Pumpkin Pie + Cheesecake = Heaven

Dirt to Dinner’s contributing chef, Lisa Fielding, depends on this Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake to keep the Thanksgiving vibes going strong after her delicious cheesecloth turkey has been gobbled up.

Consider pairing this cheesecake with a fun and festive cocktail to make the day even more scrumptious.

Scroll down for instructions and enjoy 🙂

Want to dig deeper into this recipe to learn how foods like these are a part of our bigger food system? We’ve got something for everyone!

• Here’s a helpful roadmap to take some of the stress out of planning your Thanksgiving day.
• And here are the top concerns facing farmers of all crops, from acorn squash to zucchini.
• Is pumpkin considered a “superfood“?

Lisa’s Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust:

• 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (12 full sheets of grahams processed in the food processor until very fine)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 6 tbsp salted butter melted

Pumpkin cheesecake filling:

• 24 oz cream cheese room temperature (three, 8 oz packages)
• 1 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• ½ cup sour cream room temperature
• 3 large eggs room temperature
• 3 Tbps flour

Instructions

• Butter and flour the sides of a 9” spring form pan. Line the outside, bottom of the pan completely with heavy-duty foil so no water can leak into the pan from the water bath. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the graham cracker crust:

• In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon. Add melted butter and stir until combined.
• Pour the crust mixture into the prepared springform, pressing it down into the bottom of the dish and halfway up the sides.
• Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, then remove the crust from the oven and set aside to slightly cool.

Make the pumpkin cheesecake filling:

• While the crust is baking make the filling.
• In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat together the cream cheese and brown sugar until light and fluffy and there are no lumps.
• Add pumpkin puree, vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, sea salt and sour cream and beat until just combined.
• Add eggs, one at a time and beat after each addition.
• Gently stir in flour.

Prepare a water bath:

• Find a large pan (baking pan, cast iron skillet, fry pan, etc) that will fit your springform pan and put it in the preheated oven. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.

Bake:

• Pour the filling over the baked and slightly cooled crust.Place the springform pan in the large pan in the preheated oven. Slowly fill the large pan with boiling water until it is halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.
• Bake in the water bath for 50-55 minutes or until the top and edges are set but not browned and the pumpkin cheesecake is only very slightly jiggly. You can test it by inserting a knife or cake tester in the center of the cake and if it comes out clean you know it is done. However, this can cause the pumpkin cheesecake to crack so I don’t really recommend it (but it’s better than a soupy cheesecake if you’re unsure).
• Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and set on a wire cooling rack to cool to room temperature. Once at room temperature, transfer the cheesecake to the refrigerator to chill overnight.

Hungry for more knowledge? Click on the posts below to sate your curiosity about where our food comes from. And click here for more of our tried-and-true recipes. Bon appetit!