Take your dessert game up a notch with the BEST ever Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe! With a pecan graham cracker crust, bourbon pumpkin cheesecake base, and topped off with a generous drizzle of sweet bourbon cream sauce, every bite is melt-in-your mouth perfection. Enjoy the flavors of fall with a cheesecake recipe that’s made to impress!
Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake – The Best Fall Dessert!
After many recipe tests and many taste testings, something we can all agree on is that this Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake is the BEST fall dessert! Whether you’re having friends over for a fall or holiday gathering or just want a next-level dessert for the family, this cheesecake recipe is a great way to celebrate the season.
And never fear – this recipe is actually easier than you think. While it does take a little planning ahead of time, it’s SO worth it for the best ever fall cheesecake recipe that everyone will love!
In This Post
- Ingredients
- How to Make Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
- How to Store Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
- More Fall Desserts & Drinks You’ll Love
Ingredients
There are 3 main components in this recipe: the pecan crust, the “boozy” pumpkin cheesecake filling, and the sweet bourbon cream sauce. Here are a few notes about what you’ll need for this Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake!
The Pecan Crust
The crust in these recipe is made out of crushed pecans, graham cracker crumbs, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, butter, and egg yolk.
The Boozy Pumpkin Cheesecake
The main ingredients for the filling are pumpkin puree (mixed with sugar, eggs, and pumpkin spices), cream cheese, maple syrup, bourbon whiskey, and sour cream.
Tip: you can also make this with alcohol-free bourbon instead!
The Sweet Bourbon Cream Sauce
To make the bourbon cream sauce in this recipe, you’ll need heavy cream, flour, bourbon whiskey, sugar, and salt. So easy!
How to Make Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake (8 simple steps)
Here’s the quick rundown for how to make Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake:
- Mix the crust together and press into a springform pan.
- Bake the crust and let cool.
- Use an electric mixer to mix the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add in the rest of the filling ingredients and mix.
- Pour the cheesecake filling over the crust.
- Bake.
- Let the cheesecake cool and chill in the refrigerator.
- Make the bourbon cream sauce and pour over the cheesecake!
Tips for Making the Perfect Cheesecake
1. Use room temperature ingredients
Especially the cream cheese! Trust us on this one. It’s best to use room temperature ingredients in order to keep the cheesecake from getting lumpy or uneven.
2. Use an electric hand mixer.
If you have an electric hand mixer, then that’s DEFINITELY the way to go when mixing together the cheesecake filling! A stand mixer would also work.
3. Leave a little jiggle in the center.
This is a tricky one, but it’s important to pull the cheesecake out of the oven at the right time. While our baking time has been tested many times for this recipe, every oven is different. It’s important to check on the cheesecake often (keeping the oven door closed) and make sure to remove it when the entire cheesecake is puffy with a little jiggle in the center.
4. Plan ahead for chilling time.
A freshly baked cheesecake needs to sit at room temperature for at least 15 minutes, but preferably up to an hour. Then it’s best to place it in the refrigerator for a chilling time of 3-4 hours. The good news? Cheesecake can be made the night before and refrigerated overnight, making it convenient if you need it for the next day!
5. Cut beautiful slices!
Once the cheesecake is ready to serve, be sure to cut perfect slices by wiping your knife clean between cutting each slice. Another option is to use unflavored floss to cut beautiful slices!
How to Store Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
To store this bourbon pumpkin cheesecake, place it in an airtight cake container or place a lid over it. Another option is to lightly wrap it in plastic wrap or foil paper. Cheesecake can keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days!
To freeze, wrap each individual slice (or the serving size you are expecting to need) in plastic wrap, then in foil. Freeze for 1-2 months and simply thaw it out the night before when ready to serve!
More Fall Desserts & Drinks You’ll Love
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The BEST Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Pecan Crust
- 2 Tablespoons butter lightly melted
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 pounds cream cheese softened and room temperature
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 4 Tablespoons bourbon whiskey
- 1 1/4 cup sour cream
Bourbon Cream Sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tablespoon flour
- 2 Tablespoons bourbon whiskey
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Making The Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Use spray oil or butter to grease a 9-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Combine the ingredients for the crust in a bowl and mix.
