No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

Name: No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 4 h 25 min
Total time: 4 h 35 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups/225 grams Biscoff fine cookie crumbs (see Tip); 1 tablespoon light or dark brown sugar; Pinch fine salt; 6 tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, melted; 1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream; 12 ounces/340 grams cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 cup/230 grams pumpkin purée; 3/4 cup/83 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 2 teaspoons ground ginger; 1/2 teaspoon finely grated nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; Pinch fine salt; 1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream; 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

By Yossy Arefi

Published Oct. 18, 2023

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake — Armando Rafael for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Cyd Raftus McDowell.

Total Time: 35 minutes, plus at least 4 hours' chilling
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes, plus at least 4 hours' chilling
Rating: 4(137)
Notes: Read community notes

This no-bake cheesecake has a lot going for it: a buttery, lightly spiced cookie crust, fluffy pumpkin filling and a lofty spiced topping. Another draw: If you decide to make this for Thanksgiving, it won’t need any precious oven space — and can be prepared up to four days in advance. Feel free to substitute about 2 tablespoons of your favorite pumpkin spice blend for the spices in the cheesecake. The topping is optional, and you can also serve it on the side, instead of crowning the cheesecake. If you can’t find Biscoff cookies, use crunchy gingersnap cookie crumbs instead.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

For the Crust

1¾cups/225 grams Biscoff fine cookie crumbs (see Tip)
1tablespoon light or dark brown sugar
Pinch fine salt
6tablespoons/85 grams unsalted butter, melted

For the Filling

1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
12ounces/340 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
1cup/230 grams pumpkin purée
¾cup/83 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted if lumpy
1tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2teaspoons ground ginger
½teaspoon finely grated nutmeg
¼teaspoon ground allspice
Pinch fine salt

For the Topping

1cup/240 milliliters heavy cream
1tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
2teaspoons ground cinnamon

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Prepare the crust: In a large bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
Step 2
Press the mixture very firmly and evenly into the bottom and about halfway up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Chill in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
Step 3
Prepare the filling: Add 1 cup/240 milliliters heavy cream to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer and mix until the cream stands up straight but the very tip curls over when the whisk is lifted. Transfer the whipped cream to a medium bowl.
Step 4
Add the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, confectioners’ sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, the ginger, nutmeg, allspice and a pinch salt to the bowl that you used to whip the cream and mix on medium, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 5
Using a spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture by gently scooping from the bottom and folding over the top, turning the bowl as you go, until combined.
Step 6
Spoon the filling into the prepared crust, then smooth the top.
Step 7
Refrigerate the cheesecake until completely cool, at least 4 hours, or overnight.
Step 8
Just before serving, prepare the topping: Whisk the remaining 1 cup cream, 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon to soft peaks.
Step 9
Just before removing the outer ring of the springform pan, run a thin knife or offset spatula around the edge of the pan to help the crust release from the sides of the pan. Remove the ring and spread the cinnamon whipped cream over the chilled cheesecake.
Step 10
Slice with a warm, clean knife. This cheesecake keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. (The filling may weep a bit as it sits.)

Tip

Make fine cookie crumbs by pulsing cookies in the food processor.

Ratings

4 out of 5

137 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

CarolR8 months ago

I prepared this with a gingersnap crust which worked well. I agree with the other reviewers that the filling is not sweet enough. It needs at least 1 full cup of confectioners sugar or even better, a bit of brown sugar. Despite having very soft cream cheese, I wound up with bits of cream cheese in the filling that would not fully incorporate. I resorted to straining the filling before folding in the whipped cream. I’d recommend beating the cream cheese with the sugar before adding the pumpkin.

Delicious9 months ago

I tried this with graham cracker crumbs instead of biscoff and the crust seemed a little dry and crumbly. I probably should have looked for a graham cracker crust recipe to use instead. After reading the previous comments, I was very liberal with the sugar and added about a quarter of a cup of maple syrup to the cheesecake mix. I also added about 1 tsp of vanilla. It was good! I will make this again with these tweaks.

