Ever since I published plain no-bake cheesecake, I’ve had requests for this flavor! This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is smooth and creamy with extra spiced flavor. It sits in a crunchy gingersnap cookie crust that provides the best textural contrast to the fluffy mousse-like filling. There’s absolutely no oven required—the dessert sets up in the refrigerator, making it a convenient make-ahead option this fall season.
There aren’t many seasonal desserts that top pumpkin pie. A dessert tradition this time of year, pumpkin pie features a smooth spiced filling sitting in a wonderfully flaky pie crust. It’s hard to compete with this kind of perfection.
But I found something that comes shockingly close. Let me introduce you to no-bake pumpkin cheesecake. A dessert recipe that skips the oven, says goodbye to pie crust, and waves toodaloo to any sort of cheesecake water bath. It tastes like cheesecake mousse with the deeply spiced flavor of pumpkin pie. This is a great place to use homemade pumpkin pie spice!
Sitting in a flavorful gingersnap cookie crust, this ultra creamy dessert is unforgettable. If you don’t fall in love, I’ll happily take your leftovers.
Why You’ll Love No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- Texture: crunchy crust, light & creamy filling
- Flavor: cinnamon gingersnap crust and pumpkin spiced filling
- Ease: no water bath, no baking, no cheesecake cracks on top, no worries
- Convenience: save precious oven space for other dishes
- Make-ahead: filling sets and flavor tastes better
One reader, Whitney, commented: “Simple to whip up and oh-so delicious! I loved this as an ‘update’ to a traditional pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. The filling was light and airy, and the gingersnap crust packed a spicy punch! I will definitely add this to my Thanksgiving Day dessert menu for years to come! ★★★★★”
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Video Tutorial
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
With more flavor and crunch than a graham cracker crust, a gingersnap cookie crust isn’t just there in the background. Instead, it’s a whole other layer to savor. You need gingersnap cookie crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. To make this crust a cut above the rest, I suggest adding cinnamon and ginger too. This is exactly how I prepare the crust for my (baked) pumpkin swirl cheesecake, though you need a little more of each ingredient for this recipe.
3 Success Tips:
- Type of cookie: The type of gingersnap cookie you use will make or break the recipe. (Literally.) I’ve never had luck using homemade gingersnaps. Pick up a box/bag of store-bought gingersnaps, such as Stauffer’s brand. You can find them in the cookie aisle of most grocery stores. You want extra crunchy, hard, and somewhat dry cookies. If they’re too moist, your crust won’t set up.
- Pack it in: The tighter you pack in this crust, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides of your springform pan.
- Briefly freeze to set the crust: After you pack in the crust, place it in the freezer while you prepare the cheesecake filling. Remember, we aren’t baking this crust—the freezer gives the crust a chance to set before you add the filling on top.
Don’t want to use gingersnap cookies? Use the graham cracker crust from my plain no-bake cheesecake.
Overview: How to Make No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- Whip heavy cream: In the 1st bowl, beat heavy cream/heavy whipping cream into stiff peaks. This is the most important step in this entire recipe and *the secret* to a thick no-bake cheesecake filling. It has proved successful in strawberry cream cheese pie and blueberry cream cheese pie also.
- Mix the other filling ingredients together: In a 2nd bowl, you need cream cheese, canned pumpkin, confectioners’ sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, spices, and salt. In my recipe testing, I used my plain no-bake cheesecake as the starting point. Pumpkin thins the mixture out, so I had to play with the amount of cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar. Thrilled with the developed recipe below—spiced, thickened, and perfectly pumpkin-y.
- Fold in the whipped cream: Remember our whipped cream? Gently fold it into the pumpkin cream cheese mixture. Avoid over-mixing because we don’t want to deflate anything.
- Spread into crust: Smooth the filling into the crust. I like using a large or small offset spatula to make the job easier.
- Refrigerate: Instead of the oven, use the refrigerator to set this cheesecake. Cover and refrigerate the prepared cheesecake for at least 8 hours or up to 2 days.
Pictured on the left below: the whipped cream. On the right below: the pumpkin cream cheese mixture.
Pictured on the left below: the whipped cream and pumpkin cream cheese mixture combined. On the right below: spread into our gingersnap cookie crust.
With No Baking, How Does This Cheesecake Hold Its Shape?
- Make sure you pack the crust in tightly.
- As I mention above, the most important ingredient is the whipped heavy cream. Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin cheesecake filling gently so you don’t deflate all the air. The air creates a deliciously fluffy mousse-like consistency and, more importantly, helps the filling set in the refrigerator.
