If you’ve ever tried my easy cheesecake pie, you know what to expect with this pumpkin cheesecake pie variation. This tastes just like regular pumpkin cheesecake, but takes a fraction of the time, and there’s no water bath needed! The smooth & creamy spiced filling pairs perfectly with a sweet Biscoff crumb crust and fresh whipped cream.
One reader, Amanda, commented: “I’ve made this twice—for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Everyone loved it! The instructions are easy to follow, and it doesn’t take long at all. Will be on regular rotation. ★★★★★”
This pumpkin cheesecake pie is for all of us who love pumpkin pie and cheesecake, but don’t have the time and energy for either. I feel like I’m talking to a lot of people with this one! 😉
What’s Different From Regular Pumpkin Cheesecake?
Have you tried my cheesecake pie before? It’s like regular cheesecake, only a little smaller. We’re making the same thing here today, but adding some seasonal flavors and spices. This recipe is like my pumpkin swirl cheesecake, but scaled down to fit in a pie dish (and sans the swirl).
I also have a caramel apple cheesecake pie recipe, if you’re in the mood for apples.
Because this filling isn’t as tall as a regular cheesecake, and only uses 2 eggs, you can skip the cheesecake water bath. This means all those fussy steps we take when making a traditional cheesecake—baking it in a water bath, cooling it in the oven, exceptionally long chilling times, plus the possibility of large cracks on the surface—those rules don’t apply to a smaller cheesecake pie!
Start With a 2-Ingredient Biscoff Crumb Crust
While you can absolutely make this pie with a graham cracker crust, taste testers (and I, personally) went ga-ga (the official term) over this pumpkin cheesecake pie’s Biscoff pie crust.
If you’re not familiar with Biscoff cookies (AKA speculoos), they’re a European biscuit (AKA crispy crunchy cookie) with a distinctive caramelized, cinnamon-spiced flavor. Which makes for an absolutely perfect flavor pairing with this pumpkin cheesecake pie filling. We use a similar crust layer in these pumpkin pies in a jar. You can find Biscoff in the cookie aisle of most major grocery stores.
The steps to make the Biscoff crust are exactly the same as a graham cracker crust, minus the added sugar, and it conveniently uses exactly one standard-size package of Biscoff biscuits/cookies. A food processor is best for breaking down the cookies into fine crumbs. I have a separate post about making a Biscoff pie crust if you want to read more.
Press the mixture into a pie dish, then pre-bake it for 10 minutes before adding the filling.
Grab These Ingredients for the Pumpkin Filling:
- Bricks of Cream Cheese: Make sure you’re using bricks of full-fat cream cheese and not the cream cheese in a tub you would use for spreading on bagels. The same rule applies for making cream cheese frosting.
- Brown Sugar: You’ll love that this pumpkin cheesecake filling isn’t overly sweet. Using brown sugar gives the filling a little more flavor from those molasses undertones.
- Heavy Cream: This smooths out the filling so it tastes creamy. You only need 2 Tablespoons, so use the rest of the carton to make whipped cream to go on top of the pie.
- Vanilla Extract: A must.
- Lemon Juice: A teensy splash of lemon juice adds brightness and depth of flavor; trust me, you want that little bit of tang here.
- Spices: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cardamom. I usually use cloves when making pumpkin pie, but I *love* a dash of cardamom here for something a little different. As always, a pinch of black pepper deepens the spice flavor—it’s my secret ingredient in many of my best pumpkin dessert recipes.
- Eggs: A main ingredient in any baked cheesecake, to help it set up. Want an egg-free option? Try my no-bake pumpkin cheesecake instead.
Mix up the filling, spread it into the warm pre-baked crust, then bake.
Cool, Chill, & Serve
You know how you have to wait a few hours for a regular cheesecake to cool and then you have to wait another 4+ hours for it to chill in the refrigerator? You’re doing the same thing here, only in a fraction of the time! The pumpkin cheesecake pie cools for about 1 hour at room temperature (no need to let it cool in the oven like we do with classic cheesecake recipes) and then chills for at least 2 hours or up to 2 days. This is a great make-ahead dessert.
