Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

The ultimate fall dessert, this Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce is a smooth and silky pumpkin cheesecake topped with a homemade caramel sauce. Delectable!

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If you are a pumpkin addict like I am, make sure you check out all this Pumpkin Cake, Baked Pumpkin Donuts, or all of my other pumpkin recipes!

Since we are knee deep in all things pumpkin season, I thought it would be fun to bring this pumpkin cheesecake recipe back to you all today. This is cheesecake perfection – rich and creamy with just the right amount of pumpkin and spice. And the caramel sauce totally takes it over the top and gives it something a little different. I’m always looking for a showstopper dessert idea when the holiday season rolls around, and this recipe is perfect for that.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Since I have a love of pumpkin and a love of cheesecake, it’s not a secret that I’d be obsessed with this pumpkin cheesecake! It is actually quite simple to make, but here are some tips to help you make the best pumpkin cheesecake.

• This recipe calls for an 8-inch springform pan. The standard size is a 9-inch pan. If you don’t have an 8-inch, or if you don’t want to invest in one, you can substitute in a 9-inch pan but the cheesecake won’t be as thick and the baking time will be a little bit less.
• Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature. You don’t want to overbeat the eggs while mixing the batter, and having the ingredients at room temperature helps to make sure you have a smooth batter.
• I am a believer in a water bath for cheesecakes. Even when I’m not as concerned about cracks, I think the texture comes out better when you use a water bath. If you don’t have a pan large enough to fit your springform pan into, I have had readers say that they have just placed a dish of water on the rack underneath the cheesecake and that has helped. You can also eliminate the water bath completely, but my cheesecakes are never quite the same without it.
• I like to leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool. Just prop the door open – I use a wooden spoon or a towel, and leave the cheesecake so it will slowly come to room temperature.
• Once it is cool, refrigerate, covered, until it is completely chilled.

How to Make Caramel

I was intimidated by homemade caramel for a long time. It’s pretty temperamental – so sometimes it would work, and sometimes it wouldn’t work. But this caramel recipe is one that I’ve stuck with because it has worked so well for me. It’s pretty easy, so don’t be scared of it.

The only thing to caution you about is that if cooked too long, this caramel will start to harden as it cools. If this happens, just heat it to loosen it back up.

Here’s how you make it:

1. Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a pot and stir it to combine. Try to avoid getting sugar up the sides of the pan, and if you do, use a wet pastry brush to push the sugar back into the mixture.
2. Place the pot over medium-high heat. Do not stir at this point.
3. Cook until the caramel becomes and amber color. Keep an eye on it, because it can go from pale to overcooked pretty quickly. If my caramel is starting to get really dark in one spot but not cooking on the other, simply swirl the mixture in the pan – do not stir it.
4. When the caramel has reached your desired color, turn the heat to low and slowly add the cream. Be very careful doing this, as the mixture will probably start to bubble up and spit.
5. Once it has calmed down, stir the mixture together to dissolve any clumps.
6. Serve the caramel sauce warm over the pumpkin cheesecake. You can refrigerate the caramel and reheat when you are ready to serve the cheesecake.

More Cheesecake Inspired Recipes

No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Dulce de Leche Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce

5 from 3 votes

Author: Deborah Harroun

Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 hours hours

Servings: 16 servings

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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The ultimate fall dessert, this Pumpkin Cheesecake with Caramel Sauce is a smooth and silky pumpkin cheesecake topped with a homemade caramel sauce. Delectable!

1x2x3x

Ingredients

Cheesecake

• ▢ 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ▢ 5 tablespoons butter melted
• ▢ 1 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• ▢ 3 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ▢ 1 cup canned pumpkin
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon allspice

Caramel Sauce

• ▢ 2 cups sugar
• ▢ 1/2 cup water
• ▢ 1-1/2 tbsp light corn syrup
• ▢ 2/3 cup heavy cream
• ▢ 2 tbsp unsalted butter at room temperature

Instructions

For the Cheesecake:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Wrap the outsides of an 8-inch springform pan* tightly with foil. (I usually triple wrap mine - you don’t want any water to be able to get to the cheesecake.)
• In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Press the crumbs into the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the springform pan. Bake the crust for 5 minutes, then set aside.
• In the bowl of a mixer, combine the cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice, and continue beating until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Pour the filling over the crust.
• Place the pan in a roasting pan or any larger pan. Place in the oven, then pour water into the larger pan. You want about an inch of water surrounding the springform pan.**
• Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the cheesecake is firmer around the edges, but still a bit jiggly in the center. Keep the cheesecake in the oven, but turn it off and put a towel or wooden spoon in the door to prop it open. Let the cheesecake stay in the oven until it has come to room temperature, then remove, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.
• When ready to serve, run a knife around the outside of the cake and then remove the sides of the springform pan.

For the Caramel Sauce:***

• Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Stir just to combine the ingredients, then place over medium-high heat. Cook, without stirring, until the caramel starts to turn an amber color, 5-10 minutes. Lower the heat and slowly add the cream and butter. Stand back, as it may start to spit and bubble up. Once the spatters calm down a bit, stir to combine and dissolve any lumps.
• Drizzle the caramel sauce over individual cheesecake slices.

Recipe Notes:

*This cheesecake calls for an 8-inch springform pan, while the standard size is usually a 9-inch pan. If you don’t have an 8-inch, you can substitute in a 9-inch, but the cheesecake won’t be as thick and you will need to adjust the baking time.

**I always bake my cheesecakes in a water bath to ensure that they cook evenly. The water bath also helps to avoid cracking on the top of the cheesecake as well. If you don’t have a pan large enough to fit your springform pan into, I have had readers say that they have just placed a dish of water on the rack underneath the cheesecake and that has helped. You can also eliminate the water bath completely, but my cheesecakes are never quite the same without it.

***If cooked too long, this caramel will start to harden as it cools. If this happens, just heat it to loosen it back up.

Cheesecake recipe adapted from food.com

Caramel sauce source Baking: From My Home to Yours

Nutrition information provided as an estimate only. Various brands and products can change the counts. Any nutritional information should only be used as a general guideline.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 414kcal (21%), Carbohydrates: 46g (15%), Protein: 4g (8%), Fat: 24g (37%), Saturated Fat: 14g (88%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 105mg (35%), Sodium: 175mg (8%), Fiber: 1g (4%), Sugar: 41g (46%)

Keywords: caramel sauce, pumpkin cheesecake