- For a clean and sturdy slices, refrigerate it for at least 8 hours, but 12+ hours is ideal. Not only does the time in the refrigerator solidify the filling, it also gives the flavors a chance to mix and mingle. Flavor is incredible the next day.
Skip these 3 steps and you’ll be eating pumpkin soup for dessert. Avoid that mess!
Smaller Serving Alternatives
- For 24 cupcake size no-bake pumpkin cheesecakes, use the crust and filling ingredients below and the instructions for my mini no-bake cheesecakes. Feel free to halve the recipe if you don’t need quite as many.
- You can use this recipe to make 6 8-ounce or 10 6-ounce cheesecake jars. Halve the crust recipe below because we don’t need as much crust for the jar dessert. Use the full recipe for the filling. Follow the instructions for my no-bake cheesecake jars. Top with salted caramel, chocolate ganache, heath bar toffee bits, more gingersnap cookie crumbs, or homemade whipped cream.
And if you love both pumpkin pie and cheesecake, you’ll want to try my pumpkin cheesecake pie next.
See Your No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecakes
So many of you have tried this recipe. Feel free to email or share your recipe photos on social media.
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No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 8 hours, 20 minutes
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: American
Description
This fluffy no-bake pumpkin cheesecake sits in a crunchy gingersnap crust. The most important steps are whipping the heavy cream into stiff peaks before folding into the filling and refrigerating the cheesecake long enough so it can set.
Ingredients
Gingersnap Cookie Crust
- 2 cups (200g) gingersnap cookie crumbs*
- 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger and ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar or brown sugar (packed)
Cheesecake
- 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (226g) pumpkin puree*
- 3/4 cup (90g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings
- Whipped Cream and/or Salted Caramel
Instructions
- Make the crust: Stir the gingersnap crust ingredients together. Pour into a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan and pack in very tightly. The tighter it’s packed, the less likely it will fall apart when cutting the cheesecake. I recommend using the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it into the bottom and up the sides. You can watch me do this in the video above. Freeze for 10-20 minutes as you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 4 minutes. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until perfectly smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the pumpkin, confectioners’ sugar, and brown sugar and beat on medium-high speed until combined. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed to help combine. Add the vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and salt and beat until combined, creamy, and smooth. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
- Using your mixer on low speed or a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your silicone spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
- Remove crust from the freezer and spread filling into crust. Use an offset spatula to smooth down the top.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 2 days. For best results, at least 12 hours is best. I chill mine overnight. The longer refrigerated, the nicer the no-bake cheesecake will set up. I don’t recommend using the freezer to set this cheesecake filling.
- Use a knife to loosen the chilled cheesecake from the rim of the springform pan, then remove the rim. Using a clean sharp knife, cut into slices for serving. For neat slices, wipe the knife clean between each slice.
- Serve cheesecake with optional toppings. I used Ateco 849 piping tip for the whipped cream in the pictured cheesecake. Cover and store leftover cheesecake in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: This cheesecake can be made 1-2 days in advance. It can be refrigerated in step 5 for up to 2 days before serving. You can also make the crust 1-2 days ahead of time. Freeze for up to 1 hour in step 1, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 1-2 days before adding the filling. Another way to make this cheesecake ahead of time is to freeze it. After it sets in the refrigerator (step 6), wrap the whole pan (you can remove the sides if desired) in 1 layer of plastic wrap, then 1 layer of aluminum foil. No-bake cheesecake freezes wonderfully for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, then slice and serve.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Glass Mixing Bowls | 9-inch Springform Pan or 10-inch Springform Pan | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Small Offset Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 849 Piping Tip
- Pan: To make slicing easy and neat, use a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan. If you don’t have one, a 9 inch deep dish pie dish (at least 2 inches deep) works. Chill the cheesecake for at least 12 hours to help guarantee the cheesecake slices neatly.
- Gingersnap Cookies: Store-bought gingersnap cookies are ideal as they are the most dry. The ONLY brand that I’ve had issues with is the Nabisco gingersnap cookies. They’re delicious on their own, but they’re too moist for a gingersnap cookie crust. I love Stauffer’s brand. You need about 30. Alternatively, you can use the graham cracker crust from my regular no-bake cheesecake instead. Feel free to add or reduce the amount of cinnamon and ginger based on your taste preference.
- Pumpkin: I strongly recommend canned pumpkin, not fresh (homemade) pumpkin puree in this recipe. I like to use Libby’s brand. Fresh pumpkin puree will prevent the cheesecake from properly setting. Do not use pumpkin pie filling. If you can’t find canned pumpkin, use 1 cup of sweet potato puree. Boil 2 medium sweet potatoes until soft, then peel, slice, and puree/mash them with a blender or mixer until smooth. Measure and use 1 cup. Make sure the puree is room temperature or cold before using.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves. Increase cinnamon to 3/4 teaspoon.
