Pumpkin Cheesecake
This pumpkin cheesecake is easy to make and would be the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table. Try it with my own ‘pumpkin pie spice’ blend. Serves 8.
INGREDIENTS
Crust:
11⁄4 cup graham crackers, crushed
5 Tbsp butter, melted (sub ghee or vegan butter)
3 Tbsp granulated sugar (sub coconut sugar)
1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
Pumpkin Pie Spice:
1⁄4 cup cinnamon
1 Tbsp all spice
4 tsp ground ginger
4 tsp ground nutmeg
Filling:
1 (15oz) can organic pumpkin
3 (8oz) blocks cream cheese, room temperature (sub vegan cream cheese)
4 eggs, at room temperature
11⁄4 cup packed brown sugar (sub brown coconut sugar)
1⁄4 cup sour cream (sub plain coconut yogurt)
1 Tbsp vanilla
2 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1⁄4 tsp kosher salt
2 Tbsp flour (sub almond flour)
PROCESS
Preheat your oven to 350o. Combine the crushed graham crackers, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until it looks like wet sand. Firmly press the mixture into a 9” springform pan.
Bake the curst for 7 minutes then remove and set aside to cool.
In a stand mixer combine the cream cheese and sugar and mix on low until softened about 30 seconds.
Turn off the mixer. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and kosher salt using a whisk.
Add 2 Tbsp of flour and mix in well. With the mixer on low, slowly add the pumpkin mixture to the cream cheese until combined. Tap the bowl gently on the counter about 20 times to release any air bubbles.
Carefully pour this mixture over your cooled crust in the springform pan.
Tap the springform pan on the counter about 20 times to remove excess air bubbles (this is what causes the top to crack).
Bake for 1 hour on the middle rack. Then turn off the heat and crack the door. Allow the cheesecake to cool for another 45 minutes inside the oven.
I like my cheesecake room temperature, so I give it some time to hit the fridge or hang out a bit before serving.