Creamy, cinnamon-warm pumpkin cheesecake with that signature caramelized Basque top, sitting on a crunchy chocolate Oreo cookie crust. It’s not traditional, and that’s exactly the point.
I know, I know. A classic Basque cheesecake has no crust. It’s okay to bend the rules. My interpretation of burnt Basque-style cheesecake has a vanilla cookie crust bottom. So course, my pumpkin version also include a crust.
I added an Oreo crust to this pumpkin Basque cheesecake because I just love the contract. You get rich chocolate flavor and a buttery, crunchy base underneath the silky pumpkin filling. Every bite has a little textural contrast, which is something I miss in a crustless cheesecake.
Confession: I’m not the biggest fan of pumpkin spice. That’s why I keep this simply flavored with cinnamon. If you love that nutmeg-allspice-ginger combo, go ahead and use pumpkin spice mix instead.
Recipe Highlights
- Crunchy chocolate cookie base. Oreo cookie crust adds textural variety plus pairs wonderfully with pumpkin cheesecake.
- Extra moist pumpkin filling.
- No water bath, no fuss! Cracks, burnt spots, and wrinkled edges are all part of the rustic charm here.
- Choose your texture. Change how you cool it to get a custardy, gooey center or a firmer, sliceable one
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
Oreos Cookies: Use whole cookies (filling and all!). Standard chocolate Oreos are great, but golden Oreos are equally delicious. Or, swap in graham crackers or vanilla wafers.
Cream Cheese: Grab the full-fat block (or brick) cheesecake. Spreadable tub cream cheese or low-fat/reduced-fat cream cheese don’t work well for this recipe.
Spices: Ground cinnamon is my pick. Swap in an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice if you prefer the classic spice blend.
How to Make Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake
- Make the Oreo crust. Pulse the cookies into fine crumbs, then mix with melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Line your 6-inch springform pan with crumpled parchment, then press the crumbs firmly into the bottom. Set aside.
- Mix the filling. Mix together cream cheese and sugar in food processor. Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down bowl as needed. In a small bowl, stir together pumpkin puree, flour, salt, and splash of cream until paste form. Slowly add more cream and mix until smooth. Transfer to food processor and pulse just until smooth.
- Bake hot. Pour batter over crust and bake at high temp until top is garamizeds and center jiggles like set custard. Don’t panic when it puffs up. It will settle as it cools.
- Cool for the texture you want.
| TEXTURE YOU WANT | HOW TO COOL IT |
|---|---|
| Gooey, molten center | Cool at room temp about 90 minutes and serve slightly warm |
| Firm, dense, creamy slices | Cool completely, then chill overnight |
Pumpkin Basque Cheesecake with Oreo Crust
Equipment
- 6-inch round cake pan with removable bottom preferably at least 3-inch deep
- food processor
Ingredients
Crust:
- 150 g Oreo cookie sandwiches
- 85 g unsalted butter, melted, cooled
- pinch kosher salt
Cheesecake:
- 454 g brick style cream cheese, room temp
- 125 g granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, or vanilla bean paste
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 16 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or pumpkin spice mix
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 120 g pumpkin puree, canned, blot if very wet
- 115 g heavy cream
Instructions
- Line 3-inch deep 6-inch round cake pan with removable bottom with 2 layers of parchment paper, allowing paper to extend about 2-inches above cake pan rim. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Set rack in center of oven.
Crust:
- In a medium bowl, stir together roughly ground Oreo cookies, melted butter, and salt until mixture is well moistened.
- Transfer to prepared cake pan. Press into an even layer into bottom of pan. Use tamper or flat bottom of drinking glass to compact and smooth out crust. Set aside while you prepare filling.
Filling:
- Place cream cheese and sugar in a food processor fitted with blade attachment. Process until mixture is smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
- Add vanilla. With processor running, add eggs one at a time, ensuring each egg is incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
- In a separate small bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, salt, pumpkin puree and about 1 tbsp of cream until paste forms. Slowly add remaining cream, a little at a time, until mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of flour.
- Transfer flour paste mixture to food processor. Run food processor for about 20 seconds until mixture is smooth and well incorporated.
- Pour mixture into prepared cake pan over crust. Spread into an even layer. Place filled cake pan on baking sheet to catch any spills during baking.
- Place in center of preheated oven. bake for 40-50 minutes until top is browned yet center is still slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and cool in pan.
- Cool before serving. Unmold cheesecake from pan. Enjoy at slightly warm, room temperature or chill overnight.*
Notes
- Store leftover cheesecake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Alternatively, tightly cover with plastic wrap.
- Bake time is slightly longer than my regular Basque cheesecake because of the extra moisture in pumpkin puree.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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