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Pumpkin Cheesecake

By Manali Singh

Oct 31, 2014, Updated May 07, 2023

Rich, creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with pecan praline sauce. Best Thanksgiving dessert ever!

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Happy Halloween everyone!

To celebrate this special day, I am sharing with you the recipe for the most incredible Pumpkin dessert – Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce. OH. MY. GOD. It’s so GOOD! Like I can’t even begin to describe how delicious this was. I don’t know what took me so long to make this, I should have made this before because now I know this is my favorite pumpkin dessert ever, like EVER!

Cheesecakes are delicious and I fell in love with them when I had one at the Cheesecake Factory 3 years ago. The only flip side was that they were so delicious that I wanted to eat all of it but at the same time they were so rich and heavy that even if I wanted I couldn’t even finish a single slice. Cheesecakes are seriously so creamy and rich especially the ones from Cheesecake factory and if you like those you will love this big pumpkin cheesecake.

And you know what’s the best part about this pumpkin cheesecake? It’s the pecan praline sauce which just takes it to another level! The sauce is so delicious and at the same time ridiculously simple to make. I just throw everything in together and cook the sauce till it’s slightly thick. This is such a wonderful sauce for not only this cheesecake but for other desserts as well.

One problem with cheesecakes is that they crack and people often recommend to bake them using a water bath. I didn’t do that in stead after the cheesecake was baked I kept it in the oven [with the oven switched off and door open slightly] and let it sit inside for another 1 to 1.5 hours. This way the cheesecake cools down slowly and this lowers the chances of it developing a crack. You can try using a water bath too. And even if your cheesecake does have a slight cake it is totally fine, this sauce is going to cover it anyway!

Wow your friends and family and make this Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce for Thanksgiving this year. They will be definitely impressed!

Method

Make the crust

Take whole graham crackers in a ziplock bag. Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.

Smack the crackers using a rolling pin till it’s all crumb.

Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add brown sugar and cinnamon to it.

* You can do this using a food processor too. I just find this way easier.

Add melted butter to the crumbs.

Mix everything together till well combined.

Transfer the crumbs to a 9 inch springform pan and press evenly across bottom of the pan. You can use the bottom of your measuring cup to press the crumbs. When done bake the crust at 350 F degrees for 7-8 minutes. Set aside till you make the filling.

Make the cheesecake filling

In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer beat softened cream cheese till it’s completely smooth. Beat it for good 4-5 minutes on medium speed. There should not be any lumps.

Add in the eggs, one at a time mixing well after each addition.

Add the sugar and mix for 2-3 minutes till well combined.

Add in the pumpkin puree, all purpose flour, heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon powder. Also add in the vanilla.

Mix till the filling is smooth and creamy, around 2 minutes.

Pour filling over pre-baked crust. Apply aluminium foil around the springform pan to prevent any leakage [just in case!]. Bake at 350 F degrees for 60-65 minutes, the cheesecake should still be jiggly. You don’t have to overbake. Switch off and open the door of the oven slightly and let the cake cool down inside the oven for another 1 hour.

Take out of the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature. Cover loosely and chill for at least 4-5 hours or preferably overnight. You don’t want to cut the cheesecake right away.

Make the pecan praline sauce

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Roast roughly chopped pecans for 7-8 minutes in a 350 F degree pre-heated oven.

In a saucepan on medium heat, mix together heavy cream, butter, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Keep stirring till the mixture is all smooth and comes to a boil.

Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes till it becomes slightly thick.

Let the sauce cool down a bit and then add the toasted pecans into it.

 Serve the cheesecake

Take out the chilled pumpkin cheesecake from the refrigerator and spread the pecan praline sauce on top.

Decorate with whipped cream and serve.

* You can either make your own whipped cream at home or use store bought.

* Do not try to eat the cheesecake when it’s out of the oven. It firms up as it chills so it’s much easier to serve it once it’s nicely chilled. It will be jiggly but will firm up with time.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Praline Sauce

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By Manali Singh

Servings: 8

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Rich, creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with pecan praline sauce. Best Thanksgiving dessert ever!

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

Pumpkin Cheesecake

• ▢ 3 X 8oz cream cheese softened
• ▢ 1.5 cups granulated white sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons heavy cream
• ▢ 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
• ▢ 15 oz can pumpkin puree
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ▢ 3 eggs at room temperature

For the Crust

• ▢ 1.5 cups graham cracker crumbs[from around 12 graham crackers]
• ▢ 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• ▢ ½ teaspoon cinnamon powder
• ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar

Pecan Praline Sauce

• ▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter [1.5 sticks butter]
• ▢ ⅔ cup heavy cream
• ▢ ¾ cup brown sugar
• ▢ ¾ cup toasted pecans chopped + more to garnish
• ▢ pinch of salt

Whipped cream, to serve

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Instructions 

Make the crust

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Take whole graham crackers in a ziplock bag.
• Smack the crackers using a rolling pin till it's all crumb.
• Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter to it. Mix everything together till well combined.
• Transfer the crumbs to a 9 inch springform pan and press evenly across bottom of the pan. Bake the crust at 350 F degrees for 7-8 minutes. Set aside while you make the filling.

Make the cheesecake filling

• In the steel bowl of your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment or using your hand mixer beat softened cream cheese till it's completely smooth, for 4-5 minutes on medium speed.
• Add in the eggs, one at a time and mixing well after each addition.
• Add the sugar and mix for 2-3 minutes till well combined.
• Add in the pumpkin puree, all purpose flour, heavy cream, pumpkin pie spice and cinnamon powder. Also add in the vanilla.
• Mix till the filling is smooth and creamy, around 2 minutes.
• Pour filling over the pre-baked crust.
• Bake at 350 F degrees for 60-65 minutes, the cheesecake should still be jiggly.
• Switch off and open the oven door slightly and let the cake sit in the oven for another 1 hour.
• Take out of the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature.
• Cover loosely and chill the cheesecake for at least 4-5 hours or preferably overnight.

Make the Pecan Praline Sauce

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees.
• Roast roughly chopped pecans for 7-8 minutes in a 350 F degree pre-heated oven or till fragrant. Set aside.
• In a saucepan on medium heat, mix together heavy cream, butter, brown sugar and pinch of salt. Keep stirring till the mixture is all smooth and comes to a boil.
• Lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for 4-5 minutes till it becomes slightly thick.
• Let the sauce cool down a bit and then add the toasted pecans into it.
• Pour sauce over chilled cheesecake.
• Decorate with whipped cream and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 726kcal, Carbohydrates: 81g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 44g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Cholesterol: 161mg, Sodium: 158mg, Potassium: 247mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 65g, Vitamin A: 9485IU, Vitamin C: 2.5mg, Calcium: 87mg, Iron: 2.3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Dessert

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Pumpkin Cheesecake