Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Recipe

Dig into my decadent pumpkin swirl cheesecake, made with pumpkin puree, gingersnap cookies, and a to-die-for salted caramel topping. 

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Recipe Name: Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake
• Ready In: 300 minutes
• Serves: 12 slices
• Main Ingredients: Crust, crushed gingersnaps, butter, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pinch salt, Filling, cream cheese
• Why You'll Love It: Dig into my decadent pumpkin swirl cheesecake, made with pumpkin puree, gingersnap cookies, and a to-die-for salted caramel topping. 

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Pumpkin swirl cheesecake

If pumpkin cheesecake has no fans, then I am dead. Pairing sweet and creamy pumpkin with warm spices and tart cream cheese – I dare you to find a better combination!

I’ve made my obsession known before with recipes like pumpkin pie cheesecake balls and lightened-up pumpkin cheesecake. But today, I’m sharing something brand new – my pumpkin swirl cheesecake recipe!

So, what makes this pumpkin cheesecake so special? 

Beyond the gorgeous pumpkin cream cheese swirl, the crust packs a little something special. AKA, it’s made from gingersnap cookies! Their ginger pairs perfectly with the pumpkin pie spice flavors.

Ingredients needed

This pumpkin cheesecake swirl recipe includes all your pumpkin baking classics, along with a couple of delicious extras. Here’s a little bit on everything you’ll need:

• Gingersnaps: Move over graham crackers – there’s a new crust in town! The base of this cheesecake is made from 1 ½ cups of gingersnap cookies. 
• Butter:  ¼ cup of melted butter gives our crust that yummy, crumbly texture. 
• Brown sugar: For extra sweetness, I add ¼ cup of brown sugar to my crust. 
• Pumpkin pie spice: 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice brings all of those traditional fall flavors to the forefront. I also use 1 tablespoon in the cheesecake batter.
• Salt: Just a pinch of salt enhances each ingredient!
• Cream cheese: Tangy cream cheese is a cheesecake staple. I use 32 oz in this recipe. 
• Eggs: You heard that right. 4 eggs help thicken the cheesecake batter, helping to give it that silky texture.
• White sugar: 1 cup balances out that cream cheese “tang.”
• Plain Greek yogurt: Adding ½ cup of 5% Greek yogurt is an easy way to lighten up this recipe.
• Vanilla: No baked good is complete without a bit of vanilla extract! This recipe uses just 2 teaspoon (but you can add a little extra if you’d like).
• Pumpkin puree: The star of this cheesecake is 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Bright, sweet, and creamy, it’s one of my top ingredients for both sweet and savory cooking. 
• Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon of cinnamon enhances the pumpkin pie flavors in this dish. 
• Whipped cream: I’ll never turn down a scoop of whipped cream. If you prefer a dairy-free alternative, coconut whipped cream is equally delish!
• Salted caramel topping: Finish your pumpkin swirl cheesecake with a drizzle of warmed salted caramel – you can thank me later.

Kitchen tools required

To make this pumpkin confection, you’ll need to gather a few common kitchen tools…

• Springform pan or 10” pie dish
• Parchment paper
• Cooking spray
• Food processor 
• 2 mixing bowls
• Hand mixer or whisk
• Tinfoil
• Toothpicks
• Kitchen knife 

You’ll also need a few measuring cups, including 1 cup, ½ cup, ¼ cup, 1 tbsp, and 1 tsp. 

How to make pumpkin swirl cheesecake

While this recipe is a bit time-intensive, it’s actually really easy to make. So, let’s get baking!

Baking the crust

Start your pumpkin cheesecake by preheating your oven to 350 F and prepping a springform pan with some non-stick cooking spray and parchment paper. 

Then, pop your gingersnaps into a food processor and blend until crumbs form. Add in melted butter, salt, and brown sugar to finish the crust, pulsing until everything has combined. 

Add your mixture to the prepared pan and compress into a crust. You can use your hand or the bottom of a glass for this step.

Bake the crust for 12 minutes, then remove to cool. At this point, reduce the oven heat to 325F. 

Preparing the filling

Now for the filling! Add cream cheese to a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer until it’s silky smooth. Continue mixing while adding in an egg at a time, then the sugar, Greek yogurt, and vanilla. 

Set aside two cups of this cheesecake batter in a separate bowl. To this, add pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice, mixing until smooth. 

Reinforce your springform pan with tin foil. Then, pour about ⅗ cup of the cheesecake filling onto the cooled crust. Top this with the same amount of pumpkin cheesecake batter, alternating layers until you’ve finished both batters.

Use a toothpick to create that gorgeous pumpkin cheesecake swirl.

