to gently run along the edges of the pan, loosening it from the sides. Then release the outer ring of the springform pan, and gently lift it away.

Top your cheesecake with fresh whipped cream or any seasonal topping that you like best. I highly recommend my pumpkin spice whipped cream, but my classic homemade whipped cream or salted caramel sauce would be a fabulous addition too.

STORING LEFTOVER CHEESECAKE

Cover your pumpkin cheesecake tightly with foil or plastic wrap and store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you store it with a whipped cream topping, it will start to weep after a few days, so it’s best to store it without the topping if possible.

If you prefer, you can freeze your cheesecake for up to 3 months. Wrap the cheesecake tightly in two to three layers of plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag. Label and store. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Now that you’ve had the chance to try this dreamy, creamy pumpkin swirl cheesecake, what’s stopping you from trying a few more? Absolutely nothing, that’s what!