Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

5 from 2 votes

A no-bake, easy to make cheesecake that will become part of your holiday season repertoire. A smooth pumpkin cream cheese filling sits in a Biscoff crust and is generously topped with caramel sauce.

Prep Time30

Chill Time8

Total Time8 30

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: slices

Calories: 552kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

Ingredients

Biscuit Base

300 g Biscoff biscuits
50 g light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
115 g unsalted butter melted

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake

300 ml double cream (heavy cream) cold
685 g Philadelphia cream cheese
280 g pumpkin puree, canned
180 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar) sifted
50 g light brown sugar
50 g Lyle's Golden Syrup
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon allspice
⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg Alternatively use 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice instead of ginger, cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg
½ teaspoon fine salt

Caramel

165 g light brown sugar
115 g unsalted butter
260 g Lyle's Golden Syrup
180 ml double cream (heavy cream) room temperature
pecans, toasted & chopped optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Biscuit Base

Prepare the pan. Line the base of a 23cm (9-inch) springform pan with parchment paper. (No need to line the sides.)
Blitz the biscuits. Add the biscuits, brown sugar, ginger, and cinnamon to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until the biscuits are crumbled finely.
Pour in the melted butter and pulse again until the crumbs resemble wet sand.
(Alternatively, crush the biscuits by hand. Add the biscuits to a zip lock bag, remove as much air out as possible and close. Use a rolling pin to crush the biscuits. Add them to a bowl along with the sugar, spices and melted butter and stir thoroughly.)
Pour into prepared pan and refrigerate. Pour the biscuit crumbs into the prepared springform tin and pack the crumbs into the base and up the sides. They need to be as compacted as possible so that they don’t crumble when cutting the cheesecake later. I recommend using a ⅓ measuring cup for this.
Refrigerate the base for 30 minutes minimum or freeze for 15 minutes whilst you make the filling.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Whip the cream. In a medium sized bowl, add the cold cream and using hand-held electric beaters fitted with the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Beat the cream cheese.(See note below on cream cheese) In a separate bowl, add the cream cheese and using hand-held electric beaters fitted with the paddle/beater attachment, beat on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the base and sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Add the remaining ingredients. (See note below on pumpkin puree) Into the cream cheese mixture add the pumpkin puree, powdered icing sugar, light brown sugar, Lyle’s Golden Syrup, spices, and salt and beat on medium speed until smooth, creamy, and combined.
Fold in the whipped cream. Add the whipped cream to the pumpkin cream cheese mixture and fold through with a rubber spatula until fully combined. Take care not to deflate all the air in the whipped cream by over mixing.
Fill the biscuit base and refrigerate. Remove the biscuit crust from the refrigerator, or freezer, and pour the pumpkin cream cheese filling into it. Smooth the filling throughout the base and use an offset spatula to smooth off the top.
Cover tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate the cheesecake for a minimum of 8 hours but I recommend leaving it overnight. This gives it the best chance to firm up.

Caramel Sauce

Add the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup and heat. 1 to 1½ hours before serving the cheesecake, make the caramel. Add the butter, brown sugar and Lyle’s Golden Syrup to a large high-sided saucepan, and over medium heat stir until the butter has melted, sugar has dissolved, and ingredients combined.
Add in the cream. Once the mixture is simmering, remove from the heat and slowly pour in the cream and continue whisking as it may bubble vigorously. Return to low heat and allow the mixture bubble whilst continuously stirring for five minutes until the caramel has thickened.
Remove from the heat and pour in a bowl and set aside to come to room temperature.

Serve

Remove from the fridge and de-mould. Remove the cheesecake from the fridge, then using a knife, run the blade around the edge to loosen it, then release the springform pan rim and remove it carefully.
Slide the cheesecake onto a serving plate.
Pour caramel sauce over and decorate. Pour the room temperature caramel sauce liberally over the top of the cheesecake. (Any caramel sauce leftovers can be stored in the fridge.)
Use a clean, sharp knife to cut into slices. If the caramel sauce has sat on the cold cheesecake for a while, it can firm up. If this happens then heat the blade of your knife under warm water, wipe dry and slice slowly through the caramel and cheesecake. Clean, warm and wipe the blade before each cut for the neatest slices.
Alternatively, slice undecorated cheesecake and pour caramel sauce over individual slices.
Serve cheesecake with optional toppings of chopped toasted pecans and whipped cream.

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes helpful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

Cream Cheese: If using cream cheese from a tub the extra moisture may cause your cheesecake to be runny and not set. Place the cream cheese on a paper towel, fold the paper over until the cream cheese is fully covered, and pat dry. Repeat with another two pieces of paper towel. Philadelphia Cream Cheese that comes in brick/block does not need to go through this process.

Pumpkin Puree: If your pumpkin puree looks in anyway watery, then place it into a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, (and I mean fine-mesh otherwise half the puree will pass through - again I learnt this the hard way!). With a spoon, gently move it around the sieve so that some of the moisture can pass through.

To store: The cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator wrapped well in plastic wrap, for up to three days. If the caramel has been poured onto the cheesecake, then it will harden in the fridge. There will be leftover caramel sauce- this can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Warm through in the microwave or on the stove top and serve over ice cream, sponge cake etc.

To freeze: The undecorated cheesecake can be frozen easily. Once it has set in the refrigerator, wrap well with plastic wrap, and then aluminium foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and then slice and serve. Do not freeze an un set cheesecake as the texture becomes affected and will turn grainy.

Make ahead: This cheesecake makes for a great make ahead dessert. You can make the biscuit crust 1-2 days ahead of time and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use. Alternatively, make the biscuit crust and filling and refrigerate undecorated for 2 days. Then make the caramel and pour over when ready to serve.

TIP 1: Whip the cream enough. The cream provides stability to the cheesecake but it has to be whipped to firm peaks to create that structure when chilled.

TIP 2: Compact the biscuit crumbs for a sturdier base. A measuring cup is the best utensil to push the biscuit crumbs down. The more the compact they are, the stronger your cheesecake shell will be when it comes to filling it.

TIP 3: Remove the moisture from the pumpkin puree and/or cream cheese. If there is any extra moisture from the pumpkin puree or tub form of cream cheese, you ruin your cheesecake - refer to my tips above.

TIP 4: Refrigerate the cheesecake. Don't cut down on the minimum chill time of six hours. I recommend overnight though!

TIP 5: Slice the cake with a hot knife. To get clean neat slices through the caramel and soft mousse like filling, using a hot knife is a must.

Nutrition