This is hands down my number one requested recipe for Thanksgiving. It’s been a longtime family favorite. I’m surprisingly not a pumpkin pie lover myself, however I absolutely love this Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake, especially topped with the Brown Sugar Bourbon Whipped Cream. This fancy cheesecake is the perfect mashup of pumpkin pie, cheesecake, and pecan pie. It’s perfectly spiced, perfectly boozy, and heavenly creamy.
This recipe can be (and should be) made the day ahead so you can focus on your efforts on making dinner the day of. This recipe is fairly easy to make, it just requires multiple steps. And it will definitely be worth your effort once you taste the delicious results.
Note: To print this recipe, print all 3 recipe cards below to get the directions for the crust, filling, and whipped topping.
Graham-Pecan Crust
This is my #1 requested Thanksgiving Recipe for Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake using this crust. This recipe produces a delicious perfectly spiced creamy cheesecake.
Recipe Credit: America’s Test Kitchen from the editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine
Ingredients
- Crust:
- 3 ounces crushed graham crackers (5 whole crackers)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a food processor, pulse crackers, nuts, sugar, and spices until evenly ground.
- Transfer the crumbs to a bowl and add the melted butter and mix with a spatula until combined.
- Add the nuts and cook until they are toasted and very fragrant, about 8 minutes, stirring every minute.
- Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and spread evenly over the bottom and slightly up the sides. Using a glass or flat-bottomed cup gently press the mixture into the pan.
- Bake until fragrant and slightly browned on the edges for ~15 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool on a wire rack before filling.
I have made this crust without a food processor and left the graham crackers and nuts coarse and it still comes out beautifully. I recommend using this crust with the Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe and topping it with the Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream recipe.
Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
This is my #1 requested Thanksgiving Recipe. This recipe produces a delicious perfectly spiced creamy cheesecake. I recommend using the Graham-Pecan Crust and topping it with the Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream.
Recipe Credit: America’s Test Kitchen from the editors of Cooks Illustrated magazine
Ingredients
- Filling:
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 can pumpkin (15 ounce), *slightly dried
- 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese (3 boxes), softened
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup bourbon
-1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Simmer 4 quarts of water on the stove.
- Whisk together the sugar and spices in a small bowl and set aside.
- *To dry out the pumpkin, line a baking sheet with a triple layer of paper towels. Spread with the canned pumpkin. Top with another triple layer of paper towels to soak up extra moisture. Then discard all the paper towels and set the dried-out pumpkin puree aside.
- In a standing mixture, beat the softened cream cheese for 1 minute. Scrape sides of bowl with a spatula. Add 1/3 of the sugar mixture at a time and beat on medium-low to combine, scraping bowl after each addition. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix. Scrape the bowl. Add 3 eggs to and mix until incorporated and scrape the bowl. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs. Next add the heavy cream and bourbon and mix on low until combined. Scrape the bowl a final time and give a final stir by hand.
- Wrap the springform pan with the cooled crust in a double layer of heavy-duty foil and set it in a roasting pan. Pour the filling into the springform pan. Then add the simmering water into the roasting pan until it extends half-way up the side of the foil-wrapped springform pan.
- Bake for approximately 1 1/2 hours until the center of the cake is still slightly wobbly but set when shaken. Remove from oven and let the cheesecake remain in the water bath for ~45 minutes until the water cools off. Remove the springform pan from the water bath, discard foil, and set aside to cool at room temperature for ~3 hours. Wrap with plastic wrap. Then refrigerate until chilled for at least 4 hours, overnight, or up to 3 days.
- Remove it from the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Slide a knife around the edge of the springform pan. Remove the sides of the spring form pan. Then cut into wedges and serve. (Note: For prettier slices, slice with a knife with a thin blade, and in between slices wipe the knife clean, warm in in a tall glass with warm water, and dry the knife before slicing.
This recipe stores nicely in the fridge for several days if left covered, however the crust will no longer be crispy. I recommend topping this cheesecake with the Brown Sugar and Bourbon Whipped Cream.
Brown Sugar & Bourbon Whipped Cream
This is the perfect boozy topping for the Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake. You will get so many compliments on this spruced up whip cream!
Recipe Credit: America’s Test Kitchen, from the editors of Cook’s Illustrated magazine
Ingredients
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoons bourbon
Directions
- Whisk together the heavy cream, sour cream, brown sugar, and salt. Cover with plastic wrap or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve, at least 4 hours, to ensure the sugar dissolves.
- Cover with plastic wrap or store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve, at least 4 hours, to ensure the sugar dissolves.
- When ready to serve the cheesecake, add bourbon and whisk with a standing mixer first on medium speed until the mixture begins to bubble. Then turn up the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until fluffy and the mixture doubles in volume. Note, you will not get as stiff of peaks as you would with plain heavy whipping cream.
- Spoon over the top of individual slices.
Tips & Tricks: This recipe makes 3 cups of whipped cream. Once whipped this mixture will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days before it starts to separate. You can leave out the bourbon and substitute with 1 teaspoon of vanilla.
