Who has their Thanksgiving menu planned?
I wish I did. In fact, if I had my way, I’d do nothing but think about what I was making for Thanksgiving until I had every little detail in perfect order. I’m rather fortunate that I’m the only one in my family who truly cares about what gets served on the most wonderful of Thursdays. Our small crew has always lived far away from family and it’s usually just the four of us on Thanksgiving plus whoever we can convince to join us so Armando and I aren’t stuck eating leftovers until Christmas. I inevitably make too much food because well, I just can’t stop myself, but I also never have to worry about pleasing relatives who want their favorite dish served. I can pretty much make whatever I want—basically a chef’s dream come true!
I’ve been working on a few new recipes that’ll be coming at you over the next couple weeks but my favorite so far has been this ridiculous No-Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake. It is so, super simple; some gingersnap cookie crumbs, some butter, lots of cream cheese and pumpkin and a little bit of chipotle chili powder but put it all together and you’ve got a stellar Thanksgiving (or anytime) dessert that will blow everyone’s mind.
Tips for Making a No-Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake
I’ve made this a few times now. Once for the Tortilla-Making workshop we taught back in September and once for a dinner party with some girlfriends and each time I’m surprised by how effortless it is. That being said, there are some tips to make sure you get a perfect result every time.
First of all, if you don’t have a food processor to turn the gingersnap cookies into crumbs you can place them in a Ziplock bag and beat them with a rolling pin until they are broken up. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter in a bowl.
Secondly, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. If it’s not beat it, by itself, in the mixer for an extra minute or so to make sure it is perfectly smooth. Any lumps will not mix in all the way once you add the other ingredients.
Lastly, you can make this up to a week in advance, cover well, and freeze until you’re ready to serve. Transfer the cake to the refrigerator in the morning. It’s actually pretty delicious half-frozen too. Top with lots of fluffy whipped cream!
No Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake
Sweet, creamy, with a hint of heat this No-Bake Pumpkin Chipotle Cheesecake is not only easy to pull off (ready: no oven necessary) but tastes heavenly with a gingersnap cookie crust and a rich, silky filling. Make ahead and freeze for up to a week. Perfect for Thanksgiving!
Ingredients
- 9 ounces gingersnap cookies, this will be about 2 cups, ground
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin puree
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Instructions
- Pulse gingersnaps in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. You should have 2 cups of cookie crumbs when done. Add melted butter and pulse until combined.
- Spread evenly in a 10-inch springform pan. Press to completely cover bottom of the pan. Freeze until filling is ready.
- Beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. If the cream cheese was a little cold when you started it will stay lumpy when you add the other ingredients so make sure you beat it really well to warm it up in this step.
- Add remaining ingredients and beat until everything is incorporated and smooth, stopping to scrape down the edges of the bowl a couple of time, about 3 minutes of beating total. Pour into the crust, smooth top, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. You can also cover well and freeze until you're ready to serve. Transfer to the fridge to let thaw out a little, about an hour, before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 327Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 15mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 57gFiber: 2gSugar: 30gProtein: 3g
Photos by Kristen Kellogg
One last thing…
What do you think? I want to know! Leave me a comment and snap a photo for Instagram! Tag @holajalapeno so I can see your beautiful creation! Your feedback is super important to me.
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This recipe caught my eye because I love pumpkin and chipotle. Would I have to use both powdered sugar and brown sugar? Do you think it would work with just one type of sugar? I’m also wanting to make it with less sugar overall. Have you tried it with either of these variations?
Hi Janet,
I have never tried it without either one of the sugars, but if you wanted to give it a try I would leave out the brown sugar since the powdered sugar helps give the cheesecake stability. If you do give it a try, let me know how it turns out!