The Best Pumpkin Cheesecake for Thanksgiving
A deliciously smooth and easy to make pumpkin cheesecake with cinnamon and nutmeg. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any festive occasion.
Ingredients
- 1 graham cracker pie crust
- 16 oz cream cheese (two 8 oz packages), softened
- 1/2 cup fresh pumpkin puree (or canned) *see recipe notes
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 dash ground nutmeg
- 2 large eggs
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Bring cream cheese to room temperature to soften (or unwrap and microwave in short intervals of 10-15 seconds).
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, add the softened cream cheese, sugar, fresh or canned pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Beat until smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated.
- Pour into the graham cracker crust.
- Place the filled crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easier to remove from the oven), and bake for 40 minutes. The center will still look soft but almost set - do not overbake.
- Cool completely. Then transfer to the refrigerator and chill overnight (or at least 4 hours).
- Top with your favorite whipped cream and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Notes:
- For best results, use real, high quality ingredients in this recipe.
- Use regular cream cheese (not low fat or neufchatel).
- For directions on how to make your own fresh pumpkin, read this blog post: How to Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree.
- Use a good quality vanilla extract (not imitation).
- If you like, you can substitute the cinnamon and nutmeg for pumpkin pie spice.
- It's important not to overbake the cheesecake! The cheesecake will not look "done" when it's ready to come out of the oven. It will still look soft and almost set - it will set as it cools.