Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
This Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie is a combination of a classic pumpkin pie with silky creaminess of a cheesecake. This easy dessert is perfect to serve at holiday dinners or just because you feel like having a pumpkin treat. It’s a classic Pumpkin Pie taken to the next level!
If you need more pies, try my Caramel Apple Pie and a Sweet Potato Pie.
Table of Contents
It’s time for me to re-introduce you to our family favorite pie recipe. When I say “family favorite,” I truly mean it. We all love desserts, especially holiday pies, but this Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie is something special to us.
No matter how much turkey and mashed potatoes we stuff ourselves with on Thanksgiving dinner, we make sure to still have room for this pie. If we didn’t have much room left…well then we wait!
There have been a couple of years where I made a fancy pumpkin cheesecake or another dessert for our holiday dinner and the first thing that everyone mumbled was, “what? No Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie?”I’ve actually been told that I can make any other dessert my heart desires as long as I ALSO make this pie. It’s a good thing that this pie is so easy to whip up.
Easy few minutes of beating the ingredients in a bowl, followed by about 45 minutes of baking, and then cool and chill. Simple steps for a luscious pumpkin dessert.
You will love the soft and smooth texture and creamy pumpkin flavor of this pie. Serve it with some whipped cream and cinnamon on top or even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin Puree – you can use your favorite store-bought or homemade pumpkin puree. When getting store-bought, make sure to get pumpkin puree NOT pumpkin pie mix!
Heavy whipping cream – Heavy whipping cream will give you a creamy rich consistency. I do NOT recommend substituting it with anything that has less fat.
Spices – here is where you add the fall flavor to the pie. Use the pumpkin pie spice mix and cinnamon. Pumpkin pie spice usually contains a combination of like ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground allspice, and ground nutmeg.
Cream cheese – for the best results, make sure to use full fat cream cheese.
Pie crust – This is another ingredient that you can choose homemade or store-bought. I do choose store-bought pie crust quite often to save time. If getting a frozen pie shell, make sure to get deep dish pie shell! You can also use refrigerated gluten free pie crust when needed. Pie crust filling is already gluten free!
PRO TIP: note that you can also use pre-made refrigerated pie crust and your own pie baking dish. Make sure to use a deep pie dish to make this pie.
See the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients and instructions.
How To Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Preheat the oven to 350°.
Pumpkin filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until it’s light and fluffy. Beat in one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
Add pumpkin puree and dry spices, beat until well blended. Pour in heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat well, until everything is smooth and blended.
PRO TIP: Place pie shell on the baking sheet. This will make it easier to place the pie in the oven and take it out.
Baking: Pour filling into the pie shell and make sure it’s spread evenly. (Don’t overfill the pie shell. There will be a little bit of pie filling left over.) Bake for 40-45 minutes (it will be a little jiggly in the middle but set at edges. You can see it in the demo video above.).
Cool and chill: Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let pie sit in the oven for about 10 minutes before taking it out. Let the pie sit on the counter for about an hour to cool down. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.
Recipe FAQs
Personally, I don’t worry about blind baking the crust in a pumpkin pie. The crust here cooks the same amount of time and the filling so they will be good. Note that the crust will be soft but it should not be under-baked.
Some people do not like the pie crust to be soft and if you do prefer a crispier, flaky crust, then you will want to blind bake it. (You can see my instructions to blind-bake the homemade or refrigerated crust in our Sweet Potato Pie recipe.)
Yes, this is the only way. Just KIDDING! Absolutely not. I use store-bought crust for the ease of it. If you want to make your own homemade pie crust, here is a wonderful recipe that I personally use.
For Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner, or any other special even, I like to make homemade crust. Anytime we just feel like having pumpkin cheesecake pie for dinner, I take out a quick, frozen pie shell or a refrigerated pie crust. Just make sure the store-bought one is a deep dish.
So the reason pumpkin pie, sweet potato pie, and similar pies crack is due to overbaking. Try to stick to the recommended bake time but also keep an eye on your pie. (Turn on the oven light rather than opening the oven door when possible.) The top of the pie should be slightly jiggly while the outside edges are set. Don’t worry about the slight giggle in the center, it will set.
