Pumpkin Cheese Pie Recipe For The Win

This is my favorite fall dessert and is even better when it is made with fresh sugar pumpkins. I make this pie every year for Thanksgiving and the Christmas holiday. This recipe is a combination of my two favorite pies. Pumpkin pie and cheese pie. A match made in perfect pie harmony.

This is enough filling for two 9 inch pie dishes or one 9 inch spring form pan that is 3.25 inches deep.

Ingredients:

- Filling:

1 cup sugar

1/8 c brown sugar

32 oz cream cheese

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 tsp fine sea salt

15 oz  pumpkin puree (about 1-2/3 c) procedure for homemade below. Recipe uses 2 sugar pumpkins for enough puree

3 eggs

1/3 c heavy cream

1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

1⁄4 teaspoon nutmeg

1⁄4 teaspoon clove

(1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice will work too)

- For the crust:

The following is for the two 9 inch pie dishes. Halve the recipe for the springform pan

4 c ground graham crackers

1/2 tsp cinnamon

2 stick butter, melted

Tools needed:

Sharp knife

Cutting board

Large spoon for scooping out pumpkin

Sheet pan with parchment paper x 2

Food processor

Rolling pin

Gallon zip top bag

Small mixing bowl

Medium size mixing bowl

Large mixing bowl

2 glass 9 inch pie dishes or a 9 inch spring form pan

Rubber spatula

Measuring cups and spoons

How to make it:

Place the cream cheese on your countertop to soften. It will be fine to let sit out for an hour or two.

If you want to make your own pumpkin puree (recommended) follow this procedure. I recommend making this first as it takes about an hour to soften in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Make the pumpkin puree first before making any other component to the pie. Start by cutting the ends off the pumpkin, cutting in half, and removing the seeds.   Place on a parchment lined baking sheet cut side down and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour.  The pumpkin is to be very soft.   Check for doneness with a toothpick or chopstick. It should go into the pumpkin with no resistance. Once softened, scoop out the inside being careful not to get parts of the rind. As you scoop out the pumpkin, add it into your food processor.  This is easiest when the pumpkin is still warm and blends smoother.  If needed, use a kitchen rag to hold the pumpkin while scooping out the inside.  Process in your food processor for 1 minute until perfectly smooth.  Spread the puree in a glass baking dish and refrigerate to cool.   I tilt the dish slightly by placing a folded kitchen rag under one end to motivate any excess liquid to pool to one side. If liquid is present when cooled make sure to remove it before adding it to the filling. The amount of puree will get measured later when making the pie filling. When the pumpkin is cooked and is removed from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 325 F.

While the pumpkin is in the oven, I suggest you make the pie crust to help with timing and keeping things moving in a forward direction.  The minimum chill time for the crust in the refrigerator is 15 minutes, but can chill for a few hours if it is made ahead of time.

Make the crust by placing the crackers in a zip top bag and crushing lightly with a rolling pin until the crackers are broken down into crumbs. Next, combine the graham cracker crumbs with the melted butter and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Stir well enough to coat all of the crumbs with the butter and will hold its shape when squeezed in your hand.  The graham cracker crumb mixture should not be saturated with butter, just enough butter to hold the crumbs together. For the springform pan, form the crust by press the crumbs onto the bottom and about 2/3 of the way up the sides of the springform pan. Do make sure to lightly oil the sides and bottom of the pan.   For the pie dishes, evenly spread the crust out by hand on all sides and bottom of the pie dishes.

Refrigerate the crust as described.

Now, let’s make the filling.

Break the eggs into a separate small bowl and beat lightly to incorporate the yolks and whites.

Cream the sugar with the softened cream cheese until no lumps are present.   A rubber spatula is recommended as a whisk will incorporate too much air into the filling. Add the rest of the filling ingredients including the lightly beaten eggs and lightly stir together being careful not to add too much air into the mixture until perfectly incorporated.  If too much air is present, the filling will bubble and pop while baking leaving tiny holes in the pie after it is done baking.

Bake for 30-40 minutes. The top will turn a bit darker at this point and the middle is to be slightly jiggly. If you have a thermometer, the middle of the pie will read 165 - 170 F. Remove from the oven and allow the cheesecake to cool. When the cheesecake has cooled to room temperature, put it into the refrigerator and chill for 12 - 24 hours (24 hour chill time is best).  When the cheesecake has chilled, remove the pan sides if using a spring form pan and cut the cake into 8 equal pieces. Serve with a generous portion of whipped cream on top.

Enjoy!

Logan