Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Have you ever thought to put pumpkin and chocolate together? Sure pumpkin brownies are great but there it is a predominantly chocolate. I’m talking about a mainly pumpkin dessert that also has an added bonus of chocolate.
This chocolate pumpkin cheesecake started as an experiment about 12 years ago and it turned out so incredible, I had to share it. It has been beloved by many for years now and I still make it every fall season! This cheesecake inspired me to make many of my other pumpkin cheesecakes as well as leading to my pumpkin cookbook.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Cream cheese – try to use full fat original cream cheese for the best rich and creamy texture of the cheesecake. Using less far cream cheese will alter the texture so the cheesecake won’t be as rich and may lose some of it its structural integrity. If you do want to use less fat cream cheese, go only as low as 1/3 less fat.
Heavy whipping cream – just like full fat cream cheese, it will provide the best rich and creamy cheesecake texture so don’t substitute.
Graham Cracker Crumbs – this is a great product that will save you the step of blending your own. Check the baking aisle of your grocery store to see if it’s available. If it is not available, get graham crackers and pulse them in the food processor until fine crumbs form.
Chocolate options – for the bar at the bottom of the cheesecake, use your favorite chocolate bar. It can be milk or dark chocolate. For the chocolate syrup on top, you can use your favorite chocolate syrup, or even a hot fudge topping.
Gluten free substitution – The only part of this cheesecake that contains gluten is the graham cracker crust. Use gluten free graham crackers and pulse them into crumbs to create a gluten free crust. Remaining ingredients should already be gluten free but double check the labels and nutritional information.
The Springform That Does Not Leak!
Years of wrapping my springform in foil seem to be in the past! I’ve wrapped my springform with foil and roasting bags and tried all different tricks to try and keep the water from leaking into the pan. Most of it worked okay to keep water out but a little would still leak in. Now, I’ve found a pan that has been working awesome to keep the water out! This is not an advertisement, I just want to share the pan that made my life easier!
This is the leakproof springform pan that I use and it works great. I’ve tested it with and without foil wrap on the outside. (Williams Sonoma also makes a leakproof springform but it’s more expensive.)
How To Make Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Crust: Mix the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar together and spread the mixture in the prepared springform. Pat it evenly along the bottom and a little up the sides. Lay the chocolate pieces all over the crust, evenly. After some testing, I’ve started to chop up the chocolate bar to make it easier to cut the cheesecake when serving.
Make the cheesecake filling. Beat the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Don’t try to rush it because this will help with the light and luxurious texture of the cheesecake.
Scrape the sides and the bottom of the cheesecake to make sure no unwhipped pieces are left behind. Start beating again and pour in the sugar as it’s mixing. Then add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree and beat to combine. Beat it eggs in one at a time and scrape the bowl again. Remembering to scrape is important so that all the batter is mixed evenly without any pieces left un-mixed.
Lower speed and add in spices and cornstarch. Make sure that all ingredients are well combined. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl and beat again until all smooth, just a few seconds.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the prepared crust and spread chopped pecans over the top.
Bake the cheesecake in the water bath for the best texture and so ensure it will not sink after baking. Place the large roasting pan in the oven first, then place the cheesecake filled springform pan inside of it. Add hot water to the larger roasting pan until it’s about halfway up the side of the springform pan. Be careful, pour in water off to the side so no water gets into the cheesecake.
Bake for about 85 minutes. Turn off the oven, open the oven doors half way, and let the cheesecake rest in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Finishing the cheesecake this way will help prevent cracks that are caused by overbaking. Take it out of the water bath and rest it on the counter until cooled to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake air-tight and refrigerate to finish cooling for at least 6 hours or overnight.
How To Tell If Cheesecake Is Done Baking?
When the edges are set and the center is slightly soft and jiggly, you’ll know it’s cooked! As it cools in the oven and on the counter, the center will continue to set more and become more firm. DO NOT insert a knife or toothpick into the center to check for doneness, since that may cause the dessert to crack.
Storing Instructions
Make sure to store the cheesecake in the refrigerator and covered air-tight. Properly stored, cheesecake should last up to 5 days.
I recommend simply storing it in the very same pan it was baked in, covered tightly with plastic wrap or another air-tight wrap you use. Remember to cover it tightly every single time after you take out a slice!
How Can I Freeze Pumpkin Cheesecake?
PRO TIP: Make sure to freeze the cheesecake WITHOUT any frosting or toppings (nuts are okay)! Don’t frost until ready to serve.
You can freeze cheesecake right on the bottom of the springform pan or you can take it off the pan and transfer it onto an aluminum foil covered cardboard.
Once cheesecake has been cooled to room temperature, run a butter knife along the inside of the springform pan to separate the cheesecake from the pan. Place the pan with the cheesecake into the freezer and freeze for about an hour.
Then, carefully take off the side portion of the springform. At this point, you can either keep the bottom of the springform with the cheesecake or transfer it onto a piece of thick cardboard cake holder covered with aluminum foil.
