Mmmm Scrumptious, creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe

Just in time for the holidays!

I'm not a big fan of pumpkin pie. I'm sure I'm one of the few that aren't. But a few years ago, I found an alternative that even I can get on board with! 

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

And lucky you, I'm sharing my recipe here! I had the opportunity to make four of these babies a couple weeks ago for my cousin's welcome home from his mission to Guatemala! Missionaries in the Mormon church are gone for 18 months (if they're girls) to 2 years (if they're boys). So Chase has been gone for awhile, and it wouldn't be his mom if she didn't give him one huge shindig of a welcome home party!

Now for the recipe :)

You will need one of these, it is a Springform pan

Ingredients for crust:

25 ginger snap cookies finely crushed (crushed with a can works best, like your can of pumpkin) will come to about 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup or 1/2 a stick of butter, melted

Combine ingredients for crust in a 9 or 10 inch springform pan (I've used anything from an 8 1/2 inch all the way up to a 10 inch, you just may have to adjust the cooking time depending on the size. More for smaller since it's thicker).

All crushed and I used the canned pumpkin to do it

I use the bottom of a glass to press

Ingredients for filling


4 pkgs (8 oz each) Cream Cheese, softened
1 cup of sugar divided (3/4 cup and 1/4 cup)
1 tsp vanilla
4 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Dash of ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the sugar, and vanilla with a mixer until well blended (I used my Kitchen Aid this time, but this is the first time I used it since we only got it for Christmas. So a hand mixer has always worked fine for me in the past). Add eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until barely blended in (do not mix too much here or you will not have the right consistency!).

Seriously, I'm in love with this mixer!!

Remove 1 1/2 cups of the batter you just made, place in small bowl and set aside for later. Stir remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, pumpkin and spices into remaining batter. 

Here's the separated batter

And then once the pumpkin and spices are mixed in

Spoon a guesstimated half of the pumpkin batter onto your crust, top with spoonfuls of half of the reserved plain batter. Repeat layers until all batter is used.

When all finished with your layers, use a butter knife to cut through batter in cross actions to create swirl effect.

This is how it should look before you place it in the oven

Bake 55 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool completely at room temperature (about 2 hours). Refrigerate at least 4 hours, but overnight is best. Serves around 16, keep leftovers in the fridge. 

This one turned out PERFECT! This was while it was cooling, before refrigeration

Hope you enjoy, and let me know how it goes if you make it!!