Tips For Making This Pie
- Make sure not to overfill your pie shell. When using a store-bought deep-dish pie crust, you will have just a little bit of pie filling leftover. Don’t try to squeeze every last drop of pie mixture into the shell because it might overflow as it bakes. This pie filling raises as it bakes, so if it’s overfilled, it will overflow. There will not be much batter leftover, only about 1/2-1/4 cup. (The same applies for the homemade crust because some pie dishes can slightly vary in size.)
- Place filled pie shell on a baking sheet while baking. This will make it easier to place it in the oven and take it out. (This is not needed is you made your own pie crust in a ceramic/glass pie dish.)
- After 40-45 minutes of baking, open the oven door halfway and turn off the oven. Leave the pie in the oven for about 10 minutes before taking it out. This will help with the pie possibly cracking. (Although, if it does crack, don’t stress! It can easily be covered with some whipped cream when served.)
- Cool pie to room temperature and chill in the refrigerator before servings.
- Serve cold with some whipped cream or a side of ice cream.
Storing Instructions
Best way to store this pumpkin cheesecake pie is in the refrigerator. Make sure to cool the pie completely and cover it air-tight with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Properly stored, it will last up to 4 days in the refrigerator.
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Ingredients
- 1 Deep dish pie shell*
- 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tbsp pumpkin pie spice mix
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes, until it’s light and fluffy.
- Add pumpkin puree and dry spices, beat until well blended.
- Beat in one egg at a time, beating after each addition.
- Pour in heavy cream and vanilla. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl and beat well.
- Place pie shell on the baking sheet. (This will make it easier to place the pie in the oven and take it out.)
- Pour filling into the pie shell and make sure it's spread evenly. (Don't overfill the pie shell. There will be a little bit of pie filling left over.)
- Bake for 40-45 minutes (it will be a little jiggly in the middle but set at edges).
- Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let pie sit in the oven for about 10 minutes before taking it out.
- Cool pie to room temperature and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
- Serve it cold. You can serve it with some whipped cream and a side of vanilla ice cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles October 1, 2011!
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Categories:
Cheesecake Recipes, Christmas Baking Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Fall Recipes, Most Popular Recipes, Pie Recipes, Pumpkin Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
Followed directions but was on the loose side.. almost like pudding.
This was my best cheesecake, yet. I used 1/2 cup of honey instead of 1 cup of sugar(s). I forgot the vanilla. Next time I’ll try maple syrup. I still had about 1/2 cup leftover that would not fit in the pan. So, I might use 1/2 cup less of something else, I just don’t know what. I would par bake the shell next time. I cooked it at 350 for 40 minutes and it didn’t set. I tried 20 minutes more and it didn’t set. I bumped the temp up 400 and gave it 10 minutes more. Perfect. Probably just the oven I used.
The beauty of using honey instead of sugar and brown sugar is… you don’t get fat eating it. The majority of the pie is protein. Replace the man made sugars with honey or maple syrup and don’t add a sugary topping and you can actually eat this and not put on any weight. Try it.
Can I make this 4 days in advance and cover and refrigerate?
That is pushing it I would go with 3 days in advance if you are not going to have leftovers.
Have you ever tried this recipe using a cookie crust instead? Was thinking about gingersnap crust, but wasn’t sure if it would hold up to 45 minutes in the oven without burning…
I Liza, I haven’t tried that so I am not sure how that would taste but let me know if you experment how it turns out!
Do you need to cook the pie shell before filling it?
You can if you like but I never do.
Simple and delicious
Thanks, Tabitha!
You show the ingredients but not measurements
Can this be made ahead and frozen?
Hi Martha,
Yes this can be made ahead and frozen. Here is a link to my Vanilla Bean Cheesecake I go over in detail on how to freeze and defrost cheesecake. https://gesundheitsreport2.org/vanilla-bean-cheesecake/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The filling was absolutely delicious. Very creamy but I also did not get a cooked crust…maybe I should have left it in a bit longer or moved the rack lower. I also put the pie pan on a sheetpan.. Wonder if that had anything to do with it? It’s a keeper though. Very easy also
Very tasty but like another commenter mentioned, took much longer than 45 minutes. I left it in for about an extra 15, and it was still I think underdone in the center. My pie crust was near raw somehow though, so maybe I needed to move it lower or blind bake it. Can’t say I’m super upset about it though, as I ended up scraping out the filling and mixing it with vanilla ice cream instead and it was delicious. I’d try this again but I think I’d actually prefer graham cracker or Oreo crust instead.
