Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

It’s the best of both worlds: fragrant pumpkin pie and melt-in-your mouth cheesecake – swirled together and baked in a homemade graham cracker crust. An elegant looking pie – your family will think you’ve become an expert baker, but it’s actually an easy recipe to make. A bonus:  as your pie bakes your house will fill with the most delicious aroma of pumpkin.

You can either use pumpkin from a can or make your own fresh pumpkin puree. Click HERE for an easy how-to.

And please, if you’ve never made a homemade graham cracker crust, I urge you to give it a try. Store-bought crusts are made with shortening which has no flavor, but the recipe below is made with flavorful butter and is much yummier. I love eating the crust as much as the filling. And this crust is so easy to make too – only 3 ingredients! You can do it – I promise!

RECIPE   Printer Friendly

Graham Cracker Crust

• 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs (8 crackers)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons sugar

Adjust oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Place graham crackers into a large zip bag and close. with a rolling pin, pulverize the crackers into crumbs.

Place butter into a cup,

and heat in the microwave until just melted. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar until well blended.

Pour crumbs into a 10-inch pie plate. Using the bottom of a measuring cup or drinking glass, press crumbs into an even layer on the bottom and sides of the plate.

Bake 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set on a rack.

While the crust is in the oven, start on the filling:

RECIPE

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake Filling

• ¾ cup sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 large eggs
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups pumpkin puree

Place cream cheese and sugar in a medium mixing bowl. With a fork, cream together until fully blended and fluffy.

Add eggs, milk, flour, nutmeg, ginger, and salt.

Mix with a spoon until just combined. Set aside 2/3 cup of the cream cheese mixture in a measuring cup.

Add pumpkin to the rest of the cream cheese mixture

and stir until just combined.

Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. When oven is preheated, pour pumpkin mixture into the baked crumb crust.

Drizzle the 2/3 cup cream cheese mixture over the top. Swirl with a handle of a fork.

Bake 45 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a rack until room temperature,about 2 hours. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Serve to your family.

Shhh – Don’t tell them how easy it was.

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