Are you ready to shake things up a bit? It's time to think outside the box and "Jas" up your dessert repertoire with this absolutely amazing pumpkin cheesecake with brownie bottom.
The fudgy, gooey brownie bottom, topped with a layer of creamy pumpkin cheesecake and crispy, caramelized sugar, is sinfully good.
I'm always looking for new ways to make an old favorite more interesting (the food, not the husband), and combining two desserts in one is always a winner, especially if one is a cheesecake.
📃 Why it Works
Chocolate and pumpkin are meant to be together! My family gobbled this one Thanksgiving, and they've been requesting it ever since.
There's nothing to dislike: brownies, pumpkin, creme brûlée cheesecake, oh my! It sure shares the spotlight with this perfect turkey roast.
If you're looking for ideas, here are some other cheesecake fusions I've created in the past.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
Brownie layer
- A box of fudge brownie mix
- Ingredients indicated on the package (usually eggs and oil)
Pumpkin Cheesecake layer
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- pure pumpkin puree
- cornstarch
- vanilla extract
- fine salt
- pumpkin spice
- eggs
Brûlée topping (optional)
- caster sugar (fine sugar)
The following ingredients may be a bit hard to find in your local store. These affiliate links will show you exactly what we are using.
🍴 Equipment
When making this pumpkin cheesecake recipe at home, these are the tools you should have on hand:
- Standing mixer - a hands-free mixer does the work for you, so you can do something else.
- Springform pan - nothing worse than your cake sticking to the bottom and walls of the cake pan. This ensures easy and mess-free removal.
- Kitchen torch - it's a handy tool to have around for all kinds of reasons: melting cheese, searing steak, glazing a baked ham, and even for arts and crafts!
🔪 How to make brownie bottom pumpkin cheesecake
*Keep scrolling to get the full (printable) recipe, ingredient amounts, and more tips, or click on the "Skip to Recipe" button at the top of the page.
Brownie Layer
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any leakage.
- Prepare the brownie batter according to the package instructions. Pour the batter into a greased springform pan and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350 F. Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Layer
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cornstarch, vanilla extract, salt, and pumpkin spice. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined.
- Pour the mixture on top of the slightly cooled brownie layer. Bake at 300 F until the cheesecake is set, about 50-60 minutes.
- Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack to cool completely in the pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least four hours.
Brûlée Topping (optional)
- Precut the cake into 8 or 16 pieces.
- On a heat-safe work surface, sprinkle the tops of each piece with sugar and melt with a kitchen torch until it turns a deep amber color.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
👩🍳 Expert Tips
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Make this cheesecake the day before. It has to chill for quite some time before serving.
- Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, make your own: ½ teaspoon each of ground allspice and ground ginger plus ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
- You can also use an oven broiler to caramelize the sugar. Keep your eye on it, as it can burn really quickly.
- Instead of caramelizing sugar, serve the cheesecake slices with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Cream cheese straight out of the refrigerator is too cold and not pliable, so it will never get creamy and smooth, no matter what you do. Room-temperature ingredients combine quickly and evenly.
Covered and stored in the refrigerator, this cheesecake should be eaten within 4-5 days. It will keep frozen for up to two months. When ready to eat, thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Make it a Thanksgiving meal
If you’re struggling with your menu, try meal planning. You’ll love the ease of knowing all your dishes in advance. I’ve been meal planning for years, and it’s a time-saver!
- Appetizer: Pork Neck Bone Gravy
- Main Dish: Roasted Turkey
- Vegetable Side: Spicy Marinated Brussel Sprouts
- Starch Side: Butternut Squash Barley Risotto
- Refreshing Drink: Chilled Spiced Apple Beer Punch
🍰 Other cheesecake recipes you'll love
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Brownie Bottom Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- springform pan
- Kitchen torch
Ingredients
Brownie layer:
- 1 package fudge brownie mix, I used Double Fudge by Duncan Hines
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup water
- ⅓ cup oil
Pumpkin Cheesecake layer
- 3 8 oz. each packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup pure pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch, aka cornflour to the British English speaking friends
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 eggs
Brûlée topping
- ¼ cup caster sugar, fine sugar
Instructions
Brownie layer
- Preheat oven to 350° degrees Fahrenheit.
- Grease bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with 3-inch sides. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any leakage.
- Prepare the brownie batter according to package instructions. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let it cool slightly.
Pumpkin Cheesecake layer
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until creamy and smooth. Mix in the pumpkin puree, cornstarch, vanilla extract, salt, and pumpkin spice. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition until just combined. Do not overbeat the batter.
- Pour the mixture on top of slightly cooled brownie layer. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit until the cheesecake is set but still slightly jiggly in the center, about 50-60 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven and immediately run a thin knife around the edge of the pan, gently pressing into the side of the pan to avoid gouging the cake. This allows the cake to contract away from the sides of the pan as it cools, helping to prevent cracks.
- Place the cheesecake on a cooling rack to cool completely in the pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least four hours.
Brûlée topping
- Precut the cake into 8 or 16 pieces.
- On a heat-safe work surface, sprinkle the tops of each piece with sugar and melt with a kitchen torch until it turns a deep amber color.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Notes
- Make-Ahead Instructions: Make this cheesecake the day before. It must chill for quite some time before serving.
- Instead of prepared pumpkin pie spice, make your own: ½ teaspoon each of ground allspice and ground ginger plus ¼ teaspoon each of ground nutmeg and ground cloves.
- You can also use an oven broiler to caramelize the sugar. Keep your eye on it, as it can burn really quickly.
- Instead of caramelizing sugar, serve the cheesecake slices with a dollop of whipped cream sprinkled with a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used.
Nutrition
FABBY says
This looks so great and rich. Thank you for sharing the recipe with us.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Fabby
Jas says
Thank you, Fabby! 🙂
marilyn1998 says
Congratulations! Your post was my feature pick at #ThursdayFavoriteThings this week. All hosts choose their own features from the comments left on their blog so be sure to return to my blog to see your feature. I invite you to leave more links to be shared and commented upon. Please don’t forget to add your link numbers or post title so we can be sure to visit!
Jas says
Thank you, Marilyn, for the honor! xx
firebirdwife says
Wow, this looks amazing!! Thanks so much for sharing at the Friday at the Fire station link party! Have a great weekend!
Jen
Jas says
So happy you like it! 😀 Thank you! Wishing you a wonderful weekend as well.