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

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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.

Keywords: pumpkin cheesecake pie