I don’t have time to refrigerate it maybe a he to will it still be OK?
I am making your pumpkin-cheesecake pie and using a frozen store-bought crust. Should the crust be pre-baked before adding the filling or should I simply put the filling in the frozen pie crust and bake it? Does the pie crust need to be thawed before filling? I don’t normally make pies, so I am confused but this looks so good I want to try it. Thanks!
I hope I am not too late in answering your question. Yes, it does need to be thawed before using it.
We made your pie & it was ( AWESOME ) Thank you sooo much JACK & POLLY
Thank you for letting me know, Pauline! I am so glad you liked it!
So happy you both liked it! 🙂
This is absolutely delicious and easy. A keeper! I’m not a pumpkin pie person, but this has become my go-to, crowd-pleaser Thanksgiving dessert. I wouldn’t describe it as a cheesecake though. It is creamy and fluffy and delicious, but to me, not a true “cheesecake”, just a really really really good pumpkin pie. I use my own crust, baked longer than called for, and served at room temperature after refrigerating overnight. I highly recommend serving at room temperature. Pie crust does not taste good cold and the filling holds up just fine at room temperature. Thank you for this recipe. A chocolate pie with this consistency would be great!
Thank you for the compliment, Anne! I am so pleased that you like it!
We made two pies and yes we did try one ………………………..(AWESOME) Thank YOU!!!
Can I substitute heavy cream for can cocoa milk?
After watching the pumpkin pie video it adds more spices then you have in the written recipe. Why is this, so which one do I flow ?
Hi Kathy,
Thank you for reminding me that I need to remake the video for this recipe! The reason it appears there are more spices is because I didn’t have pumpkin pie spice and created my own blend. However, in the recipe card, I’ve simplified it by using pumpkin pie spice, which yields the exact same taste so you can just follow the written recipe.
can the pie shell be frozen before baking or do in defrost it?
Hi, you will want to defrost it first so it won’t be gooey and it will bake evenly.
This is a very tasty recipe. For whatever reason, it takes way longer than 40-45 min to bake… I wonder if it’s because of the high altitude I live in?
I made it for Thanksgiving and it was the best pumpkin pie I have ever had and that includes any cheesecake pumpkin pie I have made as well.
Wow, Thank you, Tracy! I love hearing that!
Pie came out beautifully! Used half and half instead of the heavy whipping cream.
In the video it appears that you add more spices then it says in the recipe. It looks like you add Ginger and maybe something else but I don’t see it in the recipe
Hi Tracy,
I use both cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice mix for this pie. I hope you like it!
I made this pie last year for Thanksgiving! my whole family loved it… even the non pumpkin pie lovers! It was absolutely delicious! I will be making this newly must have holiday desert again this year!
Awesome! I love hearing that! Thank you for stopping by to let me know. 🙂
I made this pie last year for Thanksgiving! my whole family loved it… even the non pumpkin pie lovers! It was absolutely delicious! I will be making this newly must have holiday desert again this year!
Definitely making this. I will make my own pie crust and pop it into the freezer than pour the batter in and bake it off!
If I use fresh pumpkin and swerve in place of sugar, will that bring down the cholesterol and fat content?
can you make this ahead of Thanksgiving and will still be good.
Just a quick question…first your recipe looks fantastic, the best one so far, my question is can there be a substitute for the heavy cream? I have a couple family members who can’t handle it so well, but I would love to make a pumpkin cheesecake this year. So thank you 😊
Hi Karen,
I’m sorry unfortunately you cant substute the cream in this recipe because the batter will be to thin and it wont set right.
I’m wondering if this can be made without a crust for gluten free? Would you use the same ingredients and cook the same time?
Hi Dee,
You don’t have to deny yourself the pie crust! There are lots of recipes for gluten-free pie crust you can use, they even sell it at some stores. I hope you enjoy it!
Yes! I make it in ramekins without crust. Nice for individual servings. I like it just as well that way as with a crust. Cook about 5 -10 minutes less than a whole pie.
Can you use Graham cracker crust and how?
