So here we are, my birthday week, and I’ve made the hubs a pumpkin cheesecake. Don’t get me wrong — I love me a good cheesecake (although, you should already know this because there’s been no shortage of cheesecake recipes around here). I will take a vanilla cheesecake, chocolate cheesecake, s’mores cheesecake, lemon cheesecake, banana split cheesecake, or just about any other cheesecake (and if it’s this No Bake White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake? No question). But this one is all his. I do the official taste test of all my recipes, yes, even the pumpkin recipes. But after that? I’m pretty much done. I can say, “yes, that is an awesome recipe for someone who likes pumpkin” or “no, that is a terrible recipe even if someone likes pumpkin”. And I will admit that I am ever so slowly coming around. My first year of blogging, I maybe had one bite. Last year, it was maybe 2 or 3. And who knows? Maybe this year I will make it to half a piece! And the hubs will only get 11.5 pieces to himself 😉 Do you think he will make me a birthday cake in return for my generosity? We will have to wait and see!
Tips for making the best No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake:
Cream cheese is a lot easier to beat smooth when it is at room temperature — be sure to take it out of the fridge at least a few hours before making! Want to mix things up? Try using chocolate baking crumbs or gingersnap crumbs for the crust, or drizzling with caramel and toasted pecans. Make sure your cream is heavy whipping cream, or at least 30% fat. Your cream needs to be cold when it is whipped, and the bowl, beaters and other ingredients must not be warm. It needs to chill a minimum 6 hours but overnight is even better — if you are ahead of the game and can make it a day before you want to serve it, that’s the best option.
Can I add gelatin to this No Bake Cheesecake recipe?
I prefer not to add unflavored gelatin to my no bake cheesecake recipes unless it’s absolutely necessary as it can lead to a “Jello-y” texture. If you are concerned about the cheesecake setting up, or you are going to have it sitting at room temperature for some time and want some extra insurance, you can add some in, but I really don’t believe there is any reason to with the recipes updates made down below. You can add half or a full package of unflavored gelatin (the more you add, the firmer and more “Jello-y” it will be). Simply sprinkle over cold water and let sit for 5 minutes. Then microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring each time, until dissolved. At this point you can mix it into your cheesecake filling.
Recipe updates as of October 2020
I made a few updates to this recipe to make it even more foolproof for those who were having difficulty getting the cheesecake to set up. The original version is slightly softer in texture, although not considerably, but I still want everyone to have that perfect No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake they’re looking for.
Whip the cream separately: you know I’m all about fewer dishes in the kitchen, so I am not going to use an extra bowl if it’s not needed. For me, with the original recipe, I didn’t feel that it was needed, and I have never had a problem with the cheesecake setting. But since some people did, I have opted to change the recipe so that the cream is whipped separately — this ensures it gets whipped properly and will hold up well. Bake the crust: this is optional, but baking the crust does help it to firm up, and makes it easier to remove from the pan as well as slice and serve. Pumpkin Pie Spice: I swapped the original cinnamon for pumpkin pie spice after some requests for more pumpkin spice flavor. You can use either, or a combination of spices you prefer.
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