Do you like pumpkin in desserts? The most common pumpkin dessert here in the Balkan area is pumpkin strudel, in which pumpkin is most often combined with apples or cottage cheese. For a long time, this was the only pumpkin dessert I used to make. Then I started experimenting with it, browsing recipes over the internet, exploring new combinations. Once, there was a delicious pumpkin chocolate pie I made using Martha Stewart’s recipe. Then there were pumpkin brownies. Last year I made pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting for Halloween. And so came the time to try pumpkin cheesecake.
Being my favorite cake, I just had to try another version of cheesecake. And what better than the pumpkin one. Seasonal, flavorful, lovely. Markets are blooming with orange colors these days, so many types of pumpkins, waiting to be carved out for Halloween, given to pets, transformed into delicious pumpkin soups and greatest desserts.This type of cheesecake is new for my folks at home, but I have stumbled upon it numerous times on food blogs. It usually goes very well with caramel, which was convenient for me since I had 2 cans of condensed sweetened milk my friend Zorica had sent me from Canada. I finally opened one and put it to a good use. I made caramel cream called dulche de leche, something that goes “hand in hand” with pumpkin! You can make your own caramel sauce and drizzle it over this cake. I recommend you only drizzle the caramel. I brushed mine over the whole cheesecake, which made it really hard to cut it with knife, since it’s too sticky, so my caramel layer peeled off.
PrintPumpkin caramel cheesecake
- Total Time: 5 hours
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Description
This pumpkin caramel cheesecake combines the rich, creamy texture of cheesecake with the warm, spiced flavors of pumpkin and a luscious caramel topping.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (250 g) speculaas cookies, crushed
- 1 cup plus 1 tbsp (125 g) butter, melted
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 cups (500 g) cream cheese
- 1 cup (250 g) pumpkin puree
- 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (392°F). If making homemade pumpkin puree, wash and cut a pumpkin into pieces, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and bake for about 45 minutes until soft. Scoop out the flesh and puree it.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C (320°F).
- For the crust, combine crushed speculaas cookies, melted butter, and brown sugar in a bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then allow to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves. Mix until well combined.
- Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the cheesecake for 50-60 minutes, or until the center is set and the edges are slightly puffed. Allow to cool in the oven with the door slightly ajar.
- For the caramel topping, place the unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot of boiling water, ensuring the can is fully submerged. Boil for 2-3 hours, topping up with water as needed. Let it cool completely before opening.
- Once the cheesecake is cooled, drizzle the caramel over the top. Avoid brushing it over the entire surface to prevent it from becoming too sticky to cut.
- Refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.
Notes
If you don’t have store-bought pumpkin puree, you can make your own by baking pumpkin pieces until soft and pureeing them. For the caramel, it’s best to drizzle rather than spread it over the cheesecake to avoid difficulty in cutting. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 35
- Sodium: 300
- Fat: 28
- Carbohydrates: 45
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 7
- Cholesterol: 100
reading the recipe, it seems perfect.
Isn’t it?
Have a nice day.
Aria
Thank you Aria, glad you like it!