Today I’ve got a tasty new recipe for you that happens to be the final installment in our blogger #RealFoodHoliday progressive dinner series! I don’t know about you, but I’ve personally never been a fan of pumpkin pie (is anyone really?), but I do LOVE some pumpkin cheesecake. I think this is such a great update to the traditional dessert we’ve all seen year after year, and with the pecan crust you can easily accommodate any gluten-free guests you might be entertaining.
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#RealFoodHoliday
Before we dive into the recipe though, I’m excited to share what this whole holiday progressive dinner thing is all about. A few of us food bloggers thought it would be a fun idea to take turns sharing a different real food recipe that you could add to your holiday table this year. And since I happen to be the last one on the list, here is a little summary of what’s been featured so far:
- Deliciously Organic: Apricot Zingers
- Mama and Baby Love: Roasted Red Beet and Arugula Salad
- Simple Green Smoothies: Pumpkin Spice Green Smoothie
- Super Healthy Kids: Wild Rice Stuffing
- Keeper of the Home: Rustic Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Weelicious: Vegan Whipped Coconut Sweet Potatoes
- Once a Month Meals: Cranberry Maple Orange Pork Chops
- $5 Dinners: Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey Breast
- Kitchen Stewardship: Gluten Free Pumpkin Cookies
- 100 Days of Real Food: Pumpkin Cheesecake (This dessert recipe of course!) :)
- The Fresh 20: Apple Crumble
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust
I've never been a fan of pumpkin pie, but I do LOVE pumpkin cheesecake. I think this is such a great update to the dessert we've all seen year after year.
Ingredients
For the Crust
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened, 2 - 8 ounce blocks
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
- 1 1/4 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, found in the baking aisle
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
For the Whipped Cream Topping
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
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In a food processor, process the pecans and salt together to the consistency of coarse crumbs. You could also chop by hand. Mix in the softened butter until the crust mixture comes together.
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Using your fingers, press the pecan crust into the bottom and sides of a pie pan until it's in one even layer. It helps if you get your fingers wet first. Bake the crust by itself until it turns a rich brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. When it's done, remove it from the oven and turn the temperature down to 350 degrees F.
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Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat together the cream cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Add in the pumpkin pie spice and then one by one, add each of the eggs. Lastly, add the pumpkin puree and beat together just until mixed.
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Pour the cream cheese mixture into the baked pie crust and stick it in the oven on 350 degrees F for 30 minutes. Lower the heat to 325 and bake until the edges of the cheesecake are puffed and begin to brown, about 10 to 15 minutes more. Put the pie in the fridge and let it cool completely for several hours before adding the whipped cream.
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To make the whipped cream, use an electric mixer to beat the cream and syrup together until fluffy. Use a pastry bag or cookie press with decorating tips to decorate the pie. See the picture just below for how I used the whipped cream to cover up some cracks in the surface! Garnish with chopped pecans if desired.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
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Everything on the list looks wonderful and I think I’ll have to make the cake this weekend; looks so good!
Enjoy! :)
This looks delicious but did you really ask if anyone really loves pumpkin pie? For real? In our family, pumpkin pie is one of our absolute favorites! We right over who gets the last piece. (And I make two for Thanksgiving .)
Yes, I thought that was an odd comment as well! My son, who doesn’t like desserts, loves pumpkin pie!
Here too. I have three sons, two of whom are picky, picky, picky. But they all love pumpkin pie. With real whipped cream! I use my grandmother’s very simple recipe. Yum yum!
We love pumpkin pie! Do you really think people don’t?
Yes, I really wonder how people can like pumpkin pie – not my dessert of choice at all! LOL
Oh my–pumpkin pie is my absolute favorite! Hands down my favorite part of Thanksgiving. I’ll forgive you for not liking it though. ;-) This looks like a fabulous dessert, too.
this recipe looks good and I love pumpkin pie!
