Forget plain ol’ pumpkin pie! This Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake is the ultimate fall dessert! Smooth, creamy, with a hint of chocolate and spice, it is an all around favorite at our Thanksgiving or holiday table!
The Best Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back at Starbucks, so that means it’s Fall…right??
Regardless of the temperature (90° in Texas!) I am sooo ready for my favorite season…
…and pumpkin everything!
I’ve been begging my husband to make his famous Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake (he has quite a few “famous” recipes!) and he finally did. (He is definitely the pro baker in our family!)
WOW!! It was even more amazing than I remembered — probably because my husband has spent years perfecting his cheesecake-baking technique. (He really does study and practice!)
Imagine this: a creamy real cheesecake marbled with pumpkin pie filling. And instead of a simple graham cracker crust, he amped it up and made a chocolate gingersnap crust.
This is the best cheesecake I’ve had in recent memory (maybe ever?!) and even received rave reviews from non-pumpkin lovers.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ingredients
For your convenience in re-creating this recipe, I’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products we used. Our disclosure policy is available here.
- 3 (8oz) bars cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup plain pumpkin (canned, unsweetened)
- 1 cup sugar
- 1TB brown sugar (may sub regular sugar if needed)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TB maple syrup
- 1 TB cornstarch
For the Chocolate Gingersnap Crust:
- 1 box gingersnap cookies (about 13oz)
- 1/2 package (14.3oz) Oreos (or similar sandwich cookies)
- 1 cup unsalted butter, melted
Kitchen Tools Used
- Food Processor
- Mixing Bowls
- Stand mixer
- 9-inch nonstick springform pan
- Wire cooling rack
Instructions
Tip: To save time, make the crust first so it can be cooling while you work on the batter.
To make the chocolate gingersnap crust:
- Finely chop ginger snap and Oreo cookies in food processor (we’ve had our Hamilton Beach “Big Mouth” food processor for years…it’s a workhorse!)
- Stir in one cup of melted butter until well combined.
- Press crust into the bottom of the springform pan, and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan too. Bake for 10 minutes at 325°. Allow to cool completely.
- Once cool, blot crust with a paper towel to remove excess butter.
While the crust is baking and cooling, make the cheesecake batter.
I cooked it another 45 min in 15 min increments till interior was 150degrees I had an excess of 2 cups of filling FYI and I had to blot a lot of butter of the crust Drizzled caramel and a bit of reminder crumbled up crust on top Sat on counter an hour and then fridge 3 hours
To Make the Marbling Effect:
- Add sour cream to large mixing bowl (or stand mixer with paddle attachment). It’s helpful to add the sour cream first to prevent the cream cheese from sticking to the bowl. Next, add cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch and mix on low to medium speed until there are no lumps. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and eggs (one by one). Beat until just combined (take care not to over-beat).
- Remove one cup of the cheesecake batter and add to a separate small bowl with canned pumpkin, teaspoon ground cinnamon, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Mix until the batter is now a creamy orange color.
- Pour the plain batter over crust in springform pan, and spread to evenly fill the pan. Add the pumpkin batter in large dollops in a circle.
- Use a butter knife to swirl the pumpkin batter to create a marble effect. Make sure not to put the knife in more than about 1/2 inch so as not to hit the crust.
Baking Directions
Place an oven-safe pan filled halfway with water on the bottom rack in the oven directly under the cheesecake while baking, to help prevent cracking.
Bake for 1 hour at 325°F, then check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of the cheesecake. If it comes out clean, cake is done.
If it has batter stuck to it, continue baking. Check every 15 minutes, baking up to an additional 45 minutes if needed. (Oven temperatures vary, so cheesecake cooking times may also vary).
How to Prevent Cheesecake from Cracking
This is one of the trickiest things in baking…to keep a cheesecake from getting a crack in the middle! While it doesn’t affect the taste one bit, we all love the look of a perfectly smooth cheesecake!
Placing a pan of water under the cheesecake while it bakes is a trick that we use with a lot of success. This extra moisture helps keep the top of the cheesecake from drying out too quickly while you’re trying to finish cooking the middle.
