By Genevieve Ko
- Total Time
- 1½ hours, plus chilling
- Rating
- 5(775)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Fluffier than both cheesecake and pumpkin pie, this dessert combines a silky cream cheese-pumpkin filling and a tangy sour cream topping with a graham cracker crust. The warmth of ginger, ground and candied, ties together the other warming spices: cinnamon, cardamom and turmeric for flavors reminiscent of — and as soothing as — turmeric tea and chai.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 12 servings
- ½cup/114 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan
- 2¼cups/239 grams graham cracker crumbs (from about 15 crackers)
- 3tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 1(8-ounce/226-gram) block cream cheese, softened
- ¾cup/150 grams granulated sugar
- 1½teaspoons ground ginger
- ¾teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½teaspoon fine sea or table salt
- 1(15-ounce/425-gram) can pure pumpkin
- 2teaspoons brandy (optional)
- 2large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼cup/50 grams granulated sugar
- ¼teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1½cups/342 grams sour cream
- Candied ginger, cut into thin slivers or pieces, for garnish
For the Crust
For the Filling
For the Topping
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
475 calories; 31 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 45 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 29 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 395 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Make the crust: Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9- or 9½-inch deep-dish pie plate. Mix the crumbs, sugar and salt in a large bowl (or pulse in a food processor if you’ve ground your own crumbs). Add the butter and mix (or pulse) until the mixture is well blended and feels like wet sand.
Step
2
Dump all of the crumbs into the pie plate and spread in an even layer. Firmly press against the sides, but not over the rim if there is one, to form a ¼-inch-thick edge. Firmly press the rest of the loose crumbs against the bottom. Bake until darker brown and dry and firm to the touch, 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the oven heat down to 325 degrees.
Step
3
While the crust bakes, make the filling: Beat the cream cheese with an electric stand or hand mixer until there are no tiny cream-cheese lumps. Add the sugar, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and salt, and beat until very smooth, scraping the bowl if needed. Add the pumpkin and brandy (if using), and beat until fully incorporated, then beat in the eggs just until combined. You don’t want to beat the mixture too much once the eggs are added or your filling will balloon and then sink rather than bake evenly.
Step
4
Pour the filling into the crust (it’s OK if it’s hot, warm or cooled) and spread in an even layer. Bake until the edges are set, the entire top looks dry and the very center is just a bit jiggly, 45 to 50 minutes.
Step
5
After the cheesecake goes into the oven, make the topping: Mix the sugar and turmeric in a medium bowl, breaking up any clumps. Add the sour cream and stir gently until evenly tinted gold. Let sit at room temperature until ready to use.
Step
6
Carefully spread the topping over the hot baked filling in an even layer. Return to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack, then refrigerate uncovered until cold, at least 2 hours and up to 3 days. (Cover loosely with plastic wrap after 2 hours if you plan to chill it longer.)
Step
7
When ready to serve, decorate the top with the candied ginger.
Ratings
5
out of 5
775
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Cooking Notes
dimmerswitch
Filling & topping per recipe. Lovely texture, subtle flavors.*Used 9" graham GF crust for no-gluten eater.*Filling perfect amount for 9" shell.*Took 55 min. to done per step 5.*Spreading topping on hot cheesecake, sour cream will start melting. Fear not, it works!*Out of oven step 6, topping will 'set'as it cools.*Allowing for ample cooling, plan 8 hours total for best cold cheesecake at service.*Good day 2. But don't add crystallized ginger til right b4 serving, it softens in fridge.
Heather
Can you use greek yogurt instead of sour cream for the topping?
dimmerswitch
JUNE per your comment that the 1/4 tsp turmeric specified in recipe will not bring the topping to the golden color of photo, I made this and the golden color is achieved as the cheesecake topping cools. So, patience for the coloring. Don't add more turmeric. Day 1, eight hours after making this, it was quite golden and Day 2 after being refrigerated overnight it was just like the photo for color.
Cathie
Another great option for the crust is crumbled gingersnaps. I use the Nyakers thin cookies and either crumble them in the food processor or crush them with my rolling pin in a ziploc. Gives the crust a great contrast to the creamy filling.
mj
@june - and others just fyi on Genevieve’s video for this recipe she says not to add more turmeric and just ‘be patient’ with it because apparently the yellow color develops the longer it sits and with baking..
Rae
I often cook with turmeric but I haven't made this recipe yet so take this with a grain of salt-- turmeric has an earthy flavor & a mild bitterness that I imagine will complement the sweet tart flavors nicely but it also has a brilliant yellow color that makes this pie a sunny yellow. That said, I'm sure your pie will be lovely and tasty without the turmeric.
