Pumpkin Pie Swirl Cheesecake

This pumpkin pie cheesecake has swirls of creamy vanilla cheesecake and pumpkin pie cheesecake filling, with a crunchy caramelized biscoff crust. It's like two desserts in one! You have two distinct flavors swirled together for the ultimate flavor and texture experience. The gorgeous orange and white swirled top is a guaranteed showstopper for your holiday table. I've included steps, tips, and tricks to help you make a luxuriously creamy cheesecake that isn't cracked on top. This is the best Thanksgiving pumpkin pie cheesecake that you'll be asked to make for many years to come. It sure is in my family!

🧀 Why you'll LOVE this recipe

• Pumpkin pie swirls: The cheesecake is swirled with a spiced brown sugar pumpkin pie cheesecake filling that's creamy and packed full of spiced pumpkin flavor.
• Vanilla cheesecake: Dense and creamy decadent vanilla cheesecake contrasts beautifully with the creamy pumpkin pie swirls.
• Biscoff crust: Crushed biscoff cookies make the perfect caramelized, crunchy crust that plays perfectly with the spiced pumpkin flavor.
• Easy to follow instructions: I've laid out the steps with lots of photos to help you perfect this cheesecake from the first try!

📝 Key ingredients

Read through for all the tips you will need for success!
Full steps and ingredients in recipe card below.

👩‍🍳 How to make pumpkin pie cheesecake

Biscoff cheesecake crust step by step

Prep: Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).

Step 1: Use a food processor to crush the cookies into crumbs. Alternatively you can place them into a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Measure 3 cups of cookie crumbs. Combine crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir, making sure that the brown sugar is dispersed evenly.

Step 2: Transfer the crumbs into a 9" springform pan. Use the flat bottom of a glass to press the crumb mixture down into the bottom and up the sides.

Place the springform pan on a larger cookie tray and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove it from the oven and let it cool - keeping the oven on.

Vanilla cheesecake batter step by step

Step 1: Combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix together to break up any cornstarch lumps.

Step 2: Add the softened cream cheese into a large bowl or stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat it until it's creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well to prevent lumps.

Step 3: Add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt into the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until smooth, scrape down the bowl, and mix again.

Step 4: Add the eggs into the cheesecake batter, one by one. Beat the egg into the batter, stopping as soon as the egg incorporates. Scrape down the bowl between each egg. Set aside.

Pumpkin pie cheesecake step by step

Step 1: In a large, clean, separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch together. Add cream cheese and mix until combined.

Step 2: Then add pumpkin puree, salt, cream, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix and scrape down the bowl.
Add the egg, mix just until combined, and scrape down the bowl.

Cheesecake assembly step by step

Step 1: Alternating batters, pour around one half cup of batter into the crust. Use a knife or spatula to gently swirl the top briefly. Don't swirl too much or else you'll mix the batters together and won't get distinct definition between the two flavors.

Step 2: To make a water bath, place the cheesecake pan into a slightly larger pan or shallow pot that it fits into. The tighter the fit the better the results!

Pour boiling hot water into the largest pan, so that it comes up at least halfway up the cheesecake pan.

Step 3: Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven (310°F or 155°C) for 80 minutes. It is ready when the edges are set and the middle is still jiggly. It will continue baking as it cools.

Leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 30 minutes with the door closed. Afterwards, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and let cool completely to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Step 4: Add the cold cream, vanilla extract, and sugar into a large bowl or stand mixer. Whip the mixture with a wire whisk until stiff peaks form. It’s ready when it’s thick, creamy, and holds its shape. Transfer into a piping bag and pipe along the border of the cheesecake.

Step 5: Sprinkle crumbs from the crust over the whipped cream and decorate with cinnamon sticks and anise seed pods.

🥄 Make ahead and storage

This cheesecake is great to make ahead because it needs at least 8 hours in the fridge to properly set and for the flavors to develop after baking. Make it the day or night before you plan to serve it, cover with a plate after it cools to room temperature, and refrigerate it overnight. Then you can unmold it before serving or transporting!

This cheesecake freezes well in an airtight container for up to 2 months. I've frozen this cheesecake and it freezes really well.

❔ How do I prevent a cracked cheesecake?

Lots of things play into a cracked cheesecake. For example:

1. Air bubbles: If you mix in too many air bubbles into the batter, it's likely to crack where the larger air bubbles move up to the surface of the batter.
2. Oven is too hot: This will bake the outside of the cheesecake faster than the inside, causing the top to crack because it's overbaked while the middle is still under baked. A water bath helps moderate the temperature of the oven and prevent this.
3. Improper formula: Too many eggs and too much cornstarch can also cause a cracked cheesecake. This is because both of these ingredients set the cheesecake, and if the ratio isn't right (for example too many eggs/cornstarch) then the outside will set faster than the inside bakes through, creating cracks.

And if you're an anxious baker and are still worried about cracks, there's nothing that a layer of whipped cream can't fix.

📖 Recipe FAQs

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📖 Recipe

Pumpkin Pie Swirl Cheesecake

Mary

This pumpkin pie cheesecake has swirls of creamy vanilla cheesecake and pumpkin pie cheesecake filling, with a crunchy caramelized biscoff crust. It's like two desserts in one! You have two distinct flavors swirled together for the ultimate flavor and texture experience. The gorgeous orange and white swirled top is a guaranteed showstopper for your holiday table. I've included steps, tips, and tricks to help you make a luxuriously creamy cheesecake that isn't cracked on top. This is the best Thanksgiving pumpkin pie cheesecake that you'll be asked to make for many years to come. It sure is in my family!