- Can I Make Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes? Yes, use this crust and filling recipe and follow the instructions in my mini no-bake cheesecakes, which are made in a standard muffin pan.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Really? I needed a sledgehammer to cut the crust. The consistency of the filling was better suited for a parfait than cheesecake. A complete fail. And I followed this recipe religiously. Never again. Yuk.
I have a question I am wanting to do a swirl with the pumpkin Puree in the cheesecake. Can i do that instead of mixing the pumpkin Puree with the cheesecake filling?
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was amazing!! I used lotus Biscoff cookies for the crust. I did not add any sugar or spices – just the butter and it set perfectly. I didn’t make any adjustments to the filling. Highly recommend this recipe!!
My oven died 2 weeks ago and I needed a non-bake alternative to the dessert (a rum cake) I usually make for Thanksgiving. This no-bake cheesecake was a huge hit and I will definitely make again. I chose to do a classic graham cracker crust, and made 2 days in advance so it was fully set. I am not a pumpkin pie fan (too rich), and this cheesecake was light and refreshing after the big meal.
I made this for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved how light and airy it was and appreciated that following a big meal. This is definitely going to be part of our new Thanksgiving tradition! I also had enough cream left from my 2 cup carton to make Sally’s salted caramel to drizzle over the top (flawless) and another half cup to whip up for a nice whipped cream topping.
Can I use lotus biscoff for this recipe?
Hi Faith, that should be fine!
Can you use cool whip instead of heavy whipping cream
Hi Helen, we haven’t tested it but you should be able to replace the heavy cream with 2 cups of Cool Whip (1 cup of heavy cream whips into around 2 cups.) You may also want to reduce the sugar since Cool Whip is sweetened.
Can I use speculoos in places of ginger snaps?
That should work, Danielle!
I’m so excited about trying this. I’m going to make the mini version. Can these be frozen?
Hi Sharon, absolutely. See recipe Notes for details on mini versions and freezing. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
I made a trial run of this in hopes to make it for Thanksgiving. The taste is absolutely amazing, but as some other people commented, it was quite mushy and after 48 hours in the fridge I noticed liquid running from the bottom of it and made the whole crust soggy. I did use full fat cream cheese blocks. Could the problem have been with the whipping cream? It didn’t quite get into stiff peaks and ended up looking kind of clumpy and slightly runny. Did I overwhip? Or use the wrong kind?
Hi Melissa! Did you use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream? You want the term “heavy” in the name for proper whipping fat percentage. If the cream was lumpy and runny, it was likely over-whipped. Always keep an eye on it while whipping and it can over-whip quickly!
Thank you! I just checked and it says “whipping cream”. I’ll make sure to get the “heavy” one next try
Followed the directions and used all the suggested ingredients but the filling never set, even after refrigerating overnight. The flavor was delicious but the texture was more like pudding than cheesecake. The crust was good but did stick to the pan. I would not make this one again.
Hi Jessie! Did you use full-fat block style cream cheese? Using any other type (spreadable, whipped, etc.) will lead to a cheesecake that doesn’t set properly.
Love this!!! I’ve made it twice. First time it was a little soft. Second time I added a pack of gelatin and it turned out perfect. I do have a question. What would you recommend to do so the crust does not stick to the pan?
Hi Aracelly, thank you so much for trying this recipe. Using a very sharp knife to slice and a thin pie server helps. Firmly slice into the crust and dig the server under the bottom crust as best you can. You could also try spraying the springform pan with nonstick spray– that should help as well.
The cheese cake was creamy and had a great flavor. The trouble I had was that it did not set properly and was a big mushy mess. I couldn’t get the bottom crust off the pan, I struggled to losen the crust from the side of the pan, and trying to slice and serve it was difficult since it ended up looking like pumpkin cheessecake pudding. I know I followed the recipe, the fridge is cold enough and was refrigerated for at least 12 hours. Where could I have gone wrong? I am starting to wonder if my crust was packed down to hard but that doesn’t explain the mushy cheesecake. Any suggestions on where I may have messed up?
Hi Linda! Did you use full-fat block style cream cheese? Using any other type (spreadable, whipped, etc.) will lead to a cheesecake that doesn’t set properly.
Sally, your recipes never fail! I had my two adult sons over for dinner yesterday, and I made this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. It was so light, fluffy, and decadent, and was so easy to make! It simply melts in your mouth! Thank you so much for always providing such easy and delicious recipes. You are my ‘go-to’ for any and all recipes, and I appreciate your tutorial videos. A++!!!
I love this recipe but if I were to use gelatin to make this more firm how much gelatin should I use?
