No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 1 mins

Chill: 4 hrs

Total: 4 hrs 16 mins

Servings: 12 slices

Yield: 12 slices

This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is the easy dessert that will take center stage at your next holiday gathering. The recipe is effortless, but it cuts like a dream and can be topped with a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of salted caramel, or a dusting of pumpkin pie spice. When dessert is done in advance, it gives you the opportunity to spend more time around the table enjoying your company.

Ingredients

Crust:

1 1/2 cups crushed graham cracker
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese
15 ounces pumpkin puree
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Optional Toppings:

2 tbsp whipped cream
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Spoon into a 9-inch springform pan and pat into an even layer across the bottom. Place in the refrigerator to set while making the filling.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add pumpkin puree and beat until no lumps remain.
Mix in the powdered sugar, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla extract, and salt. Beat again until incorporated and no lumps remain.
In a separate large mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks.
Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin and cream cheese mixture until just combined and no white streaks remain.
Pour the filling over the crust and smooth the top.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours and up to overnight.
When ready to serve, run a knife along the inside of the springform pan and release the ring. Slice and serve with additional whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice, if desired.

Tips

It is important to beat the pumpkin puree into the cream cheese until no lumps remain. Otherwise the cheesecake won't have a smooth, even colored look when slicing and serving.

Variations

This recipe calls for crushed graham crackers for the crust, but crushed gingersnap cookies or vanilla wafer cookies would also taste great.

Instead of topping with whipped cream, try a drizzle of warm salted caramel.

Storage

The cheesecake can be covered and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze the whole cheesecake or leftover slices, wrap the cheesecake well in a layer of plastic wrap, and then a layer of tin foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge before serving.

How do you stiffen a no-bake cheesecake?

No-bake cheesecakes are unique because there aren't any eggs to bind the filling together. Sometimes people worry that their cheesecake won't set if the filling seems runny. Other times there is concern if the cheesecake is not firm and seems softer than it should. The key to a no bake cheesecake is softening the cream cheese enough to allow it to seamlessly incorporate with the other ingredients, but then giving it enough time in the refrigerator to stiffen enough to slice. Overnight is best.

Is baked cheesecake better than no-bake?

A baked cheesecake versus no-bake cheesecake is simply a matter of preference. Baked cheesecakes typically incorporate eggs and are denser than no-bake cheesecakes. However, no-bake cheesecakes are easier to make and there's no worry about the top cracking.

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories	347
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 26g	34%
Saturated Fat 16g	78%
Cholesterol 74mg	25%
Sodium 219mg	10%
Total Carbohydrate 25g	9%
Dietary Fiber 1g	5%
Total Sugars 17g
Protein 4g
Vitamin C 2mg	9%
Calcium 73mg	6%
Iron 1mg	6%
Potassium 166mg	4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.