I always love a little garnish on cheesecake, and I recommend a simple topping of homemade whipped cream with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice. I used Ateco 849 piping tip for piping the whipped cream around the border of the pictured pie.
The pie would also taste amazing with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce, or even some sparkly sugared cranberries!
In Short, Here’s Why You’ll Love This Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Velvety-smooth tangy-sweet pumpkin cheesecake filling
- Deliciously spiced with buttery 2-ingredient Biscoff cookie crust
- Batter and crust come together quickly
- Bakes and cools much faster than a regular cheesecake
- Great make-ahead dessert recipe
- Pumpkin pie meets cheesecake… do I really need to say any more?
This recipe is part of Sally’s Pie Week, an annual tradition where I share a handful of new recipes that fit into the pie/crisp/tart category. Join the community below!
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Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes (includes crust)
- Total Time: 4 hours, 10 minutes
- Yield: one 9-inch pie
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
If you’ve ever tried my easy cheesecake pie, you know what to expect with this pumpkin cheesecake pie variation. This is just like regular pumpkin cheesecake, but takes a fraction of the time, and there’s no water bath needed! The smooth & creamy spiced filling pairs perfectly with a sweet Biscoff crumb crust and fresh whipped cream. The cooled pie must chill for at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days). This is a great make-ahead dessert.
Ingredients
Biscoff Crust
- 32 Biscoff cookies (8.8 ounces/250g)
- 5 Tablespoons (71g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3/4 cup (150g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (170g) pumpkin puree (canned is best)
- 1 Tablespoon (8g) cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (do not omit)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
- small pinch freshly ground black pepper (optional)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- optional, for garnish: whipped cream and sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: Use a food processor or blender to grind the Biscoff cookies into fine crumbs. You can also place them in a zip-top bag and crush them into fine crumbs using a rolling pin and some arm muscle. In a medium bowl, stir the Biscoff crumbs and melted butter together until combined. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Try to smash/break up any large chunks. Pour the mixture into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium pressure using your hand, pat the crumbs down into the bottom and up the sides to make a compact crust. Do not pack down with heavy force because that makes the crust too hard. Simply pat down until the mixture is no longer crumby/crumbly. Tips: You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface, but do not pack down too hard. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart. For more shaping technique tips, see the Biscoff pie crust recipe page.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Make the filling in the next step as the crust bakes.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and brown sugar together on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the pumpkin, cornstarch, heavy cream, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and spices, and then beat until fully combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed to combine—you don’t want any lumps. Then on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. After the second egg is incorporated into the batter, stop mixing. If you still see some lumps at this point, switch to a whisk and whisk by hand just until you break up the large lumps. Some small lumps are OK.
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C). Spread the pumpkin cheesecake filling into the warm crust.
- Bake the pie for 40–45 minutes or until the filling is *almost* fully set with a little wobble in the very center. Give the pie a light tap to check. During bake time, if the pie is browning too quickly on top and around the edges, tent with aluminum foil.
- Set the pie on a wire rack and cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then place it in the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days before serving. (Cover if chilling it for longer than a few hours.)
- Feel free to garnish the pie with any of the optional toppings listed in the Notes right before or a couple hours before serving. For the pictured pie, I used a piping bag fitted with Ateco 849 piping tip and piped whipped cream in a zigzag pattern around the chilled pie. For neat slices, use a clean sharp knife, and wipe the knife clean after each cut.
- Cover and store leftover pie in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: This cheesecake pie can be made up to 2 days in advance. It’s best if the crust is still a bit warm when you pour in the filling, so I don’t recommend pre-baking the crust in advance. You can also freeze the baked and cooled cheesecake pie for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowl | 9-inch Pie Dish | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Whisk | Cooling Rack | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 849 Piping Tip
- Graham Cracker Crust: You can use a graham cracker crust instead of the Biscoff crust if you prefer. Or try the gingersnap crust from this pumpkin swirl cheesecake recipe.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: Bring all cold ingredients to room temperature before beginning. Room-temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly, so you won’t risk over-mixing. Also, beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling, hardly the way you want to begin!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: I have a homemade blend recipe for pumpkin pie spice, and you can use it here. Replace the ground ginger, nutmeg, and pepper with 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice. You’ll still want to use the ground cinnamon and cardamom as called for in this recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was so excellent. I measured the cookies by weight and had no issue with the amount of crust (the Trader Joe’s speculoos cookies sleeve is only 7.7oz). I will definitely be making this again!