- Press the mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan and a little around the bottom of the sides.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Set aside and let cool.
Making The Filling
- Lower the oven temperature down to 300 degrees F.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
- Add in the maple syrup and bourbon one at a time, mixing after each addition until smooth.
- Mix in the sour cream and pumpkin mixture until smooth, making sure not to over mix the batter.
- Pour the filling over the pre-baked crust.
- Bake for 1 hour and 40 minutes, or until the center shows little to no movement when the pan is tapped.
- Set aside to cool for at least 15 minutes to 1 hour before moving to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3-4 hours before serving.
Making The Topping
- Whisk together the heavy cream and flour in a small saucepan until completely smooth.
- Place over medium-high heat, whisking together and bringing to a simmer.
- Simmer for 1 minute, or until the sauce thickens and begins to reduce.
- Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the bourbon, sugar and salt.
- Pour the bourbon sauce over the entire cheesecake or individual slices when ready to serve.
Notes
- It’s best to use room temperature ingredients, especially the cream cheese.
- Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to mix the filling!
- To store this bourbon pumpkin cheesecake, place it in an airtight cake container or place a lid over it. Another option is to lightly wrap it in plastic wrap or foil paper. Cheesecake can keep in the refrigerator for 3-5 days!
- To freeze, wrap each individual slice (or the serving size you are expecting to need) in plastic wrap, then in foil. Freeze for 1-2 months and simply thaw it out the night before when ready to serve!
This cheesecake recipe has layers and layers of exciting flavors! The pecan crust and bourbon cream sauce go so well together.
super delicious pumpkin cheesecake! i love the added bourbon!
This was a HUGE hit! Love the flavors of bourbon and pumpkin combined, it was perfect! I hope to make this again for thanksgiving!
LOVE the addition of bourbon to this pumpkin cheesecake. It is such a flavourful add. I’ll definitely be sharing this recipe with friends for the holidays!
The addition of whiskey to a favorite flavor of cheesecake is a GREAT idea.
Bourbon and pumpkin in the form of cheesecake…SOLD! This cheesecake is so comforting and I’m totally addicted to this
I made this for my wife’s book club and I was lucky to get one piece! It was delicious and everyone raved about it!
This is the cheesecake of all cheesecakes. What a wonderful recipe! It came out SO delicious. I had never made one before, and your recipe was easy to follow. I will definitely make it again.
Oooh! Booze in my cheesecake. I love the addition of Bourbon in it. That recipe is such a winner for the holidays.
This cheesecake is so rich, creamy, and delicious! It is the perfect combination of flavors!
This cake looks so amazingly aromatic! I love making desserts with bourbon because it adds such a lovely depth of flavor. I can’t wait to make this for the family, I know they’re gonna love it!
The bourbon cream sauce was so excellent with this cheesecake! It had such delicious flavors that reminded me of fall!
This is one amazing cheesecake. Those flavours go together so nicely and the texture is so creamy.
Served this dessert for my family. It looked beautiful and tasted amazing.
Just good things to say about this pumpkin cheesecake, it’s so delicious!
I love bourbon and pumpkin together! So good!
Such an indulgent feel good cheese cake. Just love it.
What a yummy cheesecake! The bourbon is perfect with the pumpkin.
This cheesecake was so delicious and I loved the bourbon flavor in it. Thanks!
Bourbon is the perfect addition! So fragrant and delicious.
Delicious cheesecake!
Such a delicious recipe!
I love the added bourbon in this pumpkin cheesecake recipe. The instructions were so easy to follow and resulted in an amazing fall dessert.
The cheesecake was great but that bourbon sauce… WOW! Great recipe. Thanks
This is going on my holiday menu for sure! I make a different type of cheesecake every year and this is going to me the one I make this year!
This cheesecake is the most amazing pumpkin cheesecake! Its perfectly flavored and so creamy.
I love pumpkin cheesecake, but this bourbon version with the cream sauce set it over the top! Best ever!
The cream sauce is amazing as the “icing” on the cake, so to speak! I love this cheesecake – ideal for the fall season!
Would love to try this unique and delicious recipe. The combination of Pumpkin sounds interesting. This cheese cake looks yummy for sure.
This is divine! I just love bourbon paired with those pumpkin