November is all about the pumpkin here (see this and this for the first two this month), and this pumpkin cheesecake with gingerbread caramel tastes as gorgeous as (I think) it looks. Sometimes pictures don’t always do a dish justice, but this one does FOR SURE.

This has been my go-to pumpkin cheesecake recipe for years and it works everytime. It is not complicated, doesn’t require an annoying waterbath and tastes rich and amazing.

Had it for years? Why share it now?

Because I have found the mother of all toppings for pumpkin cheesecake and everyone deserves to have this on their table at some point.

And that mother of all toppings would be GINGERBREAD CARAMEL SAUCE.

Gingerbread caramel sauce? That is a thing?

You bet your ass it is, and it is beyond the perfect compliment to pumpkin and all the spices that go into this pumpkin cheesecake.

And I only know it is a thing because of my friend, Anita over at Wild Thistle Kitchen, she tops her pumpkin swirl cheesecake this sauce, and as soon as I read her blog post, (the recipe is linked here) I knew I was trying this on my favorite cheesecake recipe. Best. Decision. Ever.

And let’s be honest, this is not the only thing this goes with…I put it on ice cream, in a latte, in a milkshake (recipe will be next), on poached pears, on a gingercake. Just make extra and keep handy all holiday, trust me, you will be happy you did.

Pumpkin cheesecake with gingerbread caramel sauce

Ingredients

For the Crust

1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter melted if you use salted, omit the salt in the crust ingredients
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt

For the Filling

24 oz cream cheese 3 packages
15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
3 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gingerbread caramel sauce

follow the link in this post for Anita's recipe

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.

For the crust

Combine all the ingredients and mix with a fork. Press into an 8 or 9 inch cheescake pan and set aside.

To make the filling

With a stand mixer or handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, sugar and spices. Blend until combined. Add flour and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
Pour filling into prepared crust and bake for about an hor until set in the center, it will be slightly jiggly and puffed all over.
Cool on a rack about an hour and then cover and refridgerate for five hours or up to two days.