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Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan Crust

Monica
Pumpkin, cheesecake and a toasty brown sugar pecan crust. What is not to love? This recipe has long been a family favorite in our home. Enjoy!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 10 servings

Ingredients
  

For the Crust:

  • 3/4 cup flour
  • 6 tablespoons packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons chilled butter cut into chunks
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans

For the Filling

  • 8 ounces cream cheese at room temp I use the 1/3 less fat version
  • 6 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Instructions
 

For the Crust:

  • Butter a 9 inch removable bottom quiche pan.(Don't have one? Check out my recommendation on Amazon down below) In a food processor, blend the flour with the sugar and salt. Add the butter and process until it looks like coarse meal. Add the water and continue to pulse until it forms moist clumps. Transfer to a bowl with the chopped pecans and mix together until well combined and dough comes together. (Easiest to do using your hands)
  • Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the buttered quiche pan. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes until firm. (You can prepare the crust one day in advance. Keep refrigerated and wrapped in plastic wrap.)
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the rack into the center of the oven. Line the crust with foil and fill it with beans or pie weights . Place the quiche pan on top of a baking sheet and bake about 10 minutes, remove the weights and foil and continue to bake about 10 minutes. (I like to put a piece of parchment paper under the quiche pan to make for easy transfer from the baking sheet to the counter or rack to cool.)
  • Keep the oven at 375F.

For the Filling:

  • In a mixer, beat the cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add in the sugar until blended, then the eggs one at a time just until blended. Move about a third of the cream cheese mixture to a separate bowl. Add the pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and cloves to the mixer bowl and beat again until all blended.
  • Pour the pumpkin filling into the crust. Add the reserved cream cheese mixture by spoonfuls over the pumpkin filling. (See picture above) Using the tip of a sharp knife, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture into the pumpkin mix creating a decorative pattern. (Tip: Use small strokes with the knife making multiple small strokes varying the direction each time)
  • Bake until the filling is firm in the center(about 30 minutes)...press gently on the center with your finger to test it. You don't want to over cook it or the filling will begin to crack.
  • Cool it on the counter or a wire rack, cover and chill if making a day ahead.