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Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Spiced pumpkin cheesecake with a gingersnap crust and a smooth, deeply spiced filling baked in a water bath. Finished with a tangy sour cream swirl and a dusting of individual spices for a classic American fall dessert slice.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Chilling 6 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 46 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Gingersnap crust
  • 2 cup gingersnap crumbs Finely crushed for a compact crust.
  • 0.3333333333 cup sugar Granulated sugar for sweetness and structure.
  • 6 tbsp butter Melted and used to bind crumbs.
Deeply spiced cheesecake
  • 24 oz cream cheese Softened to prevent lumps.
  • 0.75 cup brown sugar Adds warm caramel flavor.
  • 3 eggs Room temperature for smooth mixing.
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree Plain pumpkin puree.
  • 0.5 cup sour cream Keeps the cheesecake tender.
  • 2 tsp cinnamon Ground spice for the filling.
  • 1 tsp ginger Ground ginger for warmth.
  • 0.5 tsp nutmeg Ground nutmeg for spice depth.
  • 0.25 tsp cloves Ground cloves for a classic profile.
  • 0.25 tsp allspice Ground allspice for rounded spice notes.
  • 0.25 tsp cardamom Ground cardamom for a subtle aromatic lift.
  • 1 tsp vanilla Pure vanilla extract.
Sour cream topping
  • 1 cup sour cream For the swirl topping.
  • 2 tbsp sugar Sweetens the topping.
  • 1 tsp vanilla Vanilla stirred into topping.

Equipment

  • 1 springform pan
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the gingersnap crust
  1. Press gingersnap crumbs, sugar, and melted butter into a 9-inch springform pan to form an even, packed crust.
  2. Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 325F, then remove to cool while you prepare the filling.
Mix and bake the spiced cheesecake
  1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in brown sugar and continue beating until fully combined.
  2. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing just until incorporated to keep the batter silky.
  3. Mix in pumpkin puree and sour cream until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
  4. Stir in cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and cardamom, then add vanilla and mix until the batter is evenly spiced.
  5. Pour the cheesecake batter over the baked crust.
  6. Bake in a water bath for 60-65 minutes at a gentle bake, until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
  7. Cool the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour to prevent cracking.
Chill and finish
  1. Refrigerate the cheesecake for 4 hours.
  2. Stir sour cream, sugar, and vanilla for the topping, then spread over the chilled cheesecake in an even layer.
  3. Refrigerate for 2 more hours to fully set the topping.
  4. Dust with individual spices before serving for a fresh, spiced finish.

Notes

For clean slices, let the cheesecake stand at cool room temperature for 15 minutes before cutting, then wipe the knife between cuts. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 5 days; the cheesecake can be frozen up to 2 months (freeze without the spice dust, and add it after thawing). For a lighter option, substitute low-fat cream cheese and use light sour cream while keeping baking and chilling times the same.