Name: Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup finely crushed gingersnap cookies (crumbs); 1/3 cup very finely chopped pecans; 1/4 cup butter, melted; Four 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature; 1 1/2 cups granulated white sugar, divided; 2 tablespoons cornstarch; 4 large eggs; 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree; 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg; garnishes as desired (caramel, whipped cream, additional crushed gingersnaps, etc)

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This Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake has layers of pumpkin cheesecake and traditional cheesecake, and then swirls of pumpkin on top too. It’s a delicious dessert to serve for the fall season!

layered pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream on top

October 21st is National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day! To celebrate, bake yourself this layered pumpkin cheesecake! You can also bake pumpkin cheesecake cookies, pumpkin cheesecake bars or traditional pumpkin cheesecake. Classic pumpkin cheesecake has a spiced graham cracker crust and a creamy pumpkin filling. It’s the perfect combination of cheesecake and pumpkin pie! Share your pumpkin cheesecake on social media today using the hashtags #NationalPumpkinCheesecakeDay, #PumpkinCheesecakeDay and #RecipesForHolidays.

Be sure to follow my October Food Holidays page so you never miss a food holiday in the month of October!

“I’d say the first thing you need is … a pumpkin.”
-Cinderella

The History of Cheesecake:

Cheesecake originated in Greece, though it was much different than what we know as cheesecake today. Greek physician Aegimus wrote a book on the art of making cheesecakes. They were even served at the first olympic games!

By the 1300’s, cheesecake began making appearances in cookbooks.

In 1912, James Kraft introduced pasteurized cream cheese, and this is what people started using to make cheesecake.

Arnold Reuben (creator of the reuben sandwich) created the New York style cheesecake in the 1930’s. Cheesecake’s popularity soared after that.

Bakers began to experiment with making different flavors of cheesecake- chocolate, strawberry, key lime, etc. Eventually, someone created a pumpkin cheesecake.

Cheesecake is now one of America’s favorite desserts!

ingredients displayed for making layered pumpkin cheesecake

Ingredients needed:

gingersnap cookies
pecans
butter
cream cheese
white sugar
cornstarch
eggs
vanilla extract
unsweetened pumpkin puree
ground cinnamon and nutmeg
garnishes: caramel, whipped cream, etc.

four photos showing how to make layered pumpkin cheesecake

How to make a Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake:

The complete, printable recipe is at the end of this post.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan and place it on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 19-inches square). Securely wrap the foil around the pan.
In a small bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, pecans and butter. Press onto the bottom of the prepared pan. Place on a baking sheet, and bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Next, make the filling. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat one package of the cream cheese, 1/2 cup of sugar and the cornstarch until smooth- about 2 minutes. Beat in the remaining cream cheese, one package at a time. Add the remaining sugar. Add 2 eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Add the vanilla and the remaining eggs, beating on low speed just until combined.
Place 2 cups of the filling in a small bowl; stir in the pumpkin, cinnamon and nutmeg. Remove 3/4 cup of the pumpkin filling; set aside. Pour the remaining pumpkin filling over the crust; top with the remaining plain filling. Drop the reserved pumpkin filling by spoonfuls over the cheesecake. Cut through with a knife to swirl.

overhead view of layered pumpkin cheesecake

Place the wrapped springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1-inch of hot water to the larger pan. Bake at 350 for 55 to 60 minutes or until the center is just set and the top appears dull. Remove the springform pan from the water bath. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan to loosen; cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.

spatula taking out slice of layered pumpkin cheesecake

If your cheesecake is well-chilled, it will be easier to slice.

layered pumpkin cheesecake with slice taken out of it

Garnish individual slices of your layered pumpkin cheesecake as desired: suggest whipped cream, caramel syrup and more gingersnap cookie crumbs. Refrigerate any leftovers. Enjoy!

fork going into slice of pumpkin cheesecake

Fun Facts about Pumpkins and Cheesecake:

Each year, the United States produces 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins (Illinois produces the most).
The world’s largest pumpkin was grown by Italian Stefano Cutrupi in 2021 at 2,703 pounds.
One 4-ounce slice of pumpkin cheesecake has about 320 calories.
A pumpkin cheesecake can be swirled, layered or all pumpkin. There are baked and no-bake versions.
The largest cheesecake ever made weighed 4,703 pounds. It was made by Philadelphia Kraft Foods in Mexico in 2009.
The cast of The Golden Girl’s TV show consumed more than 100 cheesecakes during the course of the show’s 7-year run.