Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Creamy cheesecake, lower in fat and swirled with pumpkin pie flavors in a pecan nut crust... simply amazing! Perfect for your holiday gathering or any dinner party! Super easy recipe for your holiday dessert. Can be made gluten free as well!

Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake

Yield: 10 -12 slices

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 1⁄2 cups chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1⁄4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (may use gluten free flour)
1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon

Filling:

3 - 8 ounce packages light cream cheese, softened
1 cup light brown sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup light sour cream
1 cup pumpkin, canned or mashed fresh
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Garnish: Whipped cream

Equipment needed:

9-inch Spring form pan
Dry measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Food processor
Rubber spatula
Small mixing bowl
Small wire whisk or fork
Butter or steak knife
Aluminum foil
Vegetable spray

Do you love cheesecake like I love cheese cake, but not the calories?? I have made numerous cheese cakes over the years and found many to be very dense and heavy... not to say loaded with fat. This recipe has the luscious flavor of pumpkin pie with a creamy, light cheese cake texture. I also created a gluten free, nut crust for my daughter... crunchy and sweet. The best ever! Hope you agree too! Let’s grab our ingredients and start the cheese cake making process!

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Begin the baking process by prepping the crust. Place pecans, sugar, flour and cinnamon into a large food processor. Pulse a few times to blend and chop fine. Melt butter and drizzle over chopped nut mixture. Continue to pulse a few times to blend. Lightly spray a 9-inch spring form pan with vegetable spray to avoid sticking. Place sprayed pan on a piece of aluminum foil to avoid leaking of buttery crust. Pour nut mixture into spring form pan. Press mixture about 1-inch up the side of the pan and evenly along bottom of the pan. Press firmly to ensure a firm crust. Bake in preheated 350 F oven for 15 minutes, until golden brown in color. Allow to cool slightly while completing filling.

To prepare filling, place softened light cream cheese and 3⁄4 cups brown sugar into large food processor. Pulse and mix until smooth. Scrape down sides. Add eggs, light sour cream and vanilla and continue to process until smooth and uniform in color. Pour approximately 2/3 of filling into baked nut crust and shake pan to level.

Next to make the yummy pumpkin swirl! Place pumpkin, spices and 1⁄4 cup of brown sugar into a small mixing bowl and blend with a fork or small wire whisk. Add pumpkin mixture to reserved cream cheese filling in processor. Pulse together a few times, scrape down sides and continue to mix until smooth.

Now to create the swirl! Spoon blended pumpkin mixture over the filling in the pan in a back and forth to create a checkerboard pattern. Using a butter knife, zig zag the two batters back and forth a few times as shown above. Spray springform pan and place a piece of foil around the bottom. (The foil will prevent drippings from getting on your oven.) Place in preheated 350 F oven and bake for 50 – 55 minutes or until filling is firm. I use the official “jiggle test” ... shake the pan a bit and if it doesn’t jiggle too much and seems firm to the touch, it’s ready! The cake will firm as it cools too. The cheesecake may start to split around the edges as the cake gets close to baking completion. Remove from the oven as this begins to occur… provided cake is not too under baked and runny. After removing from oven, carefully run a sharp knife around edges to loosen filling from sides of pan and prevent further cracking of filling. Allow cheesecake to slowly cool on counter for at least 30 – 40 minutes. Transfer to cool spot in refrigerator to complete cooling process. Do not cover until cake is cool. This will prevent condensation of moisture on cake surface. After cooled, I usually set a piece of waxed paper loosely on the top to prevent drying.

Doesn’t it look and smell amazing? I know it seems like I always say this, but it’s true. Pumpkin with added spices will make your kitchen smell like pumpkin pie... but better! It’s cheesecake! Use a cold knife for slicing. If cheesecake starts to stick when slicing, slightly moisten knife with water prior to slicing to reduce sticking. Garnish cheesecake with whipped cream and perhaps a sprinkle of cinnamon... Enjoy!!