This makes a great Thanksgiving dessert!
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup (4 Tablespoons; 60g) unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
CHEESECAKE
four 8-ounce blocks (904g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 and 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup (227g) pumpkin puree
1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 and 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
optional topping suggestions: salted caramel and whipped cream
Instructions
1) Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Make the crust: Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers into crumbs. Pour into a medium bowl and stir in cinnamon, sugar, and melted butter until combined. (You can also pulse it all together in the food processor.) Mixture will be sandy. Press firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack the crust down tightly. Pre-bake for 10 minutes. Allow crust to slightly cool as you prepare the filling.
3) Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla extract, then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the final egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. To help prevent the cheesecake from deflating and cracking as it cools, avoid over-mixing the batter as best you can.
4) Scoop out 2 cups of batter and place in a medium mixing bowl. Stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice until combined. Begin adding spoonfuls of each batter, the plain and the pumpkin, on top of the crust. Alternate until all the batter is used and pan is filled. Using a toothpick or knife, swirl the batters together by dragging the toothpick top to bottom, then left to right.
5) Bake cheesecake for 55-70 minutes or until the center is almost set. When it’s done, the center of the cheesecake will slightly wobble if you gently shake the pan. Turn the oven off and open the oven door slightly. Let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 1 hour as it cools down. Remove cheesecake from the oven and allow to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight.
6) Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Add toppings, if desired. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving.
Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.