Swirled Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

A slice of pumpkin pie cheesecake topped with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream.

Swirled Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Pumpkin Cheesecake tastes just like Pumpkin Pie in ultra creamy cheesecake form. Swirled vanilla spice and pumpkin pie batters are baked atop a crisp biscoff cookie crust. Top your cheesecake with salted caramel sauce and whipped cream for a truly stunning Thanksgiving dessert!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Easy Thanksgiving Desserts, Easy Cheesecake Recipe, No Water Bath Cheesecake, Pumpkin Pie Alternative Desserts

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 1 50

Servings slices

Calories 620kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Gingersnap Crust

48 biscoff cookies 366 grams
7 tbsp salted butter, melted

For the Cheesecake

32 ounces full fat cream cheese, at room temperature Use the block style
1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the Pumpkin Portion of the Cheesecake Batter

1 and 1/3 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling. 317 grams
2 tbsp maple syrup
2 and 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp cinnamon
2 and 1/4 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp allspice (Don't panic if you don't have this spice, you can omit)

For the Plain Cheesecake Portion of the Batter

1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground cloves

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar
6 tbsp salted butter, cubed
1/2 cup + 1 tbsp heavy cream
pinch of flaky sea salt

For the Whipped Cream

4 tsp cold water For stabilizing the cream, see recipe below
1 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin For stabilizing the cream, see recipe below
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

Prep: Make sure your cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream are at room temp - set them out 1-2 hours before you begin. Preheat oven to 350℉. Lay a sheet of parchment paper across the bottom of your springform pan, then fasten the sides of the pan. This makes the cheesecake easy to remove from the bottom piece of the pan. Spray the entire inside of the pan with nonstick spray.
Make the Crust: Crush the biscoff cookies in a food processor until you have fine crumbs. Stir together cookie crumbs and melted butter until well combined. Press into the pan and up the sides a bit. Really spend a few minutes packing the crumbs in here - this ensures a sturdy crust. Use the back of a glass or measuring cup to press them in.
Bake the crust for 11 minutes at 350℉. Set aside.
Make the Cheesecake: It's important not to over-mix the batter - this will result in a cheesecake that collapses a bit when it's out of the oven and cooling. Mix things until they're just incorporated, then stop!
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sugar & mix until well incorporated, about 1 minute. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as you go. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium speed after each until just incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream and mix until just incorporated.
Remove 3 cups (681 grams) of batter and add to a medium bowl. Stir in the pumpkin puree and spices. Stir in the additional spices & maple syrup to the plain portion of the batter. Alternate adding dollops of each type of batter over the baked crust. (Ice cream scoops work great here!)
Take a knife and gently swirl the batter - drag from top to bottom and left to right, sticking the knife down into the batter so that the swirls show throughout the cheesecake, not just on top.
Bake: Bake for 1 hour 45 minutes to 1 hour 56 minutes. (Mine took the full 1 hour and 56 minutes). Try to open the oven as few times as possible to minimize the cracking on top of the cheesecake. If it does crack, DO NOT WORRY. It won't ruin the cheesecake and you can hide it with caramel or whipped cream. When done, the edges will be slightly raised and set, and the center will be only slightly jiggly. The top of the cheesecake will be matte, and an instant read thermometer inserted halfway down into the center should read 150 to 155℉. A small amount of batter will be on a toothpick or knife inserted into the center of the cheesecake.
Once done baking, turn the oven off, and prop open the oven door open by at least 4 inches. Leave cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour. Remove from the oven, and set on a cooling rack. Once the cheesecake is cooled to room temperature, cover it with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or ideally overnight.
Make the Caramel Sauce: Make the salted caramel sauce by following my 10-minute salted caramel sauce recipe. It has step-by-step photos and troubleshooting tips to help ensure success.
Make Whipped Cream: Make the whipped cream just before you're ready to serve the cheesecake. It's best made fresh - not made ahead. If you plan to pipe on the whipped cream, I recommend stabilizing it.
Add the water to a small bowl and sprinkle the powdered gelatin on top. Let stand for 3 minutes. Then, microwave for 4-5 seconds, just to re-liquify the mixture. Set aside while you begin the cream.
Add the whipped cream ingredients to a medium bowl and beat on high speed until it begins to thicken. Or, use a food processor – this will make the whipped cream easier to pipe! Pulse 10-12, then run on low until cream is just starting to thicken. Stream in the liquid gelatin mixture while you mix on low in either method. Keep mixing/pulsing until cream is thick but still smooth. Add cream to a piping bag (I used a Wilton 6B tip) and pipe on the cheesecake as desired.
Serve + Store: Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan when ready to serve. Transfer cheesecake to a serving platter or cake stand and top with the salted caramel sauce and whipped cream. Slice and enjoy!
Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Make Ahead Tips:
Caramel: Caramel sauce can be made up to 5 days ahead. Let cool slightly at room temperature, then store in a mason jar in the fridge. Microwave to loosen it up before using.
Cheesecake: Cheesecake can be baked, cooled, and chilled in the fridge for 1-2 days before serving.

Notes

Nutrition Info: Nutrition info does not include caramel sauce or whipped cream, as I can't calculate how much you'll add to your portion. See my caramel sauce recipe for its nutrition info.

Nutrition