I just put my pie in the oven and I’m not sure if it’s just because it’s my first time making a crust like this and I wasn’t able to thin it out well, but I had quite a bit of filling left in the bowl that I couldn’t use or else it would have overflown. It even seems if I had been able to thin it out, I would have still had extra filling. I used a 9” pie dish as recommended so I’m just wondering if this is normal or not and if you have any recommendations as to what I should do next time. It feels like such a waste of filling, I wish I had more cookies or even store bought graham cracker crusts. Is it possible to save the remainder of the filling in the fridge until tomorrow when I can grab crusts?
Hi Chelsea, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. Was your pie dish about 2-inches deep? If it was much shorter, that would yield a thicker crust and too much filling. Make sure your Biscoff cookies are well crushed and pack it in tightly enough (but not too hard) around the bottom and up the edges to leave enough room for the filling. You can use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to help press down the bottom crust and smooth out the surface. And run a spoon around the bottom “corner” where the edge and bottom meet to help make a rounded crust—this helps prevent the crust from falling apart. We hope this helps.
This is an easy and outstanding recipe. I made it with the biscotti crust. I have never made a pie before and this was a huge hit.
I love this cheesecake pie! I’ve made it several times, and it’s always delicious. My only changes are to omit the cardamon and increase the nutmeg. I do think the measurements are off though. I use a 9.5″ pie dish, and my crust is nowhere near as thick as in the photos (and it doesn’t even come up the sides all the way). And I always have extra filling (which I bake in a 4-inch dish). It seems to need more crust for the topping.
I have made a lot of Sally’s recipes but this one is now at the top of the list. Easy to make, so silky and not heavy. The only change I made was to swap out a few of the biscoff cookies for ginger snaps to increase the spice and decrease the sweetness. It was a hit with everyone. I am not a pumpkin pie fan in general, but I love this pie. I have already shared it with others!
This was SO GOOD. I’ve made a lot of Sally’s recipes, but this is easily towards the top of the list. Bonus: it was quick and easy to make.
I don’t love Biscoff cookie butter, so I was hesitant to try the biscoff crust, but I chose to trust the recipe, and I’m so glad I did. No notes. This recipe is perfection.
Delicious! My family wants more, right away! This recipe is a keeper for sure
I couldn’t find Biscoff cookies, so used spiced Spakulatious cookies from Aldi, which make a decent substitute.
Is it possible to make this recipe in a “mini” version? I’d like to try it as individual cheesecakes by using a muffin tin. How should I adjust the baking times?
Hi Jordan, absolutely! Bake time will vary depending on the exact size of your pans. Hope they’re a hit!
Such a delicious alternative to traditional pumpkin pie!
So delicious & so easy to make!! Lovely way to end our Thanksgiving Day meal!! Thank you for the recipe!
I have never made a pie before and chose to do the biscoff crust and this recipe for thanksgiving. It was unbelievably good and not complicated. Everyone loved it.
I made this pie for Thanksgiving and am eating it for breakfast today. It is fantastic and everyone wanted the recipe. So easy to make. Highly recommend.
I made 5 pies for thanksgiving and this one was voted the best! It was absolutely wonderful, flavor and texture. Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Smooth and creamy…and pumpkin! Need more be said?
Made two. Second time out, I used chocolate graham cracker crumbs for the crust and sprinkled dark chocolate shavings over the piped whipped cream. Soooo good!
We started making this pie a couple of years ago for Thanksgiving. It is always a big hit and the first one gone. Recipe turns out great every time. Thank you!
Do you think I could use 2 teaspoons of Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Pie Spice in place of all of the spices and measurements listed? I know I will never use cardamom again!
Should be fine, CB!
