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Disneyland's Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

A rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake - a popular item during the Halloween season at The Disneyland Resort!
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Course Dessert

Equipment

  • 9-inch springform pan
  • Large roasting pan
  • Aluminum foil
  • Cooking spray

Ingredients
  

Crust

  • 1 ½ cups crushed graham crackers
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • ½ tsp ground ginger
  • ⅓ cup butter melted

Cheesecake Filling

  • 3 blocks cream cheese (8 oz.) softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 15 ounces canned pumpkin puree
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 5 ounces evaporated milk canned
  • Chocolate syrup for drizzling (optional)

Instructions
 

For Crust

  • In a bowl combine the crushed graham cracker, sugar and ginger. 
  • Melt the butter and stir into mixture.
  • Spray bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Press crust mixture into bottom of pan using your hands.
  • Place pan on a large piece of foil and wrap foil tightly up sides and around pan (this will be to keep the water out of the pan, later on).

For Cheesecake Filling

  • Preheat oven to 325°F
  • Beat cream cheese, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Scrape down sides of bowl
  • Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down sides of bowl
  • Whisk together pumpkin purée, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a medium bowl until well combined
  • Add pumpkin mixture to cream cheese mixture, beating until well combined. Scrape down sides of bowl
  • Add evaporated milk, mixing well
  • Slowly pour cheesecake filling onto crust mixture in prepared pan. If you want, drizzle with chocolate syrup.
  • Place foil-wrapped pan inside a larger roasting pan. Place on oven rack and carefully add enough hot water to reach halfway up sides of springform pan.
  • Bake 1 hour, or until center moves only slightly when shaken.
  • Turn oven off. Crack open oven door, and allow cheesecake to cool inside oven 1 hour (this prevents cracking in the surface of the cheesecake).
  • Remove pan from water bath and set on a wire rack to cool completely (if you cover too early, moisture will collect on the foil and drip onto your cheesecake).
  • Cover top of pan with foil and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to overnight
  • Remove the side of your springform pan. Slice, and enjoy!

Notes

Cheesecake bath

  • Many of the baking notes I added into the instruction, and bolded them – I found that they were all pretty need-to-know… (in case you’re like me you don’t always read through all of the instructions before beginning the recipe.)
  • I used my food processor to crush up the graham crackers – a full sleeve was just exactly 1 1/2 cups. 
  • Scrape down the sides of the bowl a lot – to prevent the cream cheese from forming lumps in your cake.
  • Start baking early in the day – this cheesecake takes a lot of time, at least 8 hours, before it’s ready. {1/2 hour to make, 1 hour to bake, 1 hour to rest, 1.5 hours to cool, 4 hours in the fridge}
  • Really get that foil on the pan tight, even double it up – if any water can get through the foil it will seep up into the cheesecake through the bottom, and ruin it.
  • I omitted the chocolate syrup in favor of going with a more traditional whipped cream topping.
  • I had to keep adding another 5 minutes, and another because the center was still too jiggly – so make sure you test it before you pull it out of the oven.
 
Keyword cheesecake, pumpkin