Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 (8.8 ounce or 250 gram) package Biscoff / Speculoos cookies
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 24 ounces (680 grams) cream cheese, completely softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 grams) light brown sugar
- 15 ounces (425 grams) pureed pumpkin
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) sour cream or plain full-fat yogurt, at room temperature
- 3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream, chilled
- 1/4 cup (25 grams) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Make the crust:
-
Place the cookies in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely ground. Add the butter and pulse until moistened.
-
Press into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place pan on a rimmed baking tray to catch any butter. Bake for 10 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool. Reduce oven temperature to 275°F.
Make the cheesecake:
-
In the bowl of a food processor or electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed until completely smooth and free of clumps, scraping down the bowl and attachment as needed. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl, then add in the pumpkin puree and sour cream and beat until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk, one at a time, then the cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, flour, and vanilla and beat until just combined.
-
Pour over baked crust and spread evenly. Tap the pan against the counter a few times to release any bubbles. Tap a spatula against the top of the batter to pop those bubbles. Place pan on a rimmed baking sheet.
-
Bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until set and dry at the edges but slightly jiggly and wobbly like Jello in the center with an internal temperature of 140°F-150°F. Turn off the oven, crack open the oven door, and allow to cool inside the oven for 30 minutes before removing to a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
-
Refrigerate in springform pan for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight but up to 3 days to allow the texture to firm and the pumpkin spice flavor to develop. Store the cheesecake uncovered to avoid creating condensation, which will create a mushy texture.
Make the topping:
-
Whip the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer for a few minutes until medium peaks form.
-
Release the cheesecake from the pan onto a cake stand or serving plate and top with whipped cream. Slice using a big sharp knife, wiping it off under running hot water in between cuts. Serve.
Do the oven temperature & bake time stay the same if I decide to use a water bath for this recipe?
Hi Dina! We have not tried this cheesecake with a water bath because the “low and slow” method works so well for this recipe. That being said, generally speaking, you can bake any cheesecake at 325°F for about 1 hour 15 minutes, depending on the volume of cheesecake batter. You can check out all of Tessa’s incredible tips for using a water bath here! I hope that helps 🙂 Let us know what you think of this cheesecake once you have given it a try!
Made this for a Friendsgiving and it was a hit!
I’ll probably do a water bath next time because it still breaks my heart to see a crack in my cheesecake, even though it’s getting covered with the homemade whip cream (I’m a perfectionist) LOL
It tasted just as good as it looked and I will definitely be made every fall from now on!
Yay! So happy to hear that, Dina!!
Thanks for this amazing recipe! It came together quickly and was fun to make with my kids. I put a casserole dish filled with water on the oven rack below the cheesecake and mine did not crack. Not sure if this actually helped it not to crack or I just got lucky but I’ll take it.
Great recipe! The fantastic pumpkin flavor and the tangy goodness of cream cheese was delicious! It was a hit on Thanksgiving! I used a Graham cracker crust this time, but next time I will use the Biscoff cookies. Thank you, Tessa!
So happy you loved it, Bruce!
Made this for Thanksgiving and this was phenomenal!! Thank you!
I was asked if I could make this in a muffin tin to have smaller portions and I wonder what your thoughts are in regards to temperature and time to pull this off??
Hi Amanda! So happy you enjoyed this recipe! We haven’t tried making this cheesecake into smaller size, so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out! You could try experimenting by basing the time off of one of our baked mini cheesecake recipes, but make sure to keep an eye on them while they bake. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Update…I made 24 mini cheesecakes with this recipe and even though I used the full crust recipe, I could have cut the batter recipe in half (just means though I have frozen batter for future use!!). In regards to time and temp, I put them in for 15 min at 300° and they turned out perfect!!
Yay!! Wonderful, so happy they turned out perfectly 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to comment back and let us know!
Excellent recipe! We had 5-6 ounces of pumpkin leftover raw from another pie. (I was hoping for more, but it was a small pumpkin.) I know I could have used canned, but also knew that many of our eaters would prefer the gluten- and sugar-free desserts (so-called!). So I divided everything by 3 and calculated a corresponding size for a springform pan (as 5-6 inches). We have a 7-inch, and that allowed a depth of about 1 1/4 inches. Then, I found our graham crackers for an alternate crust were chocolate! And the local resort-town grocery was out of heavy cream!
But it all turned out well! The flavors were a good match; it even won over one of the gluten-free fans. Photos on Instagram.
I ran out of crust before I ran out of pan, but I took Stephanie’s suggestion (in the comments) and baked the extra batter in a couple of ramekins so we could snack before Thanksgiving.
Now, of course, I want to bake this again properly and with a better cookie crust and real whipped cream. If the recipe could stand up to my abuse of it, think how it will do when I do it right!
Perfect! I’m so happy to hear this recipe worked well, even after the changes 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment!
