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No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

No-Bake Pumpkin cheesecake recipe is a easy yet spectacular Fall dessert. Its perfect for anyone craving pumpkin for Fall and its an easy make ahead Thanksgiving dessert. This delish pumpkin dessert can be made ahead in mason jars or a clear glass trifle bowl and is the perfect Fall dessert for family dinners or a single serving for just you!

I hope you love my recipe for no-bake pumpkin cheesecake – in a mason jar. You can make it in small servings using half pint mason jars, or place them in a pint jar for those with larger appetites.

My pumpkin cheesecake has three layers starting with a gingersnap (or speculaas) crust, then a layer of light and fluffy cream cheese mousse, and topped with whipping cream and finished with a small bit of the speculaas (gingernap) crumbs.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Speculaas cookies are a dutch spice cookie with lots of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg, perfect for a pumpkin cheesecake recipe. If your unable to find speculaas you can use gingersnap cookies instead.

First Layer – Speculaas (Gingersnap Crust)

Second Layer – Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

Third Layer – Whipped Cream

Step 1 – Speculaas or Gingersnap Crust

Begin with crushing the cookie crumbs. You may use a food processor, but a bag is much less dishes. Place about a dozen speculaas into a sealed plastic bag and beat until crushed. Measure out two cups of cookie crumbs.

In a small heat the butter until melted, add the brown sugar, stir, and cook over medium heat until it bubbles.  It takes about two minutes.

Once the sugar mixture is bubbling, add the cookies and stir to coat. Remove from heat, pour out onto a plate aand let cool.

Step 2 – Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, or a large bowl and a hand beater. Place the softened cream cheese into the bowl. Beat on high speed until fluffy, then add the white granulated sugar.

Continue beating the cream cheese for a couple of minutes. This allows the white sugar granules to melt into the cream cheese and makes the layer smooth instead of grainy.

Scrape down the side of the bowl with a spatula a couple of times to make sure all the sugar has a chance to blend in. Then add the vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Add the pumpkin and pumpkin spice to the cream cheese mixture, blend on low until mixed together well.

Beat until completely blended and very smooth.

If using a stand mixer transfer the pumpkin cheesecake filling to a second bowl, cover and let chill. Wash the bowl for whipping cream.

Step 3 – Whipped Cream Layer

In a large mixing bowl beat the whipping cream until fluffy, add the icing sugar, and vanilla.  Whip until well combined. Cover and leave in the fridge to chill.

Assembling the Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

This no-bake pumpkin cheesecake recipe can be served three ways, in small half pint mason jars, larger pint sized mason jars, or in a clear glass trifle bowl.

Small Mason Jar Servings

The small mason jar servings are perfect Thanksgiving dessert recipe.  Spreading out each layer so it fills the jar, start with a tbsp of speculaas crumbs, then half a cup of pumpkin cheesecake filling, then a dollop of whipped cream. Finish with a teaspoon of speculaas crumbs.

Pint Size Mason Jar Servings

The larger mason jar servings are for the bigger eaters in your family. I like to serve this to my family as a Fall dessert with a light dinner such as crockpot of soup.

Start with tbsp of speculaas crunch, then half a cup of pumpkin, half a cup of whipped cream, then 1/4 cup of pumpkin 1/4 cup of whipped cream and finally two teaspoon of speculaas crunch. You don’t have to be precise about the layers, you can do it by eye with a large spoon if you prefer.  Just make sure to do each layer in all the jars, to make sure you have enough for all your jars.

Serving Full Sized Trifle in Trifle Bowl

Trifles look spectacular because of all the layers showing through the clear glass. To serve this trifle in a bowl, remove 3 tbsp of the speculaas crunch and set aside.

Then build the layers, half the speculaas crunch, half the pumpkin cream cheese mousse, half the whipping cream. Repeat with the second halves of each filling ending with the whipping cream. Sprinkle the 3 tbsp of speculaas crunch on top and place in the fridge.

Storing No-Bake Cheesecake

The mason jars are wonderful for storing individual servings. You can make the cheesecakes ahead of time, screw the lids on top and pop them in the fridge. They keep really well for up to 3 days in the fridge.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Jar

An easy to make no bake pumpkin cheesecake. This recipe is perfect for Thanksgiving as you can make it ahead and pop it in the fridge for up to 3 days before serving.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:30 mins

Total Time:30 mins

Ingredients

1 – Speculaas (Gingersnap) Crust

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 cups crushed speculaas cookies Gingersnap cookies is you can’t find speculaas

2 – Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese I used Philadelphia cream cheese
• 1 cup white granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 ½ cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• ½ tsp pumpkin spice or substitute cinnamon

3 – Whipped Cream

• 1 ½ cups whipping cream
• ½ cup icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1 – Speculaas (Gingersnap) Crust

• Crush the cookies into crumbs.
  
• Melt the butter in a small pan, add the brown sugar. Cook over medium heat until it bubbles. About 2 min.
  
• Mix in crushed speculaas cookies and mix until coated. Pour out onto a plate and let cool.

2 – Pumpkin Cream Cheese Filling

• In a large bowl, or stand mixer with paddle. Place the cream cheese into the bowl. Beat on high speed until fluffy, then add the white granulated sugar. Continue beating the cream cheese for a couple of minutes. This allows the white sugar granules to melt into the cream cheese and makes the layer smooth instead of grainy.
• Add the vanilla and mix until just incorporated.
• Add the pumpkin and pumpkin spice to the cream cheese mixture, blend on low until mixed together well.
  
• If using a stand mixer transfer the pumpkin cheesecake filling to a second bowl, cover and let chill. Wash the bowl for whipping cream.

3 – Whipped Cream

• Mix chilled whipping cream, until fluffy. Add icing sugar and whip 1 minute on high, add vanilla. Mix until blended. Remove whipping cream from mixer into separate owl. Chill while making pumpkin mixture.
  

4 – Assembly

• Alternate the layers, speculaas crunch, pumpkin cream cheese mousse, whipping cream and repeat.
  

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Canadian

Keyword: no-bake pumpkin cheesecake

Servings: 6

Cost: 10

Other Pumpkin Desserts to Try

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Scones

Swirling these pumpkin cinnamon swirl scones works well because of the extra moist from the pumpkin. Lots of pumpkin spice flavour in this special Fall breakfast treat.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies with Maple Icing

A soft and chewy pumpkin spice cookie that is good on its own, but careful if you add the maple icing. The icing makes takes these to a whole different level of yummy.

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