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Gingersnap Pumpkin Cheesecake with Warm Praline Sauce

Course Dessert, Dessert Sauce
Cuisine American
Keyword Cheesecake, Praline, Pumpkin
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 2 hours
Cool before slicing 1 hour
Total Time 4 hours
Servings 12 servings
Author David of Sunset & Sewanee

Equipment

  • 9 inch Springform pan
  • food processor for grinding cookies into crumbs
  • baking sheet pan
  • cooling rack
  • stand or hand mixer
  • 4-qt saucepan
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
  • high temperature rubber spatula
  • whisk
  • mixing bowls (assorted sizes)
  • sharp thin slicing knife

Ingredients

Gingersnap Cookie Crust

  • 1½ cups gingersnap cookies, crushed for thin crust (add more if you wish a thicker crust) Homemade Gingersnap Cookies Recipe
  • ¼ cup granulated or caster sugar
  • ⅓ cup butter, good quality / melted or very soft

Pumpkin Cheese Cake

  • 1½ lbs cream cheese, softened (3 boxes, 8 oz each) Neufantel cheese works great as well.
  • 1 cup honey (Preferably Acacia honey, but Alfalfa, Fireweed, Clover, Avocado, Aster and Beechwood varieties work as well)
  • 5 oz evaporated milk
  • 15 oz pumpkin puree (plain-not sweetened)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature, and beat in one at a time
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated (if you use store-bought ground nutmeg use ½ tsp.)
  • ⅛ tsp ground clove

Sour Cream Topper

  • 1 cup sour cream, store-bought or homemade (alternatives Mexican sour cream or thick French crème fraîche)
  • ¼ cup sugar, granulated
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract

Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Making the Gingersnap Cookie Crust

  • Break up the gingersnap cookies in your hands and place them into a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse until a coarse cookie meal has formed.
  • Remove from the processor into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Then, using your hands, work the melted/softened butter into the ground cookies crumbs.
  • Set a 9-inch springform pan on a sheet pan and spray the springform pan with vegetable spray. Optional, and I'll admit overkill (safety) to get the crust to release from the pan after cooking.
  • Using your hands, press the cookie crumb crust into the springform pan. Work the crumbs to cover the bottom of the pan entirely in a thin layer and freeze for 10 minutes. (If you desire a thicker crust, use more.)
  • After the bottom layer of the cheesecake, the crust has firmed up, add the remaining buttery cookie crumbs and work the mixture up the sides of the springform pan. Take a spoon and evenly smooth out the bottom and sides of the crust to make a uniform thickness. Take your time here. Place the formed crust on a sheet pan.
  • Carefully place the springform pan (along with the sheet pan) in the freezer. Freeze for 15 minutes or until the crust is firm and set up. Reserve frozen until needed.

Making the Sour Cream Topper

  • Add the sour cream, sugar, and vanilla to another mixing bowl. Whisk together until incorporated. Reserve and keep cold.

Making the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling & Baking

  • Preheat oven to (350°F or 177°C).
  • Add the softened cream cheese and honey to a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the cream cheese/sugar mixture on medium speed until light and fluffy.
  • Add the evaporated milk and pumpkin puree. Mix until thoroughly combined on medium speed.
  • Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat for 45 seconds before adding the second egg. Next, beat the second egg for the same amount of time.
  • Add the cornstarch, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and ground clove in a separate mixing bowl. Run the mixer on low and pour the spices/cornstarch into the pumpkin/cheesecake mixture. Continue mixing on low until everything is well incorporated.
  • Pour the pumpkin cheesecake batter into the reserved gingersnap crust and place the cheesecake on the sheet pan and place it into the 350°F/177°C oven on the center rack. Bake for 55-60 minutes.
  • After approximately 1 hour, turn the heat off and leave the cheesecake in the oven for an additional hour. The residual heat will gently set the cheesecake filling in the center. Otherwise, the top of the cheesecake will collapse when it's cooled. IF this happens, the cheesecake is still delicious, just not at its full potential.
  • Remove the cheesecake after 1 hour. Reserve
  • Turn the heat back on to 350°F/177°C.
  • Spoon on the Sour Cream/Crème Fraîche Topper to the cheesecake and return to the oven for an additional 8-10 minutes. The extra baking time will set the Sour Cream/Crème Fraîche Topper.
  • Remove cheesecake from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack. Allow cooling for 15 minutes minimum.
  • To remove the outer ring of the cheesecake, take a thin knife and run it around between the crust and the outer ring of the pan to loosen. Be careful and make sure your blade can move around the cheesecake. Next, undo the restraining clip of the ring and carefully remove the outer ring. (If the crust sticks in some, areas use the thin knife to separate and lightly push the crust back onto the cheesecake.)
  • Allow to cool thoroughly for another 1 hour before attempting to slice. For best results chill the cheesecake overnight.

Final Garnish and Slicing

  • To get those uber clean slicing lines, fill a pitcher with very hot tap water.
  • Place your slicing knife in the pitcher and allow the blade to become hot.
  • Wipe off the water and make a slice. Repeat this process with each cut.
  • Place a slice of the Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust on the center of a serving plate. Top the cheesecake with Warm Bourbon Praline Sauce (Optional) and serve.