It’s apparent why I missed the heavy cream in the pumpkin cheesecake pie, between the dogs, the husband, the horses and my son, I kept getting interrupted. So much so that I didn’t even get to proofread my comment before I accidentally hit send which I thought was the return button. The iPhone just got an update and I’m still not used to everything. I wish I could blame it on too many margaritas, but I can’t. Lol
Have everything in the oven And realized I forgot the 2tablespoons of whipping cream. Ack! Am I doomed?
Hi Tracy, it will be fine!
Sally, I have not tasted this pie yet because it’s still in the oven. However, I had extreme difficulty with the crust. I followed the directions faithfully, but the crumbs would not adhere to each other and just kept crumbling. I probably spent a half hour trying to get the crust in the pie pan. Additionally, my pie is not orange like your picture. It is more of a tan. I have read the directions three times and I measured everything to the gram. Help.
Hi Linda! The color darkens as the pie bakes – you can see that reflected in the photos above. How did you measure your Biscoff cookies? Next time, if that happens again, you can add a little more butter to the crust mixture to bring it together.
Hi Sally! Would the pie bake the same if I put a layer of your homemade caramel between the crust and the filling? Thank you!
Hi Alissa, we don’t recommend adding caramel under the filling, but it would make a fabulous topping for the pie!
Can this be made in a springform pan, like a traditional cheesecake? I’m short on glass pie pans.
Hi Maygan, while you could make this recipe in a springform pan, it would be a thin cheesecake. This cheesecake pie is thinner than a tall cheesecake. We’re unsure of the exact bake time using a springform pan. If you’re interested in a full-size cheesecake, you might enjoy our pumpkin swirl cheesecake or no-bake pumpkin cheesecake as well. Or, if you have a copy of Sally’s Baking 101, there is a pumpkin cheesecake recipe in that book!
Hi Sally & team, I made this pie, carefully following the recipe exactly and it was so delicious. However, I’m curious why the instructions say to add the filling to the warm crust. Is a warm crust necessary to ensure the filling adheres to the crust, or some other reason? Thank you 🙂
Hi Suze, yes! A warm crust helps the filling adhere nicely to the base. We’re so glad the pie was a hit!
Lexi, thank you for responding! Today I made the pie substituting a homemade graham cracker crust and it was equally good.
What if brick style cream cheese is not available in my country? Is it still possible to use the cream cheese in the tub with modifications?
Hi Laura, from what we understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make this pie. We have no experience with it, but this is what we’ve heard from other non-US readers. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
Hi Sally, can I double the recipe to make a taller cheesecake?
Hi Mari, we don’t recommend doubling the recipe for a taller cheesecake. Instead, you could try a classic cheesecake recipe made in a springform pan, like this no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, this pumpkin swirl cheesecake, or the pumpkin cheesecake recipe from Sally’s Baking 101.
I live in NZ and the special US store was out of pumpkin puree but I did get some pumpkin pie filling instead. Could I use that?
Hi Lana, unfortunately, pumpkin pie filling will not work here. It is a different consistency than pumpkin puree and contains added ingredients, so the taste and texture will be off. Best to wait until you have pumpkin puree to make this recipe!
Daughter Deborah, made this last year as the Thanksgiving dessert and it was requested for her by the host to bring it again for Thanksgiving 2025. It must be a keeper!
Another great recipe!! Made this for Friendsgiving and it was such a hit!!
Can I use a springform pan.
Hi Diane, while you could make this recipe in a springform pan, it would be a thin cheesecake. This cheesecake pie is thinner than a tall cheesecake. We’re unsure of the exact bake time using a springform pan. If you’re interested in a full-size cheesecake, you might enjoy our pumpkin swirl cheesecake or no-bake pumpkin cheesecake as well. Or, if you have a copy of Sally’s Baking 101, there is a pumpkin cheesecake recipe in that book!
Can I use gingersnaps instead of graham crackers for the crust?
Absolutely!
Could I use an aluminum baking pan to make this? I want to make several and am trying to cut down on how many of my nice pie pans I use!
Should be fine, Hailey! But sometimes those pans are a little smaller, you may have extra filling.