If you don’t want the cracks in the cheesecake, sometimes it helps to put a dish of water in the oven while baking. But I usually just use the whip cream to cover up too! This recipe looks wonderful, I’m hosting desert for thanksgiving, I will have to try the filling and figure out a different crust (no nuts here).
I’ve read that too about the water, but agree it’s easier to just cover it up with whipped cream :)
Martha Stewart says when the cheesecake is done, to turn off the oven, and let it cool off in the oven for TWO HOURS, NO OPENING THE OVEN, and it will be crack free. Then pull out, bring to room temp, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before slicing.
WOW! Gluten-free and delicious- I’m ready for the holidays!
This sounds awesome. It also sounds like a good substitute crust for your pecan pie!
Looks amazing! But we all LOVE pumpkin pie too!!!
I agree with you regarding the pumpkin pie! It is my daughters favorite and I am always asking her if she is bored with it! I certainly am and did add cream cheese last year. Will definitely try yours this year! Yumm!!
Any ideas for a crust that doesn’t have nuts? We have a nut allergy to work around.
Yes! Any ideas would be awesome! My brother and I are both also severely allergic! Thank you!
I’m wondering the same thing. My son is allergic to nuts, too. I wonder if crushed sunflower seeds would work?
You can replace the nuts by plain cookies like Graham Crackers, butter cookies or something alike. That’s a crust frequently used for cheesecake. A sweet quiche dough works too (flour, butter, sugar, egg, some water).
This looks like a wonderful option for my gluten-sensitive teenager! Did you make a puree from a baked pumpkin? Could I use canned pumpkin? (Our local grocer stocks an organic canned pumpkin.)
Hi Joelle. You can use a canned pumpkin puree. Lisa did. :)
Looks wonderful! Our daughter has an egg allergy, do you think flax-eggs or egg substitute could be used instead?
Hi Christina. I’ve used flax eggs successfully many times but not in a recipe that called for this many eggs. It would be an experiment. This thread might help: http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-the-best-substitute-for-eggs-when-baking-176707. ~Amy
Could you use honey in place of the maple syrup? Would you have to alter the amount?
Hi Alicia. You can exchange it 1:1. :)
If it is cracked, it’s over baked. I made cheesecakes for years before just learning this.
How do you make pumpkin puree?
Wash a pie pumpkin cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Roast on a jelly roll pan in a 490 degree oven for 1 hour (I roast skin side up). Let cool pumpkin cool slightly, scout out flesh and purée with an immersion blender or food processor. Let cool in the fridge and dump out the accumulated juices or strain juices out over a bowl in a cheesecloth lined strainer. This gives the puréed pumpkin the thicker consistency of canned pumpkin.
A standard pie pumpkin usually yields 3-4 cups of pumpkin purée.
Oops, roast in a 400 DEGREE oven.
I’m wondering if the crust can be made with a different type of nut? We have a food allergy to pecans.
Walnuts or hazelnuts are both good crust options, otherwise I’m sure a traditional graham cracker crust would work fine. I prefer homemade graham crackers. Ginger snaps would probably make a fabulous crust as well.
I am pretty sure for making a cheesecake – you place a shallow dish of water in the bottom of the oven to keep it from cracking.
In regards to your pumpkin pie comment Lisa, I love it as does everyone else in my family of five. Just made a pumpkin pie last weekend for dessert of the week. I have always roasted my own pumpkin, but this year I finally made my own evaporated milk as well. Yeah, organic and Carageenen free! It was delish! Sadly, I am the only one who likes cheesecake, and we live in Wisconsin, crazy huh. I’ll have to give this recipe a try when I have to take dessert somewhere. I love nut crusts on cheesecakes!
What size pie pan do you have? Do you have a link to to buy it? I just have a regular size one I guess because all of my filling wouldn’t fit..only half of it would! It smells delish though! I may try halving the recipe of the filling next time (unless I can find a deeper pie pan). Thanks for all of your great recipes! Love your cookbook! :)
Hi there. A ten inch pan works well. We don’t have a link for this particular one, however. You can find similar ones wherever ceramic bake ware is sold. :)
Can you freeze the leftovers? It’s just my husband and I and I don’t want us to eat the whole pie ourselves :)
Hi Kimberly. It should freeze well. ~Amy
I’m wondering if the butter for the crust needs to be completely melted or just softened as in room temperature?
