Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

Pumpkin, fall spices and creamy cheesecake all come together in this delectable pumpkin cheesecake recipe. The perfect blend of honey and maple syrup add just the right amount of sweetness and the almond flour crust means even gluten-free guests can enjoy a slice!

Like all cheesecakes, this recipe takes some time, but the creamy and delicious cheesecake is so worth it! If you are looking for mini cheesecakes that are a little quicker to make, be sure to check out our recipe for Mini cheesecakes

What’s The Difference Between a New York Cheesecake And A Philadelphia Cheesecake?

Before we went dairy-free, New York Cheesecakes were my favorite! They usually have sour cream or heavy cream. It gives it the delicious, dense, and creamy texture. It also tends to freeze well.

A Philadelphia cheesecake isn’t actually a type of cheesecake. It is a recipe that uses the Philadelphia cream cheese brand. Typically there is no added cream or dairy (though the cream cheese itself does have dairy). But it is delicious as well and actually easier to make because it doesn’t require a water bath.

In this recipe, I used Philadelphia cream cheese because it has the best flavor!

Is Cheesecake Gluten-Free?

In some cheesecake recipes, flour is added to help stabilize the cheesecake and help to keep it from cracking. You can also find flour in the crust. If you are gluten-free and you didn’t make the cheesecake, you always need to ask to be sure.

Just because a crust is gluten-free, it doesn’t mean it needs to be chewy and sticky! Wait until you taste the crust in this recipe! It is similar to this delicious cheesecake recipe! To make a gluten-free crust, we used almond flour which gives it a slightly sweet and nutty flavor. I can not even tell you how good it is!!

We also left the flour out of this pumpkin cheesecake, but the trade-off is that the top of the cheesecake cracks. Personally, I don’t care about cracking, but it really is a big deal for some people.

Instead of worrying about it, just cover the cracks with a pretty pattern made from almond or coconut whipped cream and pecans. It makes it even more impressive!

Tips For Making Perfect Cheesecake

Cheesecake is notoriously finicky! The good thing is that regardless of what it looks like, it almost always still tastes delicious! But I know that doesn’t matter when you are going to be serving it to guests. So here are a few tips that will help you bake the perfect cheesecake!

1. Make sure the eggs and cream cheese is room temperature. Room temperature ingredients ensure that the mixture is smooth and creamy! Pulling them out of the fridge an hour or two before will do the trick!
2. Use a springform pan. The cheesecake will be fragile, so the springform pan makes it easier to remove the pan without damaging the cheesecake. Also, be sure to grease the pan to ensure the cheesecake doesn’t stick.
3. Take the cheesecake out of the oven while the center is still jiggly. The best way to know when a cheesecake is done cooking is to gently jiggle the pan. If the edges are firm and puffy and the middle is slightly jiggy, it is done. The middle will continue to cook while the cheesecake is cooling.
4. Let the cheesecake cool completely. The cheesecake will need to cook for at least 3 hours on the counter before being placed in the fridge. Be sure that it is 100% cool before placing it in the fridge if you don’t want it to crack.

What Do Stiff Peaks Look like

In this recipe, we separate the eggs and whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. If you aren’t familiar with soft and stiff peaks, it simply means that you use a mixer to beat air into the egg whites.

It takes some practice and can be a little tricky. If you overbeat the egg whites, they will start to turn back into liquid and they can’t be saved. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to make it easier.

How to beat eggs to stiff peaks:

• Cream of Tartar is not required, but it helps to stabilize the whites.
• Use eggs that are room temperature. Let the eggs sit out at least 30 minutes before using.
• Use either a glass or metal bowl. Plastic bowls could still hold some oil from prior use. Oil will prevent the whites from forming peaks.
• Be sure there are no egg yolks in the whites. If you aren’t comfortable with separating eggs, separate them one at a time in a small bowl. Then add the whites to the bowl.
• Beat the egg whites with a mixer. I like to use a hand blender. It will first start to foam and then reach a soft peak stage. You will know it has reached stiff peaks when you lift the blender and the egg white peak remains. It will also look smooth and glossy.

Dairy Free Whipped Cream

There are a few options when it comes to dairy-free whipped cream. These are my two favorites:

• Homemade Coconut Whipped Cream – Keep a can of coconut cream in the fridge while you are baking and it will be ready by the time your cheesecake is ready!
• Store-bought Almond Whipped Cream – You can find it in the refrigerated creamer section of the grocery store.