Cheesecake
Celebrate National Cheesecake Day with delicious free cheesecake.  Hans Braxmeier/Pixabay

Monday may be the most dreaded day of the week, but this Monday will be the sweetest one yet. Oct. 21 is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day! Cheesecake is a sweet dessert made up of softened cream cheese or cottage cheese, eggs, sugar and a crust made out of graham cracker, cookie, cake, or pastry.

Once a year, there are 24 hours dedicated to putting a pumpkin-flavored spin on the average cheesecake. According to the National Day Calendar, the origins of National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day are unknown, but the earliest mention of cheesecake dates back to ancient Greece.

Whether you want to make several treats, or are interested in trying out a new dessert, consider making one of these tasty recipes in honor of National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day.

Easy as Pie Pumpkin Cheesecake (Spend With Pennies)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin Puree
  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 3 Eggs
  • ¼ Cup Sour Cream
  • 2 Tbsp. Karo Corn Syrup
  • ½ Tsp. Cinnamon or Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • Store-bought graham crust or homemade
  • Whipped cream for serving (optional)
  • Homemade Crust Ingredients:
  • ⅓ Cup Melted Butter
  • ½ Cup Sugar
  • 1 ¼ Cups Graham Crumbs

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: If making a homemade crust, mix the butter, sugar and graham crumbs until well blended.

Step 3: Place the mixture in a 9” pie pan and press along the sides and bottom.

Step 4: Combine all the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

Step 5: Pour the contents into the prepared crust until about ¼” from the top.

Step 6: Bake the pumpkin cheesecake for 45 minutes.

Step 7: Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool for four hours in the fridge before serving.

Step 8: Top the dessert with whipped cream (or whipped topping), and a pinch of nutmeg before serving if desired.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies (Delish)

Ingredients For Brownies:

  • 1 Cup Unsalted Butter (2 sticks)
  • 8 oz. Semisweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped
  • 2 Cups Sugar
  • 4 Large Eggs
  • 1 Tbsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ¼ Cup All-purpose Flour
  • 1 Tsp. Baking Powder
  • ½ Tsp. Kosher Salt
  • ½ Cup Semisweet Chocolate Chips

Ingredients For Cheesecake:

  • 2 Blocks Cream Cheese, at room temperature (8-oz. each)
  • ¾ Cup Sugar
  • 1 ½ Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice
  • ⅛ Tsp. Kosher Salt
  • 2 Tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 3 Large Eggs
  • 1 Cup Canned Pumpkin (Not Pumpkin Pie Filling)
  • ¼ Cup Heavy Cream
  • ¼ Cup Sour Cream

Step 1: To prepare the brownies, butter a 9”x13” baking pan and line it with parchment paper. Leave a 2” overhang on all sides. Butter the parchment, then set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: Place a bowl into barely simmering water to melt chocolate and butter. Stir contents until smooth, then set aside to cool.

Step 3: In a medium bowl, whisk the sugar, eggs, and vanilla together. In a second medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Add melted chocolate to sugar mixture and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and chocolate chips and gently fold until properly combined and streak-free.

Step 4: Pour the brownie batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth top. Bake until just set, typically 12 to 15 minutes. Then remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 5: To make the cheesecake, use a hand mixer, or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer, to beat cream cheese on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until completely smooth, three to four minutes.

Step 6: Mix in the sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt while scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until smooth and fluffy, another three to four minutes. Add the vanilla and beat mixture for 30 seconds.

Step 7: Then add eggs, one at a time, beating one minute after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. On low speed, beat pumpkin, heavy cream and sour cream into the mixture until completely smooth and streak-free, about 1 minute.

Step 8: Pour cheesecake batter over cooled brownies and smooth top. Place in oven and bake until set around the edges and just barely jiggling in the center, 45 minutes. Allow the dessert to cool to room temperature on a wire rack.

Step 9: Once completely cooled, loosely cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, three hours or overnight.

Pumpkin Cheesecake (Taste Of Home)

Crust Ingredients:

  • 1 Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1 Tablespoon Sugar
  • 1/4 Cup Butter, Melted

Filling Ingredients:

  • 2 Packages Cream Cheese, softened (8 oz. each)
  • ¾ Cup Sugar
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1 Can Solid-pack Pumpkin (15 oz.)
  • 1 ¼ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • ½ Tsp. Ground Ginger
  • ½ Tsp. Ground Nutmeg
  • ¼ Tsp. Salt

Topping Ingredients:

  • 2 Cups Sour Cream
  • 2 Tbsp. Sugar
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 12 to 16 Pecan Halves, Chopped

Instructions

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Then stir in butter. Press the crust into the bottom of a 9” springform pan and chill.

Step 2: For the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl until smooth. Add the eggs and beat on low speed until contents are combined. Then stir in the pumpkin, spices and salt.

Step 3: Pour the filling into the crust. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 50 minutes.

Step 4: While the cheesecake bakes, prepare the topping by combining the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spread over filling and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen and cool one hour longer.

Step 6: Refrigerate overnight. Then remove sides of pan and top with chopped pecans. Be sure to refrigerate the leftovers.

Easy No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake (She Wears Many Hats)

Ingredients:

  • 8 oz. Cream Cheese (Softened)
  • 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • ½ Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 1 ½ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 Tsp. Ground Ginger
  • ½ Tsp. Salt
  • 6 oz. Gingersnaps, crushed
  • Whipped Cream

Instructions

Step 1: Using an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, ground cinnamon and salt on high until smooth and fluffy.

Step 2: Spread ¼ cup (about 1 oz.) of the crushed gingersnaps into the bottom of each glass.

Step 3: Top with ½ cup of the cream cheese pumpkin mixture and then top with the desired amount of whipped cream. Dust with cinnamon and crushed gingersnaps, if desired.

Step 4: Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecake (All Recipes)

Ingredients:

  • 2 Packages Cream Cheese, softened (8 oz. each)
  • ½ Cup White Sugar
  • ½ Tsp. Vanilla Extract
  • 2 Eggs
  • 1 Prepared Graham Cracker Crust (9 inches)
  • ½ Cup Pumpkin Puree
  • ½ Tsp. Ground Cinnamon
  • 1 Pinch Ground Cloves
  • 1 Pinch Ground Nutmeg
  • ½ Cup Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2: In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until smooth and blend in one egg at a time.

Step 3: Remove one cup of batter and spread it into the bottom of the crust and set aside.

Step 4: Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg to the remaining batter and gently stir until well blended. Carefully spread over the batter in the crust.

Step 5: Place in preheated oven and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until center is almost set.

Step 6: Allow to cool, and then refrigerate for three hours or overnight. Cover with whipped topping before serving.

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