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Two Layer Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

Two Layer Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

I am a huge pumpkin pie fan and they make regular appearances in my kitchen from at least October through December. I am always looking for ways to put a spin on my Perfect Pumpkin Pie to keep things interesting – because when you try to serve people the same pie over and over again, sometimes they get a little bit bored no matter how good it is. This Two Layer Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake is one of my new favorite ways to enjoy pumpkin pie. It has a layer of vanilla cheesecake and is topped with a layer of pumpkin pie, so it delivers two desserts in one and it tastes every bit as delicious as it looks.

The cheesecake is actually very easy to assemble. The graham cracker crust is pressed firmly into the bottom of a springform pan and that is topped with the cream cheese mixture. The cheesecake is actually quite thick and firm. This helps it to stay on the bottom of the pan during baking, but you will need to spread it very carefully into an even layer on top of the graham cracker crust before pouring on the pumpkin pie mixture. The pumpkin pie layer is much thinner than the cheesecake layer, so you can pour it into place fairly easily (although you should pour slowly, just in case) without swirling the two layers together. It first bakes at a high temperature to set the fillings, than at a much lower temperature until the whole thing is set.

You can clearly see both layers when you slice into this with a sharp knife to serve it. The cheesecake is dense and creamy. The pumpkin pie filling is lighter and velvety. The two taste good on their own and blend together beautifully as you take each bite. The crust adds a little bit of crispness and texture, too.

You will need to cool this completely and chill it before serving, so it is best prepared a day or so before you intend to eat it. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, but the cheesecake is so tasty that you probably won’t have to worry about leftovers hanging around any longer than that.
Two Layer Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake, with bite

Two Layer Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
Crust
8 whole graham crackers
4 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 tbsp brown sugar

Cheesecake Layer
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pumpkin Pie Layer
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (or 2 cups homemade pumpkin puree)
1 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup milk (whole or low fat)

Preheat oven to 425F.

Make the crust: Whizz all ingredients together in a food processor until graham crackers are reduced to fine crumbs and the mixture resembles coarse sand. Should make approximately 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups of crumbs.
Transfer crumb mixture to 9-inch springform pan and press firmly into an even layer on the base of the pan. Set aside.

Make the cheesecake layer: In the bowl of a food processor or in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat together cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla until all ingredients are well-combined and smooth. Spoon into prepared crust and spread carefully into an even layer. Set aside.

Make the pumpkin layer: In the bowl of a food processor or in a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and salt until smooth. Whisk in milk.
Pour slowly and carefully over the cheesecake layer.
Place pan in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes at 425F. Lower oven temperature to 350F and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the filling is set and jiggles only slightly when pan is gently tapped.
Allow to cool completely before serving or refrigerating. Refrigerate before serving.

Serves 8-10

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17 Comments
  • Abbie @ Needs Salt
    October 2, 2013

    Wow, these cheesecake is stunning! I love all the layers. <3
    pinned!

  • Linda
    October 2, 2013

    I agree with Abbie…beautiful and looks like it would be SO tasty!! I love both pumpkin pie and cheesecake–can’t help but know the two together would be a great match and make you happy…bite after bite. Can’t wait to try this one!! Thanks!

  • Linda
    October 2, 2013

    You put both the graham cracker crust AND a pie dough crust in it? From your description and the photo there appears to be only one crust but the recipe calls for the dough for a 9″ pie for the pumpkin layer.

  • Nicole
    October 3, 2013

    Linda – Long story short, that was a typo that was the result of trying to work on multiple recipes at the same time. I fixed it now, this pie is made only with a graham cracker crust.

  • Linda
    October 3, 2013

    Thanks, Nichole. I figured it was an accidental addition when blending the two recipes. Thanks for fixing the error. Sure looks like a good one to make!

  • Heather Saffer
    October 3, 2013

    I can’t eat this but it makes me really really REALLY wish I could.

  • Katie
    October 3, 2013

    This looks awesome and is definitely going on my list of October recipes! I love all things mini, so I may try to make this into mini pumpkin pie cheesecakes in cupcake tins. Will let you know how it turns out!

  • Nicole
    October 3, 2013

    Katie – Sounds like a great idea! And you can always share photos on my Baking Bites facebook page, too!

  • Deb Kosteniuk
    October 6, 2013

    I think I would change up the crust and use gingersnap crumbs instead of graham wafer crumbs.

  • HJS
    October 15, 2013

    The two layers went completely together. One terrible mess. Whatever

  • HJS
    October 15, 2013

    Sorry! One more time: The two layers went completely together. One terrible mess. Whatever. What did I do wrong? Appearently the crememix was lighter than the pumpkinmash. I wasn’t a question of patience. I used Philadelphia.

  • Nicole
    October 15, 2013

    HJS – The cream cheese layer should be significantly thicker and more dense than the pumpkin layer because there is so much less liquid in it (one egg vs 3 eggs and 1/2 cup milk). If your cream cheese mixture seems too “light” in the future, I recommend chilling it for 20 minutes once it is in the pan to firm it up, then pouring the pumpkin layer on top slowly. This would definitely help the cream cheese layer remain in place.
    If the cream cheese mixture is much thinner than the pumpkin batter before you add it to the pan, however, I would consider starting again.

    If they swirled together, the resulting cheesecake should still be very tasty even if it doesn’t give you the two layer effect.

  • jen
    November 21, 2013

    I would love to do this in the small premade crusts (Keebler brand)… Any advice on how to adjust the temp and cooking time?

  • Nicole
    November 22, 2013

    Jen – That’s a great idea! I would just bake them at 350 until they look set, and skip the high heat part of the baking. A small dessert like that will most likely take 20 minutes or so (give or take a few minutes depending on your oven), but give one a gentle shake to test it for doneness and make sure the center isn’t wet.

  • jen
    November 23, 2013

    Thanks!! I will post how they turned out!!

  • jen
    November 29, 2013

    These turned out great!! I did cook them 20 min at 50 and it was perfect!! I also used a zip top bag to pipe the cheesecake layer in, and that worked out beautifully!

  • Baking Tuts
    November 21, 2014

    So tempting

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