The cooling process is also incredibly important to prevent cracks (more on that below!)
How to Cool Your Cheesecake
First we will cool the cheesecake inside the oven for a bit, then a bit at room temperature, and finally we will finish it in the refrigerator.
This slow cooling process may seem slightly tedious, but it will go a long way towards making that perfect cheesecake!
- When cheesecake has finished baking, turn off the oven and open the oven door just a crack. Allow the cheesecake to cool inside the oven (with door cracked open) for about 30 minutes.
- Next, move the cheesecake to a wire rack on your kitchen counter to cool for another hour.
- After this, you can finish chilling in the fridge (2-3 hours).
Keep in mind that a few small cracks in the top of your cheesecake are pretty normal and doesn’t necessarily mean that you did anything wrong.
However, with the above process, you can minimize those imperfections for a gorgeous looking dessert!
What Can You Top Pumpkin Cheesecake With?
This marbled pumpkin cheesecake is so flavorful, it is perfect on its own! However, some of the delicious toppings we’ve tried include:
- whipped cream
- caramel drizzle
- extra gingersnap cookies
Can you tell that we’ve made this more than a few times??
Is Cheesecake Supposed to be Refrigerated?
Yes, cheesecake must be refrigerated because it contains perishable dairy items, such as cream cheese.
Cover any leftovers to prevent the cheesecake from drying out in the fridge. It should stay good for up to a week when properly stored.
More of our favorite cheesecake recipes:
- No Bake Cherry Cheesecake
- Pink Lemonade Mini Cheesecake Bites
- Instant Pot Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake
- Christmas Cheesecake
- Churro Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake
- Sopapilla Cheesecake Bars
Here’s a printable version of the Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake recipe:
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Ultimate Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9" springform pan
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake:
- 3 8oz bars cream cheese
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup plain pumpkin canned, unsweetened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 TB brown sugar may sub regular sugar if needed
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 TB maple syrup
- 1 TB cornstarch
For the Chocolate Gingersnap Crust:
- 1 box gingersnap cookies about 13oz
- 1/2 package 14.3oz Oreos (or similar sandwich cookies)
- 1 cup unsalted butter melted
Instructions
To Make the Crust
- Finely chop ginger snap and sandwich cookies in food processor.
- Stir in one cup of melted butter until well combined.
- Press crust into the bottom of the springform pan, and about 1/2 inch up the sides of the pan too.
- Bake for 10 minutes at 325°. Allow to cool completely and blot any excess butter with a paper towel.
To Make the Cheesecake
- Add cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch and mix on low to medium speed until there are no lumps.
- Add heavy cream, vanilla, and eggs (one by one). Beat until just combined (do not over-beat).
- Remove one cup of the cheesecake batter and add to a separate small bowl with canned pumpkin, cinnamon, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Mix until the batter is now a creamy orange color.
- Pour the plain batter over crust into your springform pan and spread to evenly fill the pan.
- Add the pumpkin batter in large dollops in a circle. Use a butter knife to swirl the pumpkin batter to create a marble effect. Make sure not to put the knife in more than about 1/2 inch so as not to hit the crust.
- Place an oven-safe pan filled halfway with water on the bottom rack in the oven directly under the cheesecake while baking, to help prevent cracking.
- Bake for 1 hour at 325°F, then check for doneness. If needed, bake up to 45 more minutes, in 15 minute increments.
To Cool the Cheesecake
- When cheesecake is done, turn off the oven and open the oven door just a crack. Allow the cheesecake to cool inside the oven (with door cracked open) for about 30 minutes.
- Move the cheesecake to a wire rack on your kitchen counter to cool for another hour.
- Finish chilling in the fridge.
Video
Pin this Marbled Pumpkin Cheesecake on Pinterest:
More of our favorite pumpkin recipes:
Greek Yogurt Healthy Pumpkin Parfait
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Mommy Crusader says
I’m off to the kitchen now, to make some. 🙂
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom says
Yum! We are going to make it again this weekend too! 🙂