I am obsessed with this Pumpkin Cheesecake, and it seems like some of you are too! One of my most liked and requested posts ever. Are you planning on making it for Thanksgiving? It will for sure be on my dinner table this year. As you know by now, I’m a huge fan of making simple desserts look elevated, without taking too much time or experience needed.
So if you’re new to pie or cheesecake making, I’d suggest testing out the recipe before the big day. Last thing you want is to mess it up on Thursday morning and showing up empty handed. You can always bring it to work or to a neighbor, or throw an impromptu Friendsgiving dinner.
Ok, so onto the recipe. First, make sure you have all the ingredients and read the instructions a couple of times. Now, head to Target and get their 9″ graham cracker pie crust (see? I told you I like easy), cream cheese, canned pumpkin and heavy cream. The recipe calls for bourbon, but it’s really optional. I liked the taste and happened to have an opened bottle. You’re only going to need a tablespoon!
What I love most about this cheesecake is how pretty it looks. And once you cut it and see the layers inside, it’s like OMG, crowd pleaser for sure. It’s the perfect balance of cheesecake and pumpkin, not too much not too little. Plus that mile high, slightly torched meringue… perfection.
PS – tag me if you make it! @yogaofcooking
Pumpkin Cheesecake with Maple Bourbon Meringue
This pumpkin cheesecake is the ultimate Thanksgiving dessert. It’s creamy and smooth, with an irresistible graham cracker crust and a generous layer of maple bourbon meringue. No one will miss the pie!
- Total Time: 75 minutes
- Yield: 0 people 1x
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Layer
- 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese (softened)
- 4 tbsp powdered sugar (sifted)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Pumpkin Layer
- 1 can pumpkin pure
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp all spice
- 1 pinch of salt
Crust
- 1 9″ graham cracker pie crust (store bought)
Maple Bourbon Meringue
- 1 cup egg whites
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 tbsp bourbon
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 350F.
To make the Cream Cheese Layer
- In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread into graham cracker pie crust.
To make the Pumpkin Layer
- In a separate bowl, whisk all the ingredients until smooth and pour over the cream cheese layer. Smooth the top with an angled spatula. Place in the center of the oven rack.
- Bake until firm around 60 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack before topping with meringue.
To make the Meringue
- In a small saucepan, bring an inch of water to a simmer.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the eggs, brown sugar, maple syrup and vanilla, and set over the saucepan. Make sure it doesn’t touch the simmering water. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely and the whites are warm. Feel the mixture between two fingers: It should have a smooth consistency, without any granules.
- Place the bowl on the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the tablespoon of bourbon and reduce speed to low, beat until combined.
- Once the cheesecake cools, pat the top carefully with a paper towel to remove moisture. Spread the meringue on top. Use a small offset spatula to achieve swoops and swirls. You can brown the meringue in the oven, but for more control or prettier results use a kitchen torch.
- If using a torch, hold the flame at a 90-degree angle three inches from the meringue. Move around the pie until the meringue starts to brown.
- Serve immediately or keep in the fridge. Serves 8-12 people. Enjoy!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
How does the store bought crust not break when I take it out of tin I’m nervous for next week 🙂
Cut the foil tin with scissors carefully! It shouldn’t break!
Hi, looks so good! 😍 How is the canned pumpkin puré made, what kind of pumpkin is it and is it puréed raw or roasted? I would have to regenerate it since we have no such thing here. Thank you!
Hi! It’s pumpkin purée (15oz/425gr). Here’s a simple recipe from Food Network. Let me know if you have any questions! Good luck! x