Allie8 months ago

Listened to comments saying it could be sweeter, so added an additional 1/4 cup of granulated sugar (and a splash of vanilla) and was really happy with the result. Used a different brand of speculaas cookies for the crust and will absolutely use that crust recipe again, got lots of compliments on it.

Carolyn9 months ago

This wasn’t sweet enough, but was very light and tasted good. I ended up adding a dark chocolate ganache and that helped a bit, but I think the amount of confectioners sugar should be increased.

j9 months ago

Crust is great, but filling and whipped cream aren’t sweet with measurements given.

Susan B7 months ago

I made this for Christmas. Due to other people's notes I added a total of 1-1/4 cups of confectioner sugar & @ 2 Tbsp of honey. Even then it still wasn't very sweet. I used Trader Joe's triple ginger gingersnaps for the crust which was delicious! Everybody loved it. However, I wasn't crazy about the texture. Is it possible for a cheesecake to be too creamy? I really missed the extra body that eggs give it and next time will use a recipe with eggs that needs to be baked

MichaelE7 months ago

This was great. I’d back off the ginger a little bit next time.

C7 months ago

Kids loved it. I was: -light on the pumpkin -light (half??) of pumpkin spice -extra sugar in mixture and some in whipped cream -grease bottom of pan & run knife around edge before removing side Easter idea: -lemon curd instead of pumpkin -meringue instead of whipped cream

christina10167 months ago

This was *amazing*. My 13-year-old made this by herself and was the star of the potluck Thanksgiving dinner. She did add a little more sugar as suggested by other reviewers, but other than that this is perfect. Not needing oven space was a nice bonus! Biscoff cookie is essential, delicious!

Dan7 months ago

From others' notes, I added 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar, 3 tbsp maple syrup, and 1 tsp vanilla extract to the filling. This was the right level of sweetness for me, but a bit sweeter than my wife would have liked. The leftovers (chilled 2 days) were excellent, while the initial portion (chilled overnight) was just good. Next time I would sweeten the cream to the desired level and do the same for the rest of the filling. That way you can taste as you go and know how sweet the result will be.

Susan H8 months ago

Light & mousse-like. My pan is 9 1/2" so I needed more of everything. I used 2 pkgs of biscoff cookies & 2 x's the butter to get the crust around my pan & up the sides. I used 2, 8 oz pkgs of cream cheese, about 1 3/4 c of whipped cream for the filling, a full can of pumpkin, & 2 x's the spices. I had a way to go for dinner so I added a tbsp of King Arthur's Instant Clearjel to stabilize the whipped cream topping. I used a little more confectioners sugar and found it sweet enough.

Perfect no-bake8 months ago

Cut the spices in half to make sure the pumpkin stands out. Perfectly sweet as is— this is a cheesecake after all.

Rachel8 months ago

I followed the directions of a few other commenters, adding a full cup of confectioners sugar to the filling. It’s still lightly sweetened, so that’s a great recommendation. The pie was a big hit with my coworkers and I’m making it for our family Thanksgiving!

NDN8 months ago

I may have made a mistake by eating it before it set up for four hours. I can’t tell if it would have been tons better much colder. I did add extra sugar. Just not sure it’s a true keeper.

KDV8 months ago

It’s awful and bitter. I wish I’d read the comments before I wasted my time and ingredients. Luckily we have a back up.

Linda8 months ago

Made with 1 and 1/4 cup of sugar instead of 3/4 cup. Also added one teaspoon of vanilla. And cut ginger to only one teaspoon. Turned out great!

Sharon8 months ago

is there another type of pan you can use other than a springform pan ?

Hal8 months ago

I tried this recipe and it was very bitter and very pumpkiny. You should not make this recipe without pretty major modifications!

Matt8 months ago

What is supposed to be done with the additional 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon called for in the Filling ingredients? Is it supposed to be sprinkled on top of the Topping?

Mendani8 months ago

It is very pumpkiny but still good. I added vanilla and a quarter cup granulated sugar and it still could have been sweeter. Next time I’d increase the cinnamon, add a an extra half cup of sugar (Maybe brown) and do 3/4 c pumpkin.

Private notes are only visible to you.