This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is SO GOOD. And it’s really easy to make! Whip it up in the evening, put it in the fridge overnight and it will be ready to go when you need it. No need to bake it! It really only needs a good 3 or 4 hours in the fridge, so you can even make this recipe on the day you need it. Just put it in the fridge and forget about it!
My family eats a lot of traditional New York style cheesecake. Have you ever made one? They’re the super heavy (yet delicious…) cheesecakes that you bake. And they almost ALWAYS end up with a massive crack in the middle. The great thing about this pumpkin cheesecake is that since you aren’t going to be baking it, there is no cracking whatsoever.
It’s creamy and smooth, with just the right pumpkin flavour. It definitely tasted pumpkin-y but it wasn’t overpowering – which I really liked! And you can never go wrong with pumpkin pie spice. It pretty much makes every pumpkin dessert taste AMAZING!
I even managed to convince my kids to eat a slice. They’re still adjusting to the flavours of regular pumpkin pie, so it’s not exactly something they’re super comfortable with. But 2 out of 3 of my kids ate the piece I gave them. (I couldn’t convince my 4 year old to try it…). My 9 and 7 year olds definitely didn’t want a second piece – But hey – I didn’t eat pumpkin pie until I was a teenager, so I was pretty impressed that they ate any at all!
This is a really fun dessert to make. I’m not sure why!? There is something so satisfying about folding together the delicious, fluffy cheesecake filling. And when it comes out of the springform pan, it’s just plain pretty!?
Top it with whipped cream and sprinkle some pumpkin pie spice on top. Yum!
Check out our video for how to make No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake:
If you’re looking for other easy and delicious dessert ideas, check out our recipes for:
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake:
The full printable recipe is at the end of this post, but here’s a basic run down of the steps…
I made a traditional graham cracker crust for a 9 inch spring form pan. Any graham cracker crust will work. I added cinnamon because, well, it just sounded delicious!? But you can feel free to leave that out if you prefer.
Once you make the crust and have it pressed into the spring form pan, it needs to go into the refrigerator for about 30 to 60 minutes. Pop it in the fridge, and then by the time you’re done mixing together the cheesecake filling, your crust should be ready to go.
Doesn’t the filling look amazing!? Basically you’re going to mix together the pumpkin mix. And then in a separate bowl, whip up the whipped cream.
Make sure you whip the whipping cream until it’s super fluffy and makes peaks when you lift the mixer out. The whipped cream has to be really whipped or it won’t set. Don’t whip it until it turns into butter or anything, but make sure you whip it long enough that it makes good and strong whipped cream.
Then you fold the pumpkin filling into the whipped cream with a spatula until it’s evenly mixed. It’s light, fluffy and really just fun to mix together!
Pour the pumpkin mixture onto the graham crust and use a spatula to smooth out the top.
Leave your cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight or chill for at least 3-4 hours. If you don’t chill it for long enough, it might be too runny. And no one wants a runny cheesecake.
If for some reason you have issues that your cheesecake isn’t setting, just pop it into the freezer for about 20 minutes before you serve it. Mine came out of the pan without any issues. And it lasted on the plate for a good hour before starting to lose it’s shape. (Remember, I have to take photographs, so the food we make sits on a plate for quite awhile while I take the pictures for this website).
Doesn’t that cake edge look like creamy deliciousness!? I used a butter knife to gently cut around the edge of the springform pan before I popped it off. I just wanted to separate the cheescake from the pan so that it would release as cleanly as possible.
Add some whipped cream and sprinkle on some cinnamon or pumpkin spice. In the photo below, we sprinkled pumpkin pie spice.
Doesn’t this look SO good?! I promise you – IT IS! This cheesecake has all the best flavours of fall and it’s so creamy, light and fluffy! It’s such a satisfying and simple dessert for the season!
No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 teaspoon Sugar
- 1/3 cup melted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
FILLING
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (2 blocks)
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/2 cup Brown sugar
- 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree (about 2 cups minus 2 Tablespoons)
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 Tablespoon Pumpkin pie spice
- 16 ounces whipping cream (35%) (473 mL)
Instructions
CRUST
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and cinnamon, then add the melted butter. Mix together until combined.
- Pour the crumbs into a spring form pan and press them into an even layer covering the bottom. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to 1 hour.
FILLING
- Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese, sugar and brown sugar until creamy.
- Add the vanilla, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree. Continue beating until fully mixed.
- In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture. Continue folding and stirring gently until the colour is consistent and the mixtures are fully combined.
- Pour the filling onto the chilled crust. Spread it out evenly and smooth the top with a butter knife or spatula.
- Cover the cheesecake with aluminum foil or plastic wrap. Place the springform pan on a plate (it will leak a little bit), then refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.
- Use a thin knife to cut around the entire edge of the springform pan to help release the cheesecake. Then carefully remove it from the springform pan.
- Serve with whipped cream. Sprinkle with additional cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
Notes
- 1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice (optional)
This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake is SO GOOD and it’s really simple to make! It’s so creamy and delicious! Loaded with all the best fall flavours, it’s sure to become one of your favourite fall recipes. This is such an easy no-bake Thanksgiving dessert idea. With a delicious graham cracker crust, and the light and fluffy pumpkin filling, this easy dessert is so perfect for autumn!
Here’s a few more delicious dessert recipes:
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In a pinch, do you think the whipped topping in a tub (cool-whip) would work instead of making my own whipped cream? This sounds delicious but I don’t want to run to the store. I’m thinking it would probably make a more pudding like consistency than a firm set Cheesecake consistency but it would probably still taste good.
Can I use already made whipped cream instead of whipping it myself?
Yes I’ve made this and just used cool whip. Came out great. Ty
Love this recipe! It was so easy and the cheesecake is huge and delicious!!! I’ll be keeping this recipe around!!
hi there, do you happen to know if you can freeze this?? i would like to make it today to have this weekend. thanks
Amazing, light and delicious. My 4 year old grand daughter helped make which was really fun. Used cool whip instead of whipping cream, no issues with it setting up at all. Took to a get together and everyone could not stop talking about how delicious it was. This is a keeper!
This is an awesome recipe, thanks so much for sharing.
You said that your baked pumpkin cheesecake always got a massive crack. You might be using the same recipe I started with… It had heavy cream in it. Replace the cream with sour cream as it has more “body”. Then reduce your oven temp just a little. Also when you take a cheesecake out of the oven, run a knife around between the crust and the pan. . .that will keep the cake from cracking more.
Usually if you are getting cracks, the liquid in the cake is evaporating too quick.
Hope this helps.
I followed the directions but for some reason my crush stayed stuck to the bottom of the pan when I went to cut it all I had with cheesecake and not the crust. Any suggestions on what I did wrong or how I can improve