Hi Shirley, we haven’t tested adding gelatin powder to this no-bake cheesecake, but let us know if you give it a try!
Made it with gelatin. 1 package of gelatin powder (6g) works like a charm. It’s not as super soft and runny anymore! Perfection <3
Did you just add it to the cream cheese?
I added it at the end before folding in the whipped cream
Yummy cheesecake but I was looking for the nutritional information and I found nothing… How many calories are we talkin’ here? Per slice?
Hi Elliott, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
Can you use a store bought pre made graham cracker crust ?
Hi Susan, You can but it won’t be as deep so you will likely have some leftover filling.
First, I LOVE your recipes….! You are my go to. I want to make this but was thinking about trying it crustless… would that be possible? Or is it necessary to the hold of it?
Hi Charlene! For this no bake cheesecake, the crust really helps hold it together. We don’t suggest making it crustless, unless you wanted to try something like a cheesecake jar instead!
Do you think this would taste and work out alright using a regular refrigerated pie crust that has been blind baked? I’m on crunch time and that’s all I have. The filling in this pie sounds so delicious and I have everything to make it except crust ingredients
Hi Jane, we haven’t tried it ourselves, but we can’t see why that wouldn’t work. Be sure the pie crust is fully baked and still leave enough time for the filling to set. Let us know how it goes!
Can this be made three days ahead? Can this travel in a cooler?
Hi Maria, this no-bake cheesecake will stay well in the refrigerator for up to five days, or see recipe notes for other make ahead options. It should travel just fine in a cooler. Enjoy!
This was a tasty dessert and it’s relatively easy to put together. I wouldn’t call this cheesecake as it’s much more airy than true cheesecake, but I guess it’s in the cheesecake family because of the cream cheese. The pumpkin flavor is light but pleasant. I didn’t have any issues with the butter coming out of my crust as others have mentioned; I followed the recipe as is. I used Keebler brand (used to be Murray brand) ginger snaps, as my grocer doesn’t carry Stauffers. Also many thanks to those at Sally’s Baking Addiction for providing the video. I find it super helpful to see how certain steps are performed and what the consistency of the pie and crust is at different steps in the process.
Followed the recipe and it didn’t set. It’s like a cold pudding.
Can I use gelatin powder to set it.. if yes how much ?
Hi Venita, we haven’t tested adding gelatin powder to this no-bake cheesecake, but let us know if you give it a try!
Great flavour but my bottom crust was totally stuck to the pan when trying to slice servings. I used a measuring cup to pack the crust like in your video. Is it possible to over pack the crust?
I made this last week for a birthday party, and it was absolutely scrumptious! The one small problem I had was with the chilling process. After the cheesecake had already been chilled overnight, it still felt very soft, and when I lightly touched the top it would leave a visible finger print. I stuck it in the freezer for about forty minutes, and then decorated it and kept it in the fridge until serving time. It turned out great! I love the ginger flavor that comes from the crust.
For those in Europe where cream cheese tends to be a bit more liquid, I would recommend freezing the cake, it was super delicious, but would have been soupy otherwise.
Oh, and I used Biscoff cookies as gingersnaps are not common here. So delicious, especially with extra caramel on top, yum!
I have this cake currently setting in the fridge and realized that I used granulated sugar instead of confectioner sugar in the filling. Should it be okay?
Can you use cool whip instead of the whipping cream
Hi Judi, we haven’t tested it but you should be able to replace the heavy cream with 2 cups of Cool Whip (1 cup of heavy cream whips into around 2 cups.) You may also want to reduce the sugar since Cool Whip is sweetened.
Ready for fall but not ready to heat up the kitchen. This recipe screams FALL! I wanted to try it last year but never got around to it. Mine isn’t as pretty and tall as yours, I think because my pan was too big. But it is delicious!! The gingersnap crust is perfect with the pumpkin and a drizzle of caramel sauce. Love it!
I find the gingersnaps to be quite sweet. Do you think it would be ok to exclude the sugar?
Hi Sylvie, we don’t recommend excluding it completely, as it helps the crust to set properly. You could certainly try reducing it, but it will take some trial and error. Hope you enjoy this one!
Made this for Christmas, it was so good!!! Light and fluffy and so easy to make.
I made this for my husband’s birthday (which was also Thanksgiving this year).
Not only was incredibly easy to make considering it looks so impressive, but my husband was OBSESSED. It was such a joy to see how much he loved it.
He’s still thinking about it weeks later. Thanks for a wonderful recipe, Sally!
I love your comment! I’m making this for my mom’s 80th birthday which happens to fall on Thanksgiving this year. Somehow a pie didn’t seem enough for a birthday!