This silky no-bake pumpkin cheesecake with a buttery crust is a quick dessert option and the perfect way to end your Thanksgiving dinner. Topped with fluffy Cool Whip and packed with fall-flavors, it’ll be the star of your menu.
Why You’ll Love This No Bake Cheesecake Recipe
If you love pumpkin-everything once fall comes around, you need to try this spiced no bake pumpkin cheesecake.
- Perfect for fall. Cinnamon, earthy nutmeg, spicy ginger, and ground gloves create a homemade pumpkin spice mix for the recipe.
- Beginner-friendly. It’s an effortless dessert made with the food processor and mixer so everyone can nail it.
- No-bake. Don’t worry about firing up the oven. This luscious cheesecake is prepped on the counter and then sets in the fridge.
- Better than the bakery. You know exactly what’s in it, you can add matcha powder, and even make an Oreo crust for it.
What You’ll Need
Velvety pumpkin purée and warm spices like nutmeg and cloves are a heavenly flavor combination. Scroll to the bottom of the post for exact ingredient amounts.
For the Crust
- Graham crackers – Use your favorite brand.
- Butter – I prefer unsalted butter, but salted butter is okay as well.
For the Cheesecake Filling
- Pumpkin purée – Sugar-free and/or organic purées are best.
- Cream cheese – Full-fat cream cheese whips into a richer filling.
- Sugar – Go for granulated sugar or light brown sugar.
- Vanilla extract – It helps round out the sweetness.
- Spices – You need ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground cloves.
- Cool Whip – You can use regular or the Lite version. Whipped cream works too.
How To Make No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Any dessert where the food processor and mixer do most of the work for you is effortless. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.
- Prep the crust. Pulse the graham crackers in the food processor until fine and sandy. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and pour in the melted butter. Combine until you get a moist, coarse mixture.
- Make the cheesecake. Use a hand mixer to beat the cream cheese, pumpkin purée, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves in a medium-sized bowl until light and fluffy. Gently fold in the Cool Whip. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 1 hour.
- Assemble them. Press 2-3 tablespoons of the crust mixture into the bottom of each serving glass until packed and flat. Transfer the chilled cheesecake mixture into a large pastry bag with a large tip. Squeeze 1/2-3/4 cup of cheesecake mixture over the crust in each serving glass.
- Serve. Top with Cool Whip to taste. Enjoy!
Tips & Variations
You can make regular, matcha, or chocolatey versions of this creamy no bake pumpkin cheesecake even without a mixer.
- Make it chocolatey. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder into the cheesecake ingredients for a chocolatey bite.
- Add toppings. Sprinkle the cheesecakes with mini chocolate chips, shredded coconut, or chopped pecans for extra flavor and texture.
- Skip the mixer. If you don’t have a hand mixer, use a whisk to prepare the filling. The purée needs to be at room temperature and the cream cheese softened. Skip the sugar and swap it for honey so that the mixture doesn’t turn out grainy. Prep and assemble as usual.
- Go matcha. Add 1 tablespoon matcha powder to the filling ingredients for an earthy, green tea variation with lots of pumpkin goodness.
- Prep ahead. Whip up the mixture and/or process the crust up to 4 days in advance. Assemble them right before dinner for a quick dessert.
- Swap the crust. Use Oreo or Biscoff cookies instead of graham crackers for the crust. This will give you an ultra decadent cheesecake treat.
- Add a drizzle. A salted caramel, dulce de leche, or chocolate syrup drizzle over the cheesecakes can take them to the next level.
Proper Storage
Keep them away from strong-smelling foods to prevent the transfer of odors.
- Fridge: Tightly cover the serving glasses with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Assemble or transfer the cheesecakes to freezer-friendly containers. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 20-30 minutes.
More Pumpkin Desserts To Try
Description
This velvety no bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe with warm spices and Cool Whip is an easy fall-flavored dessert for Thanksgiving.
For the Graham Cracker Crust
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- Add graham crackers to a food processor, chop until turned to powder.
- Pour into a small bowl and add melted butter. Mix till a moist crust is formed.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons of graham cracker mixture into a serving cup. Pat down.
- In a medium bowl, add softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves. Using a hand mixer, combine until mixture is smooth.
- Gently fold in the lite cool whip. Let sit in refrigerator for 1 hour.
- Using a large pastry bag with a large tip squeeze about 1/2-3/4 cup of pumpkin cheese mixture over the crust. Top with a dollop of cool whip.
- Store in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 363
- Sugar: 16 g
- Sodium: 389 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Carbohydrates: 41 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 37 mg