Wrap cheesecake and the bottom of the pan with plastic wrap, in 2-3 layers. Then, wrap the whole thing with aluminum foil. As an added protection from air, you can place the whole things in a large, zip-top freezer bag, but that’s not necessary.
Make sure to date and label before placing cheesecake back in the freezer. Cheesecake will keep in the freezer for 2-3 months.
To thaw frozen cheesecake, make sure to do it slowly, in the refrigerator! Take the cheesecake out of the freezer, take off the zip-top bag, and place into the refrigerator and slow-thaw overnight.
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Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- Measuring cups
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 oz chocolate bar broken in pieces
Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 cup white granulated sugar
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground all spice
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
Topping:
- 1 cup pecans chopped
- 1/4 cup Chocolate syrup or hot fudge topping
Instructions
Before Baking:
- Grease a 9-inch spring form, set aside. Preheat the oven to 325℉.You will need a large roasting pan that’s bigger and longer than the springform pan. (You can even use the aluminum foil disposable ones).If you are not sure about your springform holding up in water, you can wrap the outside of the springform pan in heavy duty aluminum foil from bottom up to the sides. Try to use a wide kind of foil so you would only need to use 1 solid sheet. (I recommend wrapping the outside of the springform in foil before adding the crust and cheesecake batter.) See NOTES about a leakproof springform!
- Although, there is a chance that a small amount of water will leak in, this will NOT ruin the cheesecake.
Crust:
- Mix the ingredients for the crust, very well, until all evenly incorporated. (Not the chocolate bar.)
- Spray inside of the springform pan with some cooking spray, making sure you get the sides too. Press graham cracker mixture into the pan, evenly, all over the bottom and about half way up the side. (You can use a measuring up to press the cookie crumb mixture.)
- Lay the chocolate pieces all over the crust, evenly.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Give it a good 2-3 minutes of beating to get is soft and smooth. Scrape sides and bottom on the bowl and beat for another minute.
- Pour in the sugar as it's beating and then lower the speed and add the vanilla extract, sour cream, and pumpkin puree. Raise the speed again and beat until smooth.
- Add the eggs, one at the time, beating after each addition. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl.
- Lower speed and mix in spices and cornstarch. Make sure that all ingredients are well combined. Stop to scrape bottom and sides of the bowl and beat until all smooth.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan with crust. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.
Baking The Cheesecake:
- Place a large roasting pan into the oven and place cheesecake springform inside the roasting pan. Carefully add hot water to the corner of the roasting pan, filling it about half way up the side of the springform.
- Bake for about 85 minutes. Turn off the oven and open the oven door half way. Let cheesecake rest for 10 minutes and take it out of the oven. Take the foil wrap off the pan.
- Let it rest for 10 minutes on the counter and then gently run a butter knife between sides of the cheesecakes and the springform to carefully separate it. (You don’t actually have to take the cheesecake out of the pan until ready to serve.)
- Cool cheesecake for an hour and then cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cut and serve the cheesecake, drizzle the chocolate syrup over the top. (Note, if using hot fudge topping, you will need to warm it up to make it easier to drizzle and spread.)
Video
Notes
- Storing: Cheesecake will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator. Store it in the original baking pan and make sure to re-wrap the pan air-tight.
- Water Bath: DO use the water bath technique, it does strongly affect the texture of the cheesecake.
- How To Tell If Cheesecake If Done: You can tell the cheesecake is baked when the edges are set and the center is slightly soft and jiggly. DO NOT insert a knife or toothpick into the center since that may cause the dessert to crack.
- Cooling: DO cool the cheesecake is three steps: 10 minutes in the turned off oven, on the counter, and chill in the refrigerator.
- Leakproof springform: I’ve been testing this leakproof springform pan for a while now and it has been holding up very well with and without foil wrap.
Nutrition
More Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipes
Like I mentioned, this cheesecake started my obsession of making different pumpkin cheesecakes every year. Some of our favorites include Pecan Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecake, Layered Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecake, and this Creme Brulee Pumpkin Cheesecake has been a reader favorite as well.
Our family Thanksgiving table is not complete without my Pumpkin Cheesecake Pie on it every single year. And if you want to try something different, try my Sweet Potato Cheesecake.
Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles in September 2013.
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Categories:
Cheesecake Recipes, Chocolate Recipes, Dessert Recipes, Fall Recipes, Gluten Free Recipes, Pumpkin Recipes, Thanksgiving Dinner Recipes,All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe.
Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.
So good, we make this every year around the holidays.
That makes me so happy to hear!I love that it’s part of your holiday traditon!❤️
Can you make this a day early? Will it keep?
Yes, you can make it a day early and it will be fine. I go over more about how to store cheesecake in these two posts here are the links so you can check them out. https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/chocolate-cheesecake/ and https://www.willcookforsmiles.com/new-york-cheesecake/