Paula Deen Pumpkin Cheesecake
Paula Deen Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is a true classic! Similar to pumpkin pie, but it's creamy and rich, yet impossibly light, sitting on a cinnamon-y graham cracker crust. Simple and easy to make, it'll be your new go-to holiday dessert!
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¾ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar see notes below
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons salted butter see notes below
Filling:
- 24 ounce Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature, see notes below
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon cloves
- 3 whole eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 15 ounce can pureed pumpkin
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
For the crust:
- Food process or smash graham crackers with a rolling pin. It took me about 1 ½ packages of graham crackers to make 1 ¾ cups.
- Place in a bowl, then add the brown sugar and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Add the butter and stir. Using your fingers, press into the bottom and partway up the sides of a 9" springform pan. Set aside
For the Filling:
- Mix the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together. Place one brick of cream cheese into a large mixing bowl with hand mixer or bowl of stand mixer. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed for about 3 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides and add one more brick of cream cheese. Mix for one more minute and scrape down the edges again. Add the last brick of cream cheese and beat one more minute.
- Increase the speed to medium and add the rest of the sugar. Beat for one minute. Add 2 of the eggs and beat for 30 seconds. Add the last egg and the egg yolk and beat 30 more seconds. Scrape down the sides.
- Add the pumpkin, sour cream and vanilla. Beat on low just until combined. Scrape the sides and make sure everything is well combined.
- Pour on top of the crust. Place springform pan in a water bath. Use a large roasting pan or other pan larger than the springform and fill the water halfway up the pan. For the perfect texture, do not skip the water bath!
- Bake at 350°F for 70-80 minutes. The edges will start to darken and the middle will still be wobbly when bumping the pan.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for 2-4 hours, undisturbed. Place in the refrigerator for a minimum of 4 hours. Make sure to allow the cheesecake to cool slowly or it will not turn out!
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Store in the refrigerator up to 3 days.
- Store fresh cheesecake in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the refrigerator 2-4 hours. Eat immediately.
- The original recipe by Paula Deen calls for 3 Tablespoons brown sugar and 8 Tablespoons butter in the crust. We found it to be so much butter that the crust was oozing butter and it was too sweet. We prefer it with the measurements listed above.
- Make sure your cream cheese is fully softened to room temperature for the best and smoothest results.
- Do not put the cheesecake immediately in the refrigerator or it will not set up right!
Nutrition
Serving: 1sliceCalories: 247kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 9gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 53mgSodium: 419mgPotassium: 212mgFiber: 1gSugar: 26gVitamin A: 4401IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 177mgIron: 1mg
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