Hi, Jo! Sorry for my late response I didn’t receive a notification of your question. Yes, you can make a graham cracker crust for it! Here is a link to my recipe for another cheesecake that I used Graham cracker crust for just follow those instructions.
https://gesundheitsreport2.org/eggnog-cheesecake/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Hi !my mom is 93 her cooking days are over , so I have taken over the responsibility I’ve been looking for things to make
I’m good at following directions, all I can say thankyou your recipe is great and easy and very tasty
Hi, Chuck! I am so glad you liked it! Happy Holidays to you and your mom! 🙂
Oh my gosh! The pumpkin cheesecake was amazing! It was creamy and delicious. Thank you so much!
PS. i followed the directions exactly, made it in a glass pie pan, baked for 45 mins, left in oven for 10 mins and cooled and put in fridge overnight, it came out perfect!
Made this pumpkin cheesecake pie for a work Thanksgiving feast and boy it was a big hit! Easy to make and everyone loved it! Much better than pumpkin pie, smooth and creamy, everyone was asking who made that pie?!?
Hi, Deborah! It makes me so happy that everyone likes it! Thank you for leaving a comment and letting me know! 🙂
Can I bake this in a glass 9×13? will there be enough filling? I want to make homemade graham cracker crust. Would the temperature and time be the same?
or would an 8×8 be better?
I’ve made pumpkin pies, and pumpkin cheesecakes, so was intrigued by this recipe that seemed to be a combination of both. Unfortunately it disappointed on both taste and texture. It wasn’t as silky smooth as the pumpkin pies I’ve made, nor as rich as the cheesecakes. I couldn’t see that the cream cheese added anything to the taste or texture. I followed the recipe exactly and my pie looked great, like the one pictured with the recipe. It just fell short on flavor and texture.
Bubbe, I am not sure why it didn’t turn out. 🙁 But it’s my family and friends favorite dessert! I’m sorry you were disappointed with it.
OMG! Tastes so goooooood!!! Thank you for the recipe!
after following your recipe I did everything baked for 45 mins and left in oven for extra 10 mins after it was turned off. Center seemed a little under baked.Not sure why.
Hi there, this pie looks delicious. Thanks for sharing. Question: i have a regular frozen pie shell, not deep dish. How much of filling should I make? Half of the recipe?
Thanks
Hi Angie! I’m sorry that I didn’t get back to you sooner. Half of the recipe won’t be quite enough. You can make as recipe instructs and fill your pie shell. Whatever is leftover, you can actually use a muffin pan to make little mini pies. You can use graham cracker crumbs mixed with some butter as crust (like on a cheesecake). Bake the mini cheesecake pies for 18-20 minutes and let them cool completely before taking out 🙂
I hope this helps!
Does this pie shell need to be par baked?? I don’t recall. Or just all at the same time?? I can’t seem to find your video. Ty.
Hi Heidi,
No, I do not par-bake it before hand.
I made this for Thanksgiving this year and it was a hit
I’m SO happy to hear that! Thank you 🙂
I made this for Thanksgiving, but completely forgot to add the brown and white sugar! The pie still was fantastic, and I’m going to keep making it without it!
Oh that’s awesome! And you can always sweetened it afterwards with a little caramel topping and whipped cream if you want 😉
Happy holidays!
Just made this and it’s chilling in the fridge – excited to see how it turns out when it cools! It smells amazing. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
I really hope everyone enjoyed it, Jen! 🙂
I just made this in a spring form pan and used a rolled up pre-made pie crust. It is really good and pretty easy to make. I whipped it with my electric whisk and it’s also really light!
That sounds great! I bet it help shape well too 🙂 I’m so happy you liked it, David!
Can this be made without heavy cream?
Hi Alyssa,
You can try to use the same amount of evaporated milk.
I’m not sure why you can’t use heavy cream, so I’m not sure what else I can suggest 🙂
Hi, I have pumpkin pie mix. how do suggest I adjust the recipe to use it, instead of pumpkin?
Hi Kristy!
Pumpkin pie mix already has some sugar and spice. I’ve never used it before but taste it to see if and how much more sugar and spice you’ll want to add to the pie batter.
I hope you enjoy it!
