This no bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe is a graham cracker crust topped with a rich and creamy pumpkin filling. Top it with whipped cream and caramel sauce for the perfect finish to any fall meal or holiday!
When I’m in the mood for pumpkin, I make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, pumpkin dump cake, or this simple yet satisfying no bake cheesecake.
September is here and I’m totally going to pretend that there’s a chill in the air and pumpkins are everywhere. In reality it’s been over 100 degrees here and there’s nothing fall to be seen, but that doesn’t mean we can’t have a slice of no bake pumpkin cheesecake anyways! I shared this pumpkin gooey butter cake a while back, and now it’s time for another pumpkin dessert that doesn’t even require an oven!
How Do You Make No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake?
Let’s talk about the crust first. You could totally go to the store and buy a pre-made graham cracker crust. But you should only do that in a pinch, because a homemade graham cracker crust tastes SO much better. The crust mixture gets pressed into the pan then chilled until firm. The filling is a simple mixture of cream cheese, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, spices and whipped topping. After the filling goes into the crust, it needs to chill to set up. Decorate your pie with toppings such as whipped cream, pecans and caramel, then slice and serve.
Tips for the perfect cheesecake
- Be sure to use pumpkin puree, and not canned pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling will not work in this recipe.
- Your cream cheese should be very soft to keep your batter from getting lumpy. You can microwave your cream cheese for 30 second increments to soften it quickly.
- You can swap out the graham cracker crust for a gingersnap crust for an additional hit of spice flavor.
- This recipe calls for whipped topping, but if you prefer you can use an equal amount of sweetened whipped heavy cream. Don’t use the cream in an aerosol can as it will deflate and the cheesecake will not hold its shape.
- You can make this cheesecake up to 3 days before you plan to serve it. Store the cheesecake loosely covered in the refrigerator, then add the garnishes right before serving.
Can you freeze no bake pumpkin cheesecake?
You can definitely freeze your cheesecake if you’re planning to store it for a longer period of time. The cake needs to be effectively covered so it doesn’t get freezer burn. It will also need to be removed from the freezer with plenty of time to thaw before serving. Freeze the cheesecake without any garnishes, then add whipped cream, pecans and caramel sauce to the thawed cake right before serving.
What I love most about this dessert is that it’s super easy to make, yet looks and tastes totally impressive. This treat is sure to earn you rave reviews from family and friends.
Other Recipes You’ll Love
- No Bake Oreo Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake
- Earthquake Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Cake
- Pumpkin Meringue Pie
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Video
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 7 tablespoons butter melted
- cooking spray
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 8 ounce tub whipped topping thawed
- 1/2 cup caramel sauce
- Optional garnishes: whipped cream or whipped topping, chopped pecans
Instructions
- Coat a 9 or 10 inch pie pan with cooking spray.
- In a medium bowl, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter until thoroughly combined. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and sides of the pie pan. If you're using a 9 inch pie pan, you may not need all of the crumb mixture to cover the pan.
- Place in the freezer and chill for 20 minutes.
- While the crust is chilling, make the filling.
- In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat together the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice and beat until thoroughly combined.
- Gently fold in the whipped topping. Remove the crust from the freezer and spoon in the filling, smoothing the top with a spatula.
- Refrigerate the pie for at least 1 1/2 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Prior to serving, decorate with whipped cream, whipped topping and chopped pecans if desired.
- Cut into slices and drizzle approximately 2 teaspoons of caramel over each slice, then serve.
Notes
Nutrition
This post was originally published on September 10, 2017 and was updated on October 8, 2019 with new content.
Olivia says
Making this for Thanksgiving! Did you use salted or unsalted butter?
Sara says
I have tested it both ways, and either one works fine.
Jan says
Great recipe! I tried it today in prep for Thanksgiving and it came out wonderful!
Robin says
I made this yesterday and it was delicious! I reduced the sugar to 1/3 cup of brown sugar and left off the caramel sauce (both for health reasons) and my husband who loves sweets is still devouring it today. Thanks!!
Jenny says
Will this cake work in a nine inch springform pan? If I go to remove it from springform will it stay in place? Thanks in advance.
Sara says
It should work just fine!
Catalina says
I am drooling over this cheesecake! Looks divine!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
This no bake pumpkin cheesecake needs to happen at my house very soon!!
Anna says
This cheesecake looks incredible! It will be perfect for our Thanksgiving gathering!
Melanie says
Love the caramel sauce you’ve drizzled over the top of this cheesecake!
Dorothy Reinhold says
Cheesecake is always a good idea. It gets even better when you add pumpkin and caramel!
Shelby says
Hey, I made this awesome recipe, but I used homemade pumpkin puree and it didn’t harden enough after 24hrs, do you think that’s because my puree was not as thick as store bought or something else? Also, how thick do you make the crust?? Thanks!
Sara says
That could be the case, as sometimes homemade puree has a higher water content than the canned type! I just press the crumbs into the pan until I have an even crust, you can see the crust thickness in the video above the recipe card.
Kristina says
Homemade puree needs to be squeezed out before being used as it is much more liquidity than canned/ jarred pumpkin puree. Happy baking (or not for this recipe) ☺️
Lynn Leslie says
What about the caramel in the recipe? Did I miss something?
Sara says
The caramel is in step 9.
Julie says
Is it possible to make this 2 days ahead? If so, should I freeze the whole time, or move it to the fridge? Should I pipe the whipped cream before freezing or right before serving? I think it may melt if I do it too early but just wanted to confirm! 🙂
Sara says
You can make it two days ahead, the pie is actually refrigerated not frozen. Only the crust goes into the freezer to set while you make the filling. I would refrigerate the undecorated cheesecake for 2 days, then add the whipped cream and any toppings right before serving. Hope that helps!
Julie says
Thanks Sara, that helps a lot! I made a half batch in a smaller tin to test the recipe and have almost eaten the whole thing already. 😉 For the crust, I used Biscoff cookies, which are cinnamon-flavored, and it tastes great. I love how light the pumpkin mixture turned out. I had actually forgotten to buy the whipped topping, but I made some whipped cream on the spot per your comment, and it worked really well. I will definitely be making this for our upcoming “Friendsgiving” this weekend. I know two people who are allergic to eggs, so I will send this their way too!
Sara says
What a great idea to use Biscoff! So glad you enjoyed the recipe, Happy Thanksgiving!
Stacey says
If I make this 2 weeks ahead of the party can I freeze it?
Sara says
You can freeze it, but I’d recommend adding the whipped cream, caramel and pecans after it’s thawed and ready to serve.
Kimberlyrol says
Can you substitute whipped cream for the whipped topping?
Sara says
Yes you can, just use freshly made whipped cream, not the kind in a canister!
Sam says
Looks really good and easy too. I think I’ll try it with ginger snap crust.
Bea says
My family would love this! It’s going on my Thanksgiving menu! Love that it can be made the day before!
Debbie says
This looks so good! I’m so ready for fall and all of the pumpkin recipes!