No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Published Oct. 18, 2023

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.
Total Time
35 minutes, plus at least 4 hours' chilling
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes, plus at least 4 hours' chilling
Rating
4(186)
Comments
Read comments

This no-bake cheesecake has a lot going for it: a buttery, lightly spiced cookie crust, fluffy pumpkin filling and a lofty spiced topping. Another draw: If you decide to make this for Thanksgiving, it won’t need any precious oven space — and can be prepared up to four days in advance. Feel free to substitute about 2 tablespoons of your favorite pumpkin spice blend for the spices in the cheesecake. The topping is optional, and you can also serve it on the side, instead of crowning the cheesecake. If you can’t find Biscoff cookies, use crunchy gingersnap cookie crumbs instead.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

    For the Crust

    • cups/225 grams Biscoff fine cookie crumbs (see Tip)
    • 1tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
    • Pinch fine salt
    • 6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, melted

    For the Filling

    • 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
    • 12ounces/340 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
    • 1cup/230 grams pumpkin purée
    • ¾cup/83 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy
    • 1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2teaspoons ground ginger
    • ½teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
    • ¼teaspoon ground allspice
    • Pinch fine salt

    For the Topping

    • 1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
    • 1tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
    • 2teaspoons ground cinnamon
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

420 calories; 34 grams fat; 19 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 18 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 226 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.

  2. Step 2

    Press the mixture very firmly and evenly into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

  3. Step 3

    Prepare the filling: Add 1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer and mix until the cream stands up straight but the very tip curls over when the whisk is lifted. Transfer the whipped cream to a medium bowl.

  4. Step 4

    Add the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, the ginger, nutmeg, allspice and a pinch salt to the bowl that you used to whip the cream and mix on medium, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture by gently scooping from the bottom and folding over the top, turning the bowl as you go, until combined.

  6. Step 6

    Spoon the filling into the prepared crust, then smooth the top.

  7. Step 7

    Refrigerate the cheesecake until completely cool, at least 4 hours, or overnight.

  8. Step 8

    Just before serving, prepare the topping: Whisk the remaining 1 cup cream, 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to soft peaks.

  9. Step 9

    Just before removing the outer ring of the springform pan, run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edge of the pan to help the crust release from the sides of the pan. Remove the ring and spread the cinnamon whipped cream over the chilled cheesecake.

  10. Step 10

    Slice with a warm, clean knife. This cheesecake keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (The filling may weep a bit as it sits.)

Tip
  • Make fine cookie crumbs by pulsing cookies in the food processor.

Ratings

4 out of 5
186 user ratings
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Comments

I prepared this with a gingersnap crust which worked well. I agree with the other reviewers that the filling is not sweet enough. It needs at least 1 full cup of confectioners sugar or even better, a bit of brown sugar. Despite having very soft cream cheese, I wound up with bits of cream cheese in the filling that would not fully incorporate. I resorted to straining the filling before folding in the whipped cream. I’d recommend beating the cream cheese with the sugar before adding the pumpkin.

I tried this with graham cracker crumbs instead of biscoff and the crust seemed a little dry and crumbly. I probably should have looked for a graham cracker crust recipe to use instead. After reading the previous comments, I was very liberal with the sugar and added about a quarter of a cup of maple syrup to the cheesecake mix. I also added about 1 tsp of vanilla. It was good! I will make this again with these tweaks.

Listened to comments saying it could be sweeter, so added an additional 1/4 cup of granulated sugar (and a splash of vanilla) and was really happy with the result. Used a different brand of speculaas cookies for the crust and will absolutely use that crust recipe again, got lots of compliments on it.

Agree that the filling was not sweet enough, and I felt that a different crust would have been better. I liked the crust, but there is a decent amount of spices in both the filling and topping, so together it was just overpowering for some of us. I would have also liked if the topping and filling were a little more texturally distinct.

Disaster! I was worried about the sweetness based on previous comments but the filling never set properly and I would up with a weird pumpkin spice pudding. Brought it to a thanksgiving potluck and suggested people use it as whip topping for other pies. 🙃

I read all the suggestions beforehand, adapted the recipe to our taste, and it was perfect! Our friends loved it and asked for seconds. For the filling I adjusted as follows: 1/2 cup pumpkin purée 1 cup confectioners’ sugar 1/4 cup dark brown sugar 1 teaspoon of ginger 1/2 teaspoon allspice For the crust I went with the typical graham cracker crust: 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted 5 oz graham crackers 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

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