I don’t cook very well. We are having Thanksgiving at my husbands fire station this year and he loves pumpkin cheese cake. I made mine with the pumpkin in the can. I didn’t know the difference until after, when I was reading the comments. 😳🤦🏻♀️ Anyways, I can’t taste it till tomorrow but usually firefighters eat anything.
Don’t be shy either if you have extra desserts or too much food that isn’t getting eaten. Take it to your nearest station. Those men and women are working, most without seeing their loved ones. Happy Thanksgiving, I’m thankful I can spend it with my family.
Oh I completely agree, I’ve taken baked goods to our fire station several times. If I bake too much, my son and I just take it over there. (Plus he gets to sit in a read fire truck 😉 )
Happy holidays!!
This sounds very good. I was just wondering how far in advance could I make this to store in the fridge for Thanksgiving?
HI Elaine!
You can make it a day or two in advance 🙂
Happy Thanksgiving!
Can this pumpkin cheesecake be successfully frozen?
HI Mary!
I’ve never actually frozen this pie but you can try follow freezing instructions for freezing a cheesecake.
Here is what I found:
“To freeze, place the cooled cheesecake on a baking pan and freeze, uncovered, until firm. Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, wrap it in heavy duty aluminum foil and place in a freezer bag. Seal and return to freezer. It can be frozen for several months. Thaw the cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight.”
oh, i love pumpkin cheesecake pie! we’ll be making this for Thanksgiving!
I’m so happy to hear that! Happy holidays, April!
Too much sugar in this recipe… I would suggest cutting sugar bye one quarter
Hi Leigh!
That’s definitely a personal preference. I don’t like to have too much sugar in desserts either but I never found this cheesecake to be too sweet. But of course, you can cut sugar if like desserts to be just a little sweet.
Went to our 3 grocery stores unable to find pumpkin puree using just pumpkin hopefully it works.
Made it came out great just to let people know.
Oh, I’m sorry that I didn’t get back to you sooner!
I’m glad that you were able to find it, sometimes store have pumpkin puree in different places.
I also have a recipe to make your own pumpkin puree: https://gesundheitsreport2.org/all-about-pumpkin-and-homemade-pumpkin-puree/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> The only think about homemade vs store bought in the can is that the canned puree is a bit thicker than homemade.
I’m so happy you liked it!!
Bet this would be good with pumpkin spice creaer in place of the heavy cream…….
Absolutely! I would just may be do half creamer and half heavy cream or cut out some of the sugar. Creamer is usually already sweet so you might end up having too much sugar in the pie. So adjust it to your personal sweetness preference 🙂
Hi! This recipe sounds heavenly!! Question: do you pre-bake your deep dish shell? Also, is the shell you use frozen or fresh? if it’s frozen, what brand do you prefer? – Thanks!
Hi Brittany!
I’m so sorry for the late response! I do not pre-bake the crust. I use a frozen shell and just pour the pumpkin pie mixture into it and bake. I usually use the Pillbury one but it is the one that is most available.
I really hope you like it!!
I love to made an easy dessert after all that holiday cooking!
Hi, I love your recipes, I lost my sweet potatoe cheesecake pie recipes , just wondering can I follow this recipe exactly but use sweet potatoes or would I have to add some more ingredients?
I made these for a fall tea party. Adapted them a tiny bit to make them tiny. LOVED it! 🙂
Yum!! Such a prefect fall pie!
My husband loves pumpkin pie and loves cheesecake! Gotta try your combination!
Hey! I wanted to stop in and say that the whole family loved this pie last weekend and I love making it because it was SO easy! Thank you!
hi! Just wanted to let you know that we’ve made it this weekend! SO good!
What a great variation on a pumpkin pie!!
Oh wow this sounds heavenly. I will definitely be trying this out.
Love this pie! Just LOVE it and its so easy!
YUM!! Can’t wait to try these!
This sounds (and looks) so yummy!
I think this will be our regular holiday pie from now on!
You can’t go wrong with cream cheese and pumpkin!
goodness gracious this looks perfect! can’t wait to give it a try
Hi, Shannon! So Glad you liked it! It’s a family favorite in my house! 🙂
Ok, so what happened to our pie?? I remember something about last weekend! Anyway, I’m sure we will get to have some on Thanksgiving!