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Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Pumpkin swirl cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and dramatic knife-swirl marbling. Baked in a water bath until just set for a creamy, sliceable texture, then chilled for a clean set.
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Prep Time 35 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 5 minutes
chilling 6 hours
Total Time 7 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For gingersnap crust
  • 2 cup gingersnap crumbs
  • 0.333 cup sugar
  • 6 tbsp melted butter
For vanilla cheesecake
  • 16 oz cream cheese
  • 0.5 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1.5 tsp vanilla
For pumpkin swirl
  • 8 oz cream cheese
  • 0.5 cup pumpkin
  • 0.25 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 springform pan
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make and par-bake the gingersnap crust
  1. Preheat the oven to 325F. Press the gingersnap crumbs mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and bake for 10 minutes, until set and fragrant.
Mix the cheesecake layers
  1. Beat the vanilla cheesecake layer ingredients separately until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix until no lumps remain so the batter pours cleanly.
  2. Beat the pumpkin swirl ingredients separately until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. Mix until the orange-spiced mixture is evenly blended.
Assemble and swirl
  1. Pour the vanilla cheesecake batter over the baked crust. Spread to the edges so the crust is fully covered.
  2. Dollop the pumpkin mixture over the vanilla layer. Add spoonfuls across the surface so the swirl has visible contrast.
  3. Swirl dramatically with a knife. Drag through the batter in bold paths to create marbled pumpkin-and-vanilla streaks.
Bake, cool, and chill
  1. Bake in a water bath at 325F for 55-60 minutes until just set. Look for a slight jiggle in the center and a set outer edge.
  2. Cool the cheesecake until it reaches room temperature, then refrigerate for 6 hours. Chill until fully firm for clean slices.

Notes

For the tightest swirl, keep both batters smooth and pour the vanilla layer first, then add pumpkin dollops before swirling right away. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days; freeze slices only (up to 2 months) after fully chilled. For a lower-sugar option, replace the sugars with a 1:1 baking sweetener that measures cup-for-cup.