Pumpkin Cheesecake (+ Other Holiday Recipes)

13 Reviews / 4.2 Average
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.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake & Other Holiday Recipes on 100 Days of #RealFood #Thanksgiving #pumpkin

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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.

Pumpkin Cheesecake & Other Holiday Recipes on 100 Days of #RealFood #Thanksgiving #pumpkin

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.

For another holiday favorite, make this Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread!

#RealFoodHoliday

So here’s 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:

Pumpkin Cheesecake & Other Holiday Recipes on 100 Days of #RealFood #Thanksgiving #pumpkin

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  1. 5 stars
    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. :).

  2. 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!

  3. Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

    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.

  4. 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?

    1. Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      Hi Ashley. While I’ve not tried a full size cheesecake from that recipe, I think that should work just fine. ;)

  5. 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!!!!!!!!!!

  6. 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?

    1. Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      Hi Jennifer. It should freeze well. You will need to allow time for it to soften a bit from the freezer. ~Amy

      1. 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. : )

  7. 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?

    1. Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      Hi there. The pumpkin is a big ingredient in this recipe. Omitting it would change the consistency a lot.

  8. Elizabeth petersheim

    Any idea how long this keeps? Could I make it Wednesday morning and just add the whipped cream right before serving it on Thursday?

  9. 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!

  10. 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/

  11. 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!

  12. Can you freeze the leftovers? It’s just my husband and I and I don’t want us to eat the whole pie ourselves :)

  13. 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! :)

    1. Amy Taylor (comment moderator)

      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. :)

  14. 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!

  15. 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.

    1. 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.

    1. 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.

  16. 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.)

    1. 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).

  17. 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!!

  18. 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).

      1. 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.

  19. 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 .)

      1. 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!