This No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake is absolutely the BEST ever! It tastes like a cross between pumpkin pie and a creamy cheesecake. Super delicious, perfectly spiced and SO easy!
Happy Unofficial Pie Week, everyone!
It’s unofficial because I suck at planning anything other than waking up in the mornings nowadays, and because I have a ton of pie and pie-related recipes to share with you before Thanksgiving! But Hayley, you say, Thanksgiving is still a month away! Yes, Brenda, I’m aware! However, I want the recipes to be ready for YOU when YOU are ready to make them! That’s how Pinterest works, btw. Look at you with your newfound blogger knowledge! ?
Anyhoo, I figured we should start a Thanksgiving Pie Week kinda thing early so you have plenty of time to plan your menu, test the recipe if you so choose and of course, swoon.
So we’re kicking things off after yesterday’s pie crust taste test with this seriously scrumptious No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake!
This thing is SERIOUS business, y’all. It is SUPER pumpkin-y and reminds me in texture and taste of a pumpkin pie that was cross-bred with a creamy cheesecake. It’s light and fluffy but still creamy and rich, with plenty of pumpkin spice flavor on top of a gingersnap crust. If you love pumpkin, you’re going to swoon over this recipe, trust me!
I love no-bake cheesecakes because I find them easier and less finicky to make than a traditional cheesecake. I mean, any dessert I have to draw a LITERAL BATH for is a little too high maintenance for lil ol me. I mean, seriously, do you need cucumbers over your eyes and spa music rigged to the interior of the oven? What am I, a day spa now? Not only that, but traditional cheesecake can be such a little persnickety brat that you can pamper and spoil it all you want and it may still turn out with a giant crack in the center. I don’t have time for games, people.
No-bake cheesecakes taste just like traditional cheesecake but tend to have a lighter and fluffier texture while still retaining plenty of creaminess and that signature tang of a classic cheesecake. And with the holidays coming up, you need allllll the shortcuts, time savers and oven space you can possibly afford, so having the ability to create a show-stopping cheesecake ahead of time and save your precious oven square footage is clutch.
Now who is ready and willing to face plant this No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake?!
Best Ever No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
This Pumpkin Cheesecake has earned its reputation for being the BEST! It’s super easy to make, entirely no-bake, tastes like a cross between a pumpkin pie and a classic cheesecake and is a total show-stopper!
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 2½ cups (One box) gingersnap cookies finely crushed into crumbs
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar lightly packed
- 10 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
For the Cheesecake:
- 24 ounces (3 packages) full-fat cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated white sugar
- 15 ounces (1 can) 100% pure pumpkin puree do NOT use pumpkin pie filling
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice See Note for individual spice amounts
- 1¼ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- Fresh whipped cream and pumpkin candies for garnish, optional
Instructions
Lightly grease a 9″ or 10″ round springform pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, the brown sugar and melted butter and stir until crumbs are moistened. Pour the moistened crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan and pat in an even layer for your crust. Freeze for 20 minutes while you prepare the filling.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Mixture should be smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the pumpkin puree, vanilla and spices and beat until combined. Set aside.
In another medium bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar together on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5-7 minutes. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture gently until fully combined and no whipped cream streaks remain.
Pour the pumpkin filling into the crust and smooth out the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 6 hours or overnight (preferable). Just before serving, garnish with more fresh whipped cream and pumpkin candies.
Notes
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp ground cloves
Cool, creamy, addictively smooth and richly pumpkiny! You’re going to LOVE this one!
Have a super sweet day!
xo, Hayley
