Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Make the Crust

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and then coat with cooking spray.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the gingersnap crumbs, salt and melted butter. Mix until all crumbs are moistened. Press mixture into the bottom of the pan, pressing down hard with the back of a spoon. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.

Make the Cheesecake

1. In a large mixing bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the brown sugar, pumpkin puree, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice and mix until fully combined. Lastly, add the eggs, one at a time until fully combined and smooth.
3. Pour the cream cheese mixture over crust. Tap on your countertop for at least 1 minute to pull out any tiny air bubbles. Some springform pans aren't as snug as others, to make sure that no water leaks into the cake, you can wrap the bottom in aluminum foil.
4. Place springform pan into a large casserole dish or the bottom of a broiler pan. Around springform pan, fill 1/2 way with water. Cooking in a water bath will keep your cheesecake smooth, allow to bake flat and prevent cracking.
5. Bake the cheesecake for 45-60 minutes, or until the center has set and edges are a light brown. If edges start to brown before the center is set (not jiggly), loosely cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. When the center is set. Turn off the oven and slightly crack the oven door to allow the temperature to reduce slowly for 30 minutes..
6. Remove and allow to fully cool on a wire rack. While still in springform pan, refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours, but preferably overnight.
7. Carefully remove from the springform pan and remove the parchment paper. Depending on the pan, you might need to keep it on the metal pan base.

Make the Whipped Cream

1. Prepare the whipped cream by whipping cold, heavy whipping cream until it becomes thick and will stand on its own. Whip in the powdered sugar and pumpkin pie spice.
2. When ready to serve, top each piece with a generous helping of pumpkin pie spiced whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel sauce, if desired.
3. If you've tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.