This no bake pumpkin cheesecake is one of the BEST no bake desserts to walk out of this kitchen. Made with whipped topping, pumpkin puree, and cream cheese, this cheesecake is light, fluffy, and perfect for the season.
My husband loved this cheesecake so much that he said he wants to eat it for Thanksgiving every year. He then quickly followed it up by saying "or every week." Haha, this man LOVES pumpkin recipes.
This pumpkin pie dessert lasted less than 24 hours in my home the last time it was made. Everyone kept going back for another slice! I highly recommend bringing it to your holiday parties for similar results.
Why This Recipe Works
- Minimal ingredients. With only 7 ingredients, we don't need much to make this tasty dessert so any grocery shopping needed won't take long or cost too much.
- No oven is needed. When I say "no bake" I truly mean it. We melt down some butter for the crust, but everything else is mixed and pressed together. Easy peasy!
- It's easy enough to have the kids help. My 4 year old son really enjoyed breaking the graham crackers for the food processor and pressing the crust into the pan. There are plenty of steps you can have the kiddos lend a hand with.
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🥘 Ingredients
For the Crust, you will need:
Melted butter- This will add a little richness to the crust and help to bind the cracker crumbs together.
Graham crackers- Use graham cracker crumbs for the crust. You can pulverize the crackers in a food processor, in a baggie with a rolling pin, or buy them as crumbs from your local grocery store's baking aisle.
For the Filling, you will need:
Cream cheese- This will add a creamy, rich taste to the cheesecake, making it feel more traditional.
Pumpkin puree- use pumpkin puree (not canned pumpkin) for orange color and fresh pumpkin taste.
Brown sugar- This will give us some added sweetness and depth of flavor.
Pumpkin pie spice- For added warmth, use pumpkin pie spice.
Whipped topping- This will be used to make the cheesecake nice and fluffy, but you can use more whipped topping as a garnish if desired.
For specific quantities, see the recipe card below.
🍽 Equipment Needed
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- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Electric Mixer
- Food Processor (optional but recommended)
- Rubber Spatula
- Springform pan (or pie plate)
🔪 Instructions
Check out how to make no bake pumpkin cheesecake with these simple step-by-step instructions:
Cut a piece of parchment paper and place it at the bottom of a springform pan. An 8 inch or 9 inch pan would work well. If the paper doesn't want to lay flat, spray cooking spray inside of the pan to "adhere" the paper to the base of the pan. Set aside.
In a small bowl, melt your butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds until fully melted.
Add your graham crackers to a food processor and process until crumbs.
Add in the melted butter and process again until well mixed and combined.
Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides. Place the pan into the freezer and let it sit there until the filling is ready.
Beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin spice in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined.
Fold in the whipped topping until well mixed.
Pour the cheesecake filling into the frozen crust and spread it out until it's even.
Place into the fridge and allow to chill for 2-3 hours until set.
Top with more whipped cream if desired. Serve and enjoy!
🧾 Substitutions
Whipping cream. If desired, you can swap out the whipped topping for homemade whipped cream. To do this, beat 1.5 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Use in place of the whipped topping.
Pumpkin pie spice. You can DIY your own pumpkin pie spice by mixing together 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon (or 5 teaspoons) along with 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, and ¼ teaspoon of ground cloves or allspice. Mix together and then use as much as directed. Save the rest for future recipes for up to 3 months.
🍴 Recipe Tips
Let that pie chill!
The longer that you let this pie rest and chill in the fridge, the more it will set and the nicer the slices will look. That said, it will remain a little softer thanks to the added moisture of the pumpkin.
Thaw cream cheese beforehand.
Ensure that the cream cheese has been removed from the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour before use. This is especially important because you want it at room temp before mixing.
If your cream cheese is not at room temperature or is too cold when you start mixing, there will be little white balls of cream cheese scattered throughout the filling, and it may look and taste less appealing since the filling won't be as smooth and homogenous.
👩🏻🍳 Storage
Fridge
You can keep this cheesecake well covered and stored in the fridge for 3 days. That said, it's highly unlikely to last this long as this dessert is just too good to resist!
Freezer
Yes, you can wrap this cheesecake well in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight c container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge or allow it to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes until soft enough to slice and eat. Enjoy!
💭 FAQs
Yes! Go ahead and spoon the crust into the bottom of 12 muffin cups and press to make the bottom. Divide the filling over the top and let set for several hours in the fridge. Gently remove from the cups and serve. I find that foil or parchment muffin liners work well for this.
Yes! You can use a prebought crust to make this cheesecake, but note that there may be leftover filling as a result. Storebought pie crusts aren't as deep as the ones made at home in a springform pan. Leftover filling can be used as a dip with cookies.
Your cheesecake is assembled using thawed/room temperature ingredients and will be soft once made. To get it to set up properly you will need to let it chill in the fridge for several hours. I recommend letting it chill for 4-8 hours in the fridge for the best results.
More great pumpkin recipes to check out soon
- Pumpkin Patch Cupcakes
- Easy Pumpkin Spice Coffee Cake
- Layered Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodles
- Pumpkin Hand Pies
- Pumpkin Brioche French Toast
📖 Recipe
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
- Food Processor (optional but recommended)
- Springform pan (or pie plate)
Ingredients
Crust
- 6 tablespoons Melted butter ($0.54)
- 1 ½ cups Graham cracker crumbs (1 sleeve) ($0.61)
Filling
- 8 oz Cream cheese, softened ($1.98)
- 1 cup Pumpkin puree ($1.50)
- ½ cup Brown sugar ($0.11)
- ½ teaspoon Pumpkin pie spice ($0.05)
- 8 oz Whipped topping, thawed ($0.98)
Instructions
To make crust
- Cut a piece of parchment paper and place it at the bottom of a springform pan. An 8 inch or 9 inch pan would work well. If the paper doesn't want to lay flat, spray cooking spray inside of the pan to "adhere" the paper to the base of the pan. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, melt your butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds until fully melted.
- Add your graham crackers to a food processor and process until crumbs.
- Add in the melted butter and process again until well mixed and combined.
- Press the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of the pan and slightly up the sides. Place the pan into the freezer and let it sit there until the filling is ready.
To make filling
- Beat the cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, and pumpkin spice in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until well combined.
- Fold in the whipped topping until well mixed.
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the frozen crust and spread it out until it's even.
- Place into the fridge and allow to chill for 2-3 hours until set.
- Top with more whipped cream if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Recipe Tips
- The longer that you let this pie rest and chill in the fridge, the more it will set and the nicer the slices will look. That said, it will remain a little softer thanks to the added moisture of the pumpkin.
- Ensure that the cream cheese has been removed from the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour before use. This is especially important because you want it at room temp before mixing.
- If your cream cheese is not at room temperature or is too cold when you start mixing, there will be little white balls of cream cheese scattered throughout the filling, and it may look and taste less appealing since the filling won't be as smooth and homogenous.
Storage
- You can keep this cheesecake well covered and stored in the fridge for 3 days. That said, it's highly unlikely to last this long as this dessert is just too good to resist!
- You can wrap this cheesecake well in plastic wrap and store it in an airtight c container for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge or allow it to sit on the counter for about 30 minutes until soft enough to slice and eat. Enjoy!
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