Whenever November rolls around, we have this urge to bake something with pumpkin in it. Anyone else?! Just in time for Thanksgiving this year, we made a pretzel crusted pumpkin cheesecake with a marshmallow sour cream topping. This recipe also features our gourmet Cinnamon Sugar pretzels and a little bit of bourbon. Whew, that was a mouthful!
Baking this delicious treat involves three main steps: the pretzel crust, the cheesecake filling, and then the topping. Because of all of the moistures, it also takes a while in the oven. But we promise it is so worth it in the end.
Recipe created by @reservations_at_dorsia
Pretzel Crust Recipe Ingredients and Directions
-1 ¾ cups Fatty Sundays Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Rods, pulverized
-2 tbsp granulated sugar
-¼ tsp sea salt
-4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- Freeze Cinnamon Sugar pretzel rods for at least one hour before pulverizing in a food processor.
- Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with tall sides. Wrap the outside of the pan with a double layer of aluminum foil.
- In a medium bowl, mix the Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel crumbs, sugar, and salt together. Drizzle the melted butter over the pretzel mixture and use a spatula to mix the crumbs until the mixture is evenly saturated with butter.
- Dump the crust mixture into the prepared springform pan and, using your fingers, gently and evenly press the crust into place on the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan. Put the pan in the freezer.
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Once the oven is preheated, take the crust out of the freezer, place the pan onto a baking sheet, and bake the crust for 10 minutes in the center of the oven.
- Let crust cool at room temperature.
Cheesecake Filling Recipe Ingredients and Directions
-1 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg
-¼ tsp ground ginger
-¼ tsp ground cloves
-¼ tsp allspice
-½ tsp sea salt
-1 can pumpkin puree, unsweetened
-1 ½ lb cream cheese, room temperature
-2 tsp vanilla extract
-1 tbsp bourbon
-2 tsp lemon juice
-5 large eggs, room temperature
-1 cup heavy cream
- Take the cream cheese and eggs out of the fridge to come up to room temperature (about 30 minutes). Cut cream cheese into one-inch cubes before letting it warm up.
- Preheat oven to 325 F.
- Bring two quarts of water to a boil in a small saucepan; set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk sugar, spices, and salt together.
- Put room temperature cream cheese cubes into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat cream cheese at medium speed to soften, about one minute.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl down thoroughly with a rubber spatula. Add sugar spice mixture to the cream cheese and beat at medium speed for 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl down halfway through.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, add pumpkin, vanilla, bourbon, and lemon juice, and beat at medium speed for 45 seconds.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, add 3 eggs, and beat at medium speed for one minute.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, add remaining 2 eggs, and beat at medium speed for one minute.
- Scrape the sides of the bowl, add heavy cream, and beat at medium-low speed for one minute or until completely combined, scraping the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed. Give one final stir by hand with the spatula.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust, keeping the outside of the pan lined with foil.
- Place the filled crust and baking sheet back onto the center rack of the oven. Carefully pour water into the baking sheet, surrounding the springform pan, until it reaches 3/4 of the way up the sides of the baking sheet.
- Bake the cheesecake until it is slightly wobbly in the center when shaken, about 1 hour 45 minutes.
- Turn the oven off and let the cheesecake cool inside of the oven with the oven door left slightly ajar. Take the cheesecake out and transfer it to the fridge, uncovered, when the sides of the springform pan are cool to the touch. Let cool overnight.
Sour Cream Marshmallow Topping Recipe Ingredients and Directions
-2 cups mini marshmallows
-¼ cup whole milk
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-Pinch of sea salt
-1 cup sour cream, full fat
- Melt marshmallows and milk together in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring continuously with a rubber spatula until marshmallows are completely melted. Remove saucepan from heat, add vanilla and salt, and let cool to room temperature.
- Gently fold the sour cream into the marshmallow mixture, just until evenly combined.
- Pour sour cream topping onto the cooled cheesecake (still in the springform). Chill for at least 1 hour to set.
- Gently remove the cheesecake from the springform pan, top it with cinnamon, nutmeg, and more Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Rods, and serve!
This cheesecake will look so pretty on your Thanksgiving table or within your dessert spread. Plate it on a raised cake plate to make it really stand out! Impress your guests with something a little different than the standard pumpkin pie. If you’re a pumpkin lover, our delicious recipe is a must-try this fall season.
Follow us @fattysundays and tag us #fattysundays so we can see all your fall baking creations!