This is the perfect recipe for if you want to make something really easy but still impress EVERYONE. I made it for Thanksgiving and my whole family was absolutely astonished that I made a cheesecake. Little did they know, it was insanely easy! The presentation was gorgeous and it tasted absolutely amazing. So creamy and perfectly pumpkin-y and spiced. I’ve made a lot of HTH recipes and they’ve all been wonderful but this has been the best. Thank you, Tessa!!!
Wonderful! We definitely love easy recipes during the holidays, so happy to hear this was such a hit with your family! 🙂
Hi! It doesn’t say in the instructions but I’m assuming we add the ginger in at the same time with all the other spices, correct?
Sorry about that! Just updated the recipe, yes, you are correct!
Made this as a test for Thanksgiving and the flavors were delicious! One question – when I cut out a piece, it didn’t hold its form very well. The tip of the piece didn’t come out with the slice and when I forked into the slice, it just kind of all collapsed. Does this mean I likely took it out too soon?
Hi Jaimie! That does sound like your cheesecake didn’t fully set. While you definitely don’t want to overbake your cheesecake, the edges shouldn’t move at all when slightly shaking your pan in the oven to check for doneness, but the very center should be the consistency of Jello, just slightly wiggly. You can also check the internal temperature if you’ve got a thermometer, and it should be between 140°F-150°F. How long was your cheesecake in the fridge for?
Hey Emily! Thanks for the response! I left it in the fridge overnight. It was *pretty* jiggly when I pulled I pulled it from the oven…I was so concerned about over baking that I did the opposite!
I completely understand, I’ve actually done the opposite and overbaked quite a few cheesecakes myself because I was worried they weren’t done! As long as you leave your cheesecake in just a bit longer or follow the internal temperature listed, your next attempt should go perfectly. Let me know!
How long is the whipped cream good once made? Should I wait a few hours before serving or even closer to serving?
Hi Breanna! Feel free to top the pie with whipped cream the morning of when you plan to eat the cheesecake. After about a day, the whipped cream will start to deflate and weep onto the surface of the cheesecake. Still tasty but maybe not so pretty 🙂 Let us know what you think of this recipe!
I want to make a gluten-free version of this cheesecake. Will 2 TB of gluten-free flour give me the same results or do you have another suggestion for substituting the AP flour?
Hi Jamie! We don’t bake gluten free, so I can’t say for sure! Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
If made on a Monday night, would it be good on Thursday night? And would you leave it uncovered that whole time in the fridge?
Hi Andrea! I wouldn’t recommend making this too far in advance as the crust will get mushy the longer it’s in the fridge. 3 days max, but for the best tasting experience, I’d suggest eating within 1-2 days. And you do want to cover your cheesecake as air tightly as possible so not only does it not dry out, but covering it will also block other odors from being absorbed. I hope that helps, please let us know what you think!
I have pumpkin pie spice but not all the spices listed. Can I use that instead and if so, how much?
Hi Kathleen! We haven’t tried that, so I can’t say for sure! Your bet bet is to substitute in an equal amount of pumpkin spice for the individual spices, then add more to taste. Keep in mind that the end result won’t taste quite the same though as pumpkin pie spice is only about half cinnamon. Please let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
This looks so good. I usually use ginger snap cookies for my crust with pumpkin cheesecake. I can’t wait to try Biscoff cookies for a change. Thank you.
Feel free to use either 🙂 Let us know what you think!
This is the BEST cheesecake I’ve ever had!! My springform pan wasn’t big enough so I baked the extra batter in a casserole dish and used it as Graham cracker dip! The instructions for this are so easy to follow and the cake is fabulous!! My son said this is his new favorite and wanted the recipe, My husband said I had to make this again. Everybody loved it!!
I would give it 10 stars if possible!
Thank you for the recipe and the tips. Mine didn’t crack!
I’m drooling, what a fantastic idea with the extra batter! So so happy your family loved this recipe and that your cheesecake didn’t crack! Thanks for the rave review 🙂
Thanks! Sorry for the partial anonymity, it was not inteded. I'm Efthimia Despotaki and I'm from Greece. Happy Hollidays!
Bedroom Talk- Water baths are very easy to work with! You just have to have a pan big enough for one 😉
I agree about Ikea! We just bought a coffee table and a bookshelf for super cheap so thanks for the suggestions ladies!
Ευθυμία Δεσποτάκη- I believe once stick of butter is 115 grams. Yes you can use creme fresh instead!
Cheesecake and pumpkin are naturals together so this had to be gooc.
Questions from over seas:
1) One stick of butter is 50 grams?
2)Can I use creme fresh instead of sour cream?
This looks delicious. Love cheese cake and pumpkin. together – perfect
Good luck with the move and the decor… I second the idea to look at IKEA for design on a budget. It's one of my favorites! I look forward to seeing/reading all about it!
Also, your cheesecake looks divine. Yum!
This looks amazing but I've never used a waterbath, is hard to work with? I'm kinda nervous.
As for the decor obviously IKEA is the best if you're on a budget but try places like HomeGoods they have designer styles for home items for gnarly cheap prices! Good Luck with the search! Can't wait for pix 🙂
It's the best cheesecake on the planet.
-boyfriend