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Print Recipe Pin Recipe Shop Ingredients

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

8 hours hrs

Total Time 2 hours hrs

Course Baking, Cheesecake

Cuisine American

Servings 16 people

Calories 436 kcal

Equipment

• ▢
  eight or nine inch springform baking pan
• ▢
  electric mixer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Biscoff Crust

• ▢ 3 cups biscoff cookies or gingersnap cookies
• ▢ ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• ▢ 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt

Cheesecake Batter

• ▢ ½ cup granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 16 oz cream cheese two 8 oz full fat brick style packs, softened
• ▢ ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 large eggs room temperature

Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Filling

• ▢ ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ 8 oz cream cheese full fat, brick style, softened
• ▢ 1 cup pumpkin puree
• ▢ ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ▢ 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• ▢ 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• ▢ 1 large egg

Whipped Cream

• ▢ ½ cup heavy whipping cream 35%
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Shop Ingredients on Jupiter

Instructions

 

Crust

• Preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C).
• Use a food processor to crush the cookies into crumbs. Alternatively you can place them into a bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
  3 cups biscoff cookies
• Combine the crushed cookies, melted butter, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir with a spoon, making sure that the brown sugar is dispersed evenly.
  ⅓ cup unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Transfer the crumb mixture into a 9" springform pan. Spread it out evenly to the edges with the spoon. Then, use the flat bottom of a glass to press the crumb mixture down into the bottom and up the sides, packing it in tightly.
• Place the springform pan on a larger cookie tray and bake in the preheated oven for 8 minutes. Remove the crust from the oven and let it cool. Lower the oven temperature to 310°F (155°C)

Cheesecake Batter

• Combine the granulated sugar and cornstarch in a large bowl. Mix together to break up any cornstarch lumps.
  ½ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Add the softened cream cheese into a large bowl or stand mixer. Using a paddle attachment, beat it until it's creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl well to prevent lumps.
  16 oz cream cheese
• Add the sour cream, heavy cream, vanilla, and salt into the cream cheese mixture. Mix just until smooth, scrape down the bowl, and mix again.
  ¼ cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• Add the eggs into the cheesecake batter, one by one. Beat the egg into the batter, stopping as soon as the egg incorporates. Scrape down the bowl between each egg. Set the cheesecake batter aside while you work on the pumpkin batter.
  2 large eggs

Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie Batter

• In a large, clean bowl, combine the brown sugar and cornstarch together. Add cream cheese and mix until combined.
  ½ cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 8 oz cream cheese
• Then add pumpkin puree, salt, cream, and pumpkin pie spice. Mix and scrape down the bowl.
  1 cup pumpkin puree, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream, 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• Add the egg, mix just until combined, and scrape down the bowl.
  1 large egg

Assembly

• Alternating batters, pour around one half cup of batter into the crust. Use a knife or spatula to gently swirl the top briefly. Don't swirl too much or else you'll mix the batters together and won't get distinct definition between the two flavors.
• To make a water bath, place the cheesecake pan into a slightly larger pan or shallow pot that it fits into. The tighter the fit the better the results! Place into an even larger pan and transfer into the oven. See water bath alternatives in the notes below.
• Pour boiling hot water into the largest pan, so that it comes up at least halfway up the cheesecake pan. You may need to add a few kettles full of boiling water.
• Bake the cheesecake in the preheated oven (310°F or 155°C) for 80 minutes. It is ready when the edges are set and the middle is still jiggly. It will continue baking as it cools.
• Leave the cheesecake inside the oven for 30 minutes with the door closed. Afterwards, remove the cheesecake from the water bath and let cool completely to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Whipped Cream

• Pro Tip: Pop your bowl and whisk attachment into the freezer 5 minutes before getting started for a very thick whipped cream.
• Add the cold cream, vanilla extract, and sugar into a large bowl or stand mixer. Whip the mixture with a wire whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. It’s ready when it’s thick, creamy, and holds its shape. Transfer into a piping bag.
  ½ cup heavy whipping cream, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• Pipe whipped cream onto the border of the cheesecake. Sprinkle crumbs from the crust over the whipped cream and decorate with cinnamon sticks and anise seed pods.

Notes

Water bath options:

1. (The best option) Find a round baking pan that is 1”-2” larger than the pan that the cheesecake is in. This will keep the water out of the cheesecake preventing it from getting soggy. Nest the cheesecake into the larger pan and then into the large roasting tray where the hot water will be. *This is for if the cheesecake is in a springform pan*
2. If the cheesecake is in a regular round pan (not springform), you can place the pan directly into the water bath because water can’t get in through the bottom edge. Make sure you create a sling out of parchment paper so that you can lift to remove the cheesecake out of the pan after chilling.
3. If the cheesecake is in a springform pan, wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a double layer of aluminum foil. Try to use a wide enough foil to cover the whole bottom and edges. You can also nestle the springform pan into a heat-safe sous vide bag instead of the aluminum foil.

Make ahead and storage: This cheesecake is great to make ahead because it needs at least 8 hours in the fridge to set. Make it up to two days ahead of time. It's best to pipe the whipped cream on the same day (or night before) you plan to serve it so that it doesn't deflate. I've frozen this cheesecake and it freezes really well. Freeze in an airtight container for up to 2 months. 

Tips for success: 

1. Use full fat brick style cream cheese for the best flavor and texture.
2. Let all of the ingredients come to room temperature for 30 minutes to ensure even baking.
3. Don’t overmix the batter once the eggs are added.
4. Swirl very briefly to get distinct swirls.
5. Use a water bath to ensure an even bake. 

Nutrition

Calories: 436kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 11gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 620mgPotassium: 230mgFiber: 1gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 2794IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 185mgIron: 2mg

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