Lisa
Turmeric is what gives the topping the lovely yellow color. Without it, the topping will be white.
dimmerswitch
Karen Bachman Re your question about using a springform pan, I just made this cheesecake and given the texture I would not choose to try it in a springform pan. It is a lovely dessert and I think the specified 9" pie dish is perfect vessel.
Laurence
Is it okay to make the pie two day ahead of serving?
bashir
Does this use solid pack pumpkin or pumpkin purée? Thanks
dimmerswitch
Sara M. RE your question of how high to bring the crust up the sides if using a springform pan, having made this lovely cheesecake, given the softer texture of it than the kind of cheesecake that is more traditional style, I would not try it in a springform pan. I think a pie dish is the perfect vessel for this.
dimmerswitch
Cook's notes re prep steps as this lovely pie is cooling to enjoy later. *Filling ingredients made per but used premade, gluten free graham cracker pie crust in 9" pan. Filling recipe was perfect amount to fill this. Tasty too when sampled before baking.*Took 55 minutes to get to done per step 5.*Sour cream + turmeric per recipe. Spreading this on pie hot out of oven so sour cream will look as if melting. Fear not, it works! Great color & finish when out of oven step 6.
rammyl
Several changes I made: I used vegan cream cheese (blended soaked raw cashews) and ginger syrup instead of maple syrup. Lastly I cooked a whole acorn pumpkin in instant pot (12-15mins on high pressure) and used it (including the skin) to replace the pumpkin in this recipe. It was heavenly good.
dr
did not make this whole recipe, but did use the filling as a cheesecake recipe. so so so good!!! makes enough for a 15 cm cheesecake with a little left over, or a really tall cheesecake if you prefer. you can reduce the sugar to 130g and it’s the perfect sweetness :)
Allyson
Does anyone have any thoughts on using Biscoff for the crust instead of graham crackers? I think Biscoff are sweeter and I'm not sure if it would be too much for this recipe.
Magda
How far in advance can you make the filling? Want to see if I can prep better and make this ahead of time.
Cathlyne Camp
Leave out salt in crust. Too much crust Skip tumeric.
Madeline
Easy to make. Everyone at Thanksgiving dinner loved it.
Andrea
Success!! For those who are always wishing desserts weren’t as sweet, I used no sugar — nor salt — in the crust… the cookie has that balance already, 100 gr of sugar for the filling and 20 gr for the topping. I also doubled the cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Everyone agreed that was the right level of sweetness and I had to hide the last piece to have some the next day.
Amy
This is a winner. Perfect, warm flavors. Note: I love salt and even I will say the crust came out pretty salty. When I make it again, because I will, I plan to reduce the salt in the crust just slightly because not everyone shares my love of salt and it comes off a little bit unintentionally overboard.
Lydia
Overall thought it was totally delicious. Loved the spices and tang in the cheesecake. I made the crust with gingersnaps - great taste, but slumped in my springform and a little butter leeched out; next time maybe a bit less butter? (they do have more fat than graham crackers) But maybe it wouldn't be an issue if it hadn't been a springform pan.I also thought the filling was a tad soft - next time I'll try with a bit more egg. Couldn't particularly taste the turmeric in the topping.
Tom
Meh. Seemed like regular cheesecake. Not light and fluffy. Maybe reduce volume of cream cheese and add whipped egg whites. Or try ricotta. And amp up the seasoning - pretty subtle pumpkin flavor.
Bryan
Made as per recipe. The only problem was that even with heavy buttering on the pie plate the first couple of slices were a pain to get out. Overall a hit (lots of compliments) at the dinner.
cathyn
15 crackers is about 2 cups of crumbs. In order to prevent crust slipping in the oven, modify the amount of butter. Only add enough until the mixture is like wet sand, don't just blindly add melted butter. I am still having trouble with the filling separating from the crust.Add vanilla extract to the filling.I add just slightly more turmeric, less than 1/4 tsp more to obtain a nice dandelion color. It does darken over time.Cheesecake tastes best cold!
Nancy
Is Greek yogurt ok to substitute for sour cream here?
Natalie Larsen
This is sickly sweet and way too salty. The candied ginger on top is one of the worst things I've ever tasted. That said, I enjoyed the graham cracker crust and the texture of the cheesecake. I probably won't make it again, but it was fun to try.
Diane C.
Excellent - creamy and full of flavor. Will definitely make again over the holidays.
JaneODrano
Nobody in my family really likes pumpkin pie, but we always have it at Thanksgiving... until we found this recipe! Everything about it is wonderful: the flavor combinations, the texture.. the sour cream is genius, as is the candied ginger topping.
Amanda Gardner
Where did she get her pie dish? I love it!
Amanda S
echoing this question! It's nice and deep!
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