Name: Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Cheesecake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: For the Crust; 1 Mary’s Graham Cracker Crust; Three 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened; 1½ cups granulated sugar; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons Mary’s Cognac Barrel-Aged Pure Vanilla Extract; ½ cup heavy whipped cream; ½ cup sour cream, softened; 3 large eggs, lightly beaten in a bowl; 1 cup pumpkin puree; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; ½ teaspoon ground ginger; ½ teaspoon ground cloves; ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Sweets

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Cheesecake

Author: Mary DiSomma

This recipe gave me a chance to try out my Graham Cracker Crust recipe. Featured in my My Life in Pies, Ever since I tested out my Cream Cheese Frosting on my Nerina’s Pumpkin Bars, I’ve been craving pumpkin cheesecake. I made sure to test this one out a few times so that you could have the perfect pumpkin swirl cheesecake. It was so good that I made another one even after the recipe was dialed in! Even without the beautiful marbled look, this cheesecake would taste amazing. But adding a little swirl to the overall design really does elevate the whole thing! Here’s how to achieve a beautiful swirl: Add the two batters to the pan in alternating scoops to create a “checkerboard” type pattern. When you create the second layer, you’ll add a scoop of pumpkin on top of the plain batter and vice versa, so there are two stacked layers with opposite patterns. After the batter is all in the pan, take a skewer or a butterknife and dip it into the batter. Pull the knife or skewer through the batter, changing direction a few times, until you are satisfied with the look of the swirl. Be careful not to stick it all the way down into the crust!

Graham Cracker Crust

If you love graham crackers, this buttery crunchy crust is such a simple way to enhance your desserts. You can easily double this recipe and keep the second crust in your freezer for ice cream pies! And if you like chocolate, you can simply swap out the regular flavor for chocolate graham crackers.

Yield: 1 crust
Prep Time: 20 minutes 20 min
Cook Time: 0 minutes0 min
Total Time: 20 minutes 20 min

Ingredients

2 cups crushed graham crackers or chocolate graham crackers (about 32 squares)
⅓ cup granulated sugar
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Instructions

If the graham crackers are whole, place them in a food processor and pulse until ground to crumb consistency. In a mixing bowl, combine the crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix.
Spray a 9-inch pie pan or springform pan with nonstick cooking spray and transfer the crumb mixture into the pan. Firmly press the crumb mixture onto the bottom and side of the pan.
Refrigerate or freeze the crust for 30 minutes before baking and/or filling. This will firm up the butter in the crust and help the crust hold together.

Ingredient Tips

Even without the beautiful marbled look, this cheesecake would taste amazing. But adding a little swirl to the overall design really does elevate the whole thing! Here’s how to achieve a beautiful swirl: Add the two batters to the pan in alternating scoops to create a “checkerboard” type pattern. When you create the second layer, you’ll add a scoop of pumpkin on top of the plain batter and vice versa, so there are two stacked layers with opposite patterns. After the batter is all in the pan, take a skewer or a butterknife and dip it into the batter. Pull the knife or skewer through the batter, changing direction a few times, until you are satisfied with the look of the swirl. Be careful not to stick it all the way down into the crust!

Cutting a cheesecake can be difficult. Here’s my pro tip for cutting a cheesecake perfectly every time: Run your chef’s knife under hot water for a minute. Wipe it dry, then make a cut in the cheesecake while the knife is still warm. Repeat this process for each cut to make perfectly clean cheesecake slices… your guests will be impressed!

See Full Mary's Pumpkin Cream Cheese Swirl Cheesecake Recipe