Description
Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecake is a decadent dessert that combines a creamy, spiced pumpkin cheesecake filling with a crunchy, buttery gingersnap crust, topped with melted chocolate, caramel, and crunchy pecans. It’s the perfect fall dessert, great for Thanksgiving or any special occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces gingersnaps
- 6 tablespoons melted butter
- 32 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 ½ tablespoons heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ½ cup whole pecans
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Caramel sauce (for drizzling)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Wrap a 9-inch springform pan with heavy-duty foil around the edges.
- Pulse gingersnaps and pecans in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Add melted butter and pulse again until combined. Press the mixture into the prepared springform pan and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F (163°C). In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar together until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes.
- Add the pumpkin puree and mix until fully incorporated.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and all the spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and salt) and mix until smooth.
- Pour the pumpkin filling into the prepared crust. Place the springform pan in a larger roasting pan and add hot water halfway up the sides of the springform pan (water bath). Bake for 65-70 minutes or until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly.
- Turn off the oven and let the cheesecake cool in the oven for 1 hour. After that, remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 2 hours.
- Once cooled, refrigerate the cheesecake for at least 6 hours or overnight to set completely.
- Before serving, top the cheesecake with whole and chopped pecans. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over the pecans. Warm the caramel sauce and drizzle it over the cheesecake.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Ensure that your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature before mixing to avoid lumps.
- For a smoother texture, consider baking the cheesecake in a water bath to prevent cracks.
- Make sure the cheesecake cools completely before slicing to avoid a runny filling.
- This cheesecake can be made up to 2 days ahead of time. Add the toppings just before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 540 kcal
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 419mg
- Fat: 39g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 41g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Cholesterol: 119mg