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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel
The Kelly Kitchen

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel

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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Salted Caramel is the perfect marriage of rich, creamy New York style cheesecake and pumpkin pie topped with homemade salted caramel and whipped cream. While cheesecake can be somewhat dense, the texture of this is light and airy, almost resembling a pumpkin mousse.
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Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 55 minutes
Total Time 4 hours
Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

CRUST
  • 2 ¼ cups vanilla wafer crumbs
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • 6 Tbsp salted butter, melted
FILLING
  • 3 (8 oz) blocks full-fat cream cheese, room temp
  • ½ cup (107 g) packed light brown sugar
  • ¾ cup (149 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
  • 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp nutmeg
  • Pinch of salt
  • 3 eggs, room temp
  • ⅓ cup (76 g) full-fat sour cream, room temp
WHIPPED CREAM (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 cup heavy cream, cold
  • 3 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
SALTED CARAMEL (OPTIONAL)
  • 1 cup (198 g) granulated sugar
  • 3 Tbsp water
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • 5 Tbsp salted butter
  • ¾ tsp salt

Note: Gram measurements do not adjust automatically with the serving multiplier.

Method
 

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. CRUST: Using a food processor or by hand, crush vanilla wafers into fine crumbs and mix in cinnamon. Add melted butter and thoroughly mix until all the crumbs are coated and it resembles wet sand. Press firmly down in nine inch springform pan and up the sides about 2 inches. No need to grease pan. Set aside.
  3. FILLING: In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add sugars until fully incorporated. Mix in pumpkin puree, flour, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Then, add eggs, one at a time, mixing after each egg is added. Scrape down sides and mix again. Finally, add in sour cream and mix until combined and smooth. Try to avoid over-mixing as much as you can to prevent cheesecake from cracking while baking.
  4. BAKE: Pour batter into crust and smooth with spatula. Bake for 50-60 minutes. Shut off oven when done (center will still be jiggly until cheesecake is cooled) and open oven door slightly. Let cheesecake sit in oven with door cracked for 1 hour. Then, remove from oven and cool on counter until no longer warm. Remove side of pan. Chill in refrigerator for at least 4 hours prior to serving. Top with whipped cream and salted caramel (both of these are optional).
WHIPPED CREAM
  1. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
SALTED CARAMEL
  1. In a medium saucepan, stir sugar into water until mostly dissolved. Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, for approximately 12-13 minutes or until it turns a rich amber color.
  2. While this is cooking, warm heavy cream in a small saucepan. After sugar mixture has turned a deep amber, SLOWLY whisk in warmed cream and continue to stir for another 4-5 minutes or until smooth. (Pour the cream into the sugar slowly so that the mixture does not bubble over.)
  3. Remove from heat and stir in butter and salt. (If caramel is too thick, add a little more heavy cream, 1 Tbsp at a time, until you reach desired consistency. You may need to reheat the caramel sauce slightly to incorporate more cream - don't worry, it will come together. Just keep stirring!) Cool slightly before adding to cheesecake.
STORAGE
  1. Cover and store cheesecake in refrigerator for up to 5 days. It can also be frozen for up to 1 month.

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