Indulge in the rich, velvety goodness of Fat Daddio’s Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust—a true fall favorite. This decadent dessert features a smooth, New York-style pumpkin custard infused with aromatic spices like cinnamon and cloves, balanced beautifully by the bold, spiciness of a gingersnap crust. Hello Fall!
Bakeware options:
Crust Ingredients:
- 4 cups finely crushed gingersnaps (about 60 cookies)
- 8 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Pie Filling:
- 1 tbsp. grated ginger
- 1 lb. cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon*
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp. ground allspice*
- ⅛ tsp. ground cloves*
- ¾ cup fresh or canned pumpkin purée
- 2 eggs
*Subsequently, substitute 1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice for these three spices.
Directions:
- Heat oven to 325°. Mix gingersnaps and butter in a bowl; press crumbs into the bottom and halfway up the sides of a 10″ springform or tart pan. Bake until crust is just set, 8–10 minutes; let cool.
- Pass grated ginger through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on and discarding solids; set ginger extract aside.
- Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, cinnamon, salt, allspice, and cloves in a bowl until combined. Beat in reserved ginger extract and pumpkin until smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Pour filling into crust and smooth top with a rubber spatula. Bake until lightly browned on top and center of filling is just set, about 30 minutes. TIP: Place a pan, half filled with water on the bottom of the over while baking. This creates a moist environment for your cheesecake to bake evenly.
- Cool to room temperature; cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
