Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
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Can’t decide between classic cheesecake or pumpkin cheesecake this holiday season? Make this pumpkin swirl cheesecake instead! It’s the best of both, swirled together, and all inside a deliciously buttery graham cracker crust. Bonus? You don’t need a water-bath!
This recipe was originally shared in 2020, but has been updated with new images, a new baking method, as well as new tips + tricks.
Once Fall arrives, it’s always a mad dash to find the best desserts to bake come Thanksgiving. Apple pie, pumpkin pie, even spice cake are always holiday favorites…but what if there was an alternative to these holiday classics?
Every year, recipes like our layered pumpkin pie maple cheesecake bars quickly rise to the top. You all are always asking for new cheesecake recipes + fun desserts that aren’t just the same-old-same-old to make during Thanksgiving.
Now, we have created a new Fall classic with this pumpkin swirl cheesecake! It’s sweet, tangy, rich, extra creamy, and FULL of flavor. Plus, it’s baked cheesecake that doesn’t require a water bath. Can it get any better?!
How To Make This Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
We’re starting with a super simple 3 ingredient graham cracker crust. To add a little more flavor, we’re using brown sugar in the crust instead of the classic granulated sugar. It just adds that little bit of extra depth of flavor that granulated sugar doesn’t have.
To avoid any issues, we are actually going to par-bake our crust. We found during testing that, if the crust wasn’t partially baked before the cheesecake is added, the bottom of the crust became soggy. Just 10 minutes in the oven will prevent this!
If you’ve ever made our apple crumble cheesecake, the base cheesecake recipe will be very familiar to you! The two recipes use mostly the same ingredients and method, except this one adds pumpkin to half the batter and is swirled, not layered. The result? Pockets of luscious cheesecake paired with rich, creamy, extra pumpkin-y cheesecake.
Remember, use 100% pure pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling for this recipe.
How to swirl: Our trick to that perfect swirl is to drop spoonfuls (we used a large cookie scoop) of alternating batter — plain and pumpkin — until there is no more cheesecake remaining (your springform pan should be filled about ¾-⅞ full), then use a thin bladed knife or toothpick to swirl. Keep in mind when scooping/swirling that the plain cheesecake batter is much thinner than the pumpkin due to the density of the pumpkin puree! This will not affect the bake.
Aren’t I Supposed To Use A Water-Bath?
While cheesecakes DO typically need a water bath, we found that, with a little modification to our original recipe and bit of testing, we can bake this cheesecake without one! The best part? You don’t have to do anything. This recipe is ready to go!
Bake the cheesecake for 55 minutes, or until mostly set. Though, some readers have noted issues with cracking. If you’re worried about the cheesecake cracking, bake for 35-40 minutes and turn off the oven. Allow the cheesecake to cool with the oven. This should prevent any cracking, as long as the door to the oven stays closed during the cooling process.
6 Tips For The Perfect Cheesecake
- Make sure you’re using bricks of cream cheese, not cream cheese spread or low fat cream cheese.
- All of the cheesecake batter ingredients must be at room temperature! This helps the batter beat more smoothly, as well as combine quickly.
- Use a 9 inch springform pan or a 9 inch cake pan with removable bottom for easy demolding.
- Do not beat or over-mix cheesecake batter. The more air incorporated in the batter, the more likely your cheesecake will crack.
- To help prevent cracking. leave your cheesecake to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Cool completely at room temperature before refrigerating.
And hey, if your cheesecake does happen to crack, there’s nothing a bit of whipped cream and caramel sauce can’t hide/fix. 😉
More Pumpkin Recipes You’ll Love:
When you make this Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake, leave a comment down below! We love hearing from you and answering any questions you might have! Also, be sure to tag us on social media and hashtag it #BakersTable.
Happy baking!
x, Caylie
Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
- 7 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
Cheesecake
- 3 cups cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 6 Tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¾ cups pumpkin purée
Instructions
Crust
- Heat oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Place graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor. Process.
- Add brown sugar.
- Pulse a few times to combine.
- Add butter.
- Pulse until completely mixed.
- Press evenly on the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Set aside.
Cheesecake
- Heat oven to 325℉/165℃.
- With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese with sugar and salt until completely smooth, about 3 minutes.
- Add eggs and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add cream and vanilla.
- Mix thoroughly.
- Pour 1½ cups of the batter into a medium bowl.
- Add pumpkin.
- Whisk until mixed completely.
- Use a large cookie scoop to add batters alternately to pan.
- Swirl with a flat-bladed knife.
- Bake for 55 minutes, or until set.
- Let cheesecake cool on wire cooling rack until completely cooled, 1-2 hours.
- Cover and place in refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight.
Notes + Tips!
- Make Ahead/Storing Instructions: This cheesecake can be made the day before, as it naturally has to chill for a while before serving. Another way to make this cheesecake ahead of time is to freeze it. Cheesecake can be frozen up to 2 or 3 months. When ready to eat, place it in the refrigerator overnight to thaw before serving.
- Gluten-Free: This recipe can easily be made gluten-free by using gluten-free graham crackers for the crust. Keep in mind that 2 cups graham crackers = 16 full-size crackers.
- Pumpkin: I recommend canned pumpkin, not fresh pumpkin puree in this recipe. Do not use pumpkin pie filling!
- Why is Everything at Room Temperature? Be sure to bring all cold ingredients to room temperature (70℉/21℃.) before starting. Room temperature ingredients will combine quickly and much more evenly than cold. This way, you won’t risk over-mixing and less likely to have a chunky cheesecake batter!
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