Hi Allison. Just softened. :)
Just made this today and it was delicious. Crust was a little crumbly, but very tasty. I had extra filling and made a separate smaller pie to freeze for later. Thanks for the recipe!
These Thanksgiving recipes look divine! Here’s another idea to share… I have a FREE PRINTABLE to set the tone for a very thankful celebration with family and friends this Thanksgiving. It’s designed to get your guests thinking about and sharing the special qualities that they love about those around the Thanksgiving table. Just print out the template and then let each guest write down what they love about the others… easy as that! Then start your meal with each guest reading the list of things others love about them… what a warm way to start a visit and focus on the people we are so thankful for!!
Find this FREE PRINTABLE at http://simplyfunfamilies.com/celebrate-american-thanksgiving-with-this-free-printable/
Thanks for offering up this recipe! My husband absolutely hates pumpkin pie– and pretty much anything with pumpkin! But I would love to make this cheesecake (without the pumpkin in it) so I may try to fiddle around with this recipe to see if I can turn it into a cheesecake he’ll eat, haha. And I love the idea of using nuts for a crust!
Yum! I’ve been looking for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe and I love that this calls for maple syrup instead of white sugar.
Any idea how long this keeps? Could I make it Wednesday morning and just add the whipped cream right before serving it on Thursday?
Hi Elizabeth. Yes, you can definitely do that. :)
I made this recipe last week, and it was definitely a hit!!! I love that it’s not overly sweet and that the crust is made from pecans (YUM)! If I wanted to make a plain cheesecake, could I follow this same recipe and just omit the pumpkin?
Hi there. The pumpkin is a big ingredient in this recipe. Omitting it would change the consistency a lot.
inwant to make this tomorrow (Sunday) for thanksgiving. Will it keep that long?
Looks delicious! Can I bake in a spring form pan? Thanks!
Hi Nicole. I don’t see why not. :)
Thanks Amy! I made it last night in a spring form pan with a water bath to help with cracking. It looks (and smells!) delicious! Had to hide it in the fridge to make sure no one eats it before tomorrow. : )
I ate at a national chain restaurant today only because that’s what my daughter wanted for her birthday. We had the most delicious pumpkin cheesecake but I know it was not the best choice. I’d like to make your recipe here and freeze it. The one we had today seemed like it had been frozen and I loved the texture of it. Would this recipe freeze well and be good right out of the freezer?
Hi Jennifer. It should freeze well. You will need to allow time for it to soften a bit from the freezer. ~Amy
I am not a pumpkin pie person either, but love cheesecake, I am going to try this this year, but it’s just my husband and 2 daughters this year. I really don’t want to have left overs… Or I will eat the whole thing. Can I freeze the rest of the pie? If so how long do you think it will last in freezer? Or can I make mini, like cupcake size cheesecakes and freeze them as well. Thank you so much for all that you do! I absolutely love your website!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks for your reply, Amy! I’m glad I didn’t just make this change without asking first. I know that Lisa does have a recipe for individual cheesecakes on her website, so could I just follow that recipe and make one big cheesecake instead of several small?
Hi Ashley. While I’ve not tried a full size cheesecake from that recipe, I think that should work just fine. ;)
Hi Barbara. We are rarely able to answer recipe questions in real time. If you are going to make it that far in advance, I would freeze it.
Can you substitute stevia for maple syrup?
Hi Brenda. We’ve not tried making that substitution.
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I made this today and it was fantastic! I made it
with graham cracker crust b/c my son has nut
allergies. It was just just the right level of sweetness
for my family. Thanks for the recipe!
I’m eating this right now and IT. IS. AMAZING!
Thanks for a super easy, fantastic recipe!
Good but had wayyyyy too many pecans. The pecans over powered the cheesecake.
This was a huge hit at our family Thanksgiving !!! My husband who does not like pecans said he even thought the pecan crust was good. My mother who doesn’t like pumpkin pie loved it and the pumpkin pie fans even gave rave reviews too. So thanks for making me look like a good cook tonight. :).
The filling was divine and amazing for having no white sugar. The crust get mixed reviews, but the filling made up for it.
I made this in a springform pan, didn’t even bother with the whipped cream and it was amazing! Got rave reviews all around my Thanksgiving table
I was excited to try this recipe for Thanksgiving, but unfortunately I was a bit disappointed in it. The texture was fine (including the crust) but it just wasn’t sweet enough for me. It didn’t compare to pumpkin cheesecakes I’d made in the past (which used sugar, of course). I went back to compare recipes, and they all called for 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar, as opposed to your 1/2 cup of maple syrup. As much as I love pure maple syrup, you would have to use it 1:1 to sweeten as much as sugar I guess.
To use the recipe as is, it would definitely require the (sweet) whipped cream topping; however, in my mind, a good cheesecake should be able to stand alone.
I just made this the other day! It was absolutely delicious. I did have some trouble with the crust so I had to try again, but made sure they were crushed really good in the blender. Also, I didn’t bake it as long as it says because the first one was practically black when I pulled it out of the oven.
Anyway, I was able to make two pumpkin cheesecakes with this recipe. Everyone loved it!
I loved that it didn’t have sugar, however, I heard from multiple Thanksgiving meal partakers that it wasn’t sweet enough and didn’t have enough pumpkin flavor. :(
Made this for Thanksgiving and LOVED it!! It was light and delicious without being too sweet, heavy or overpowering. I baked it in a water bath, which prevented any cracking afterwards. Thanks for the recipe!
Is there another alternative for the crust? We have an allergy to all nuts.
Here is another possibility: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2014/01/28/recipe-individual-cheesecakes/. ~Amy
This pumpkin cheesecake got amazing reviews at last night’s dinner party! I didn’t even make the whipped cream and it was delicious. I had a little extra filling, perhaps my pie dish is small, but i just baked the extra separately in a ramekin and my one year old gobbled it up! Her own personal, crust-less pumpkin cheesecake :-)
Is it possible to make this a normal cheesecake?
One of my family members has a pumpkin allergy and
another one has a pecan allergy.
Is it possible to substitute the ingredients so it will be a normal cheesecake?
Thanks!
Hi Jenna. Lisa also has this recipe: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2014/01/28/recipe-individual-cheesecakes/. Hope it helps.
I’ve made this for the past two Thanksgivings. The recipe gets rave reviews and guests appreciated the level of sweetness. Only change I made was to add a couple TBS coconut sugar in the crust. It was perfect!
Hmm, maybe m using a deeper pan, but my cheesecake has been in for at least twice the amount of time and is still not set. Smells yummy so I’m hoping that it still works out. Anyone else have this trouble?
Could I omit the crust and make it a crustless cheesecake?
Hi Emily. I don’t see why that wouldn’t work.
Please excuse me if this has been asked before. But, could I double the recipe and use a springform pan? Thank you for your help! :)
Hi. We’ve not tried doubling this. These threads might help: https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20141011102836AAMvOPU and http://www.chowhound.com/post/double-cheesecake-recipe-533551.
Hi,
I just baked in a 9″ springform pan and the base recipe works fine. No need to double IMO.
Best,
Corey
Happy Thanksgiving 100 Days Team! I’ve made this before and it is AMAZING! My deep pie dish that I used to use broke this year. Have you ever tried making this in a spring form cheesecake pan? Any tips for using a pan like that would be helpful as I only have shallow pie pans.
I’ve made it in a springform and it came out fine….a little messy when cut, but tasted delicious!
I was wondering if I can use a springform pan for this recipe?
Other readers have.