Bake and serve

Baking (and cooling) this recipe is a bit of a process, so get ready!

Bake for 30 minutes in your preheated oven. Then, reduce the heat to 250F and bake for an additional 50 minutes. Finally, turn off the oven and let the cheesecake sit for 30 minutes. 

Crack the oven door for 1 hour, then remove the cheesecake and let it cool on the counter for an additional 2-3 hours.

Finish the cooling process in the refrigerator overnight, making sure to run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake beforehand. 

Lift your completed pumpkin swirl cheesecake from the pan and serve with whipped cream and warmed salted caramel topping. 

Recipe tips

Below are some common pumpkin swirl cheesecake questions. Don’t see the answer you’re looking for? Leave a comment at the bottom of this post!

Can I make this pumpkin swirl cheesecake dairy-free?

Making this recipe dairy-free requires a few substitutions, but it’s totally possible! To do so, you’ll want to swap the following for dairy-free alternatives:

• Butter
• Cream cheese
• Greek yogurt
• Whipped cream
• Salted caramel topping

Luckily, these dairy-free ingredients are all readily available in most major grocery stores. 

How should I serve this pumpkin swirl cheesecake recipe?

I recommend serving this recipe with fluffy whipped cream and salted caramel drizzle for extra deliciousness. That said, there are lots of delicious topping options for you to try! Some of my favorites include:

• Coconut whipped cream
• Chopped walnuts 
• Candied pecans
• Cinnamon dusting 
• Stewed apples 
• Chocolate shavings

Storing leftovers

Store any leftover pumpkin swirl cheesecake in an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. 

To prevent the cheesecake from drying out, you can also wrap the cheesecake in a bit of plastic wrap before storing it.

If you liked this recipe, you’ll want to try these!

Here are some of my favorite autumn-inspired desserts. Enjoy!

• Healthy Pecan Pie Bars
• Apple Crumble Cheesecake
• Healthy Pumpkin Cupcakes
• Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Healthy Apple Crisp

Recipe by Erin Morrissey and Photos by The Mindful Hapa

Erin Antoniak

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

5 from 7 votes

Dig into my decadent pumpkin swirl cheesecake, made with pumpkin puree, gingersnap cookies, and a to-die-for salted caramel topping. 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 5 hours hrs

Servings: 12 slices

Course: Dessert, fall, holiday

Cuisine: American

Calories: 476

Ingredients Method Nutrition

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x?

Crust

• 1.5 cups crushed gingersnaps
• ¼ cup butter melted (½ stick)
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• pinch salt

Filling

• 32 oz cream cheese softened
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup 5% plain greek yogurt
• 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Topping

• Whipped cream
• Salted Caramel Topping

Method

 

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a springform pan with non-stick spray and parchment paper. Alternatively use a 10 inch pie dish, but springform will be best for this cheesecake.
2. In a food processor, blend gingersnaps until you have crumbs. Once fine crumbs, add in melted butter, brown sugar, and salt. Pulse until well combined.
3. Pour into springform pan and press firmly down using the bottom of a glass or hand. Bake for 12 minutes at 350F and let cool completely. Reduce oven heat to 325F.
4. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in eggs one at a time and continuing mixing. Then add in sugar, greek yogurt, and vanilla and beat for several minutes until smooth.
5. Take two cups of cheesecake batter and pour into separate bowl. Add in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Mix together until smooth.
6. If your springform pan typically leaks, or just to be certain it doesn't, wrap the bottom and halfway up in several layers of foil before adding cheesecake filling.
7. Pour cheesecake filling into cooled crust by layering. Start with ¾ cup plain cheesecake batter, then add ¾ cup pumpkin cheesecake batter on top, and repeat until all batters are finished. Use a toothpick or knife and swirl batters together a few times.
8. Bake cheesecake for 30 minutes at 325F. After 30 minutes is up, reduce heat to 250F and bake for 50 minutes. Turn oven off and let cheesecake sit in warm oven for 30 minutes, then crack oven door open and let cheesecake cool down even more for 1 hour with oven door open.
9. Bring cheesecake to room temperature on counter (about 2-3 hours) and run a knife around the edge of the cheesecake before transporting to refrigerator overnight.
10. After a night in the fridge, release from springform pan. It should easily lift off, but if not, run a knife along the edge again. Before serving, top with whipped cream and drizzle with warmed caramel sauce. Slice into using a wet sharp knife.

Nutrition

Calories: 476kcalCarbohydrates: 39gProtein: 8gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 19gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 141mgSodium: 376mgPotassium: 236mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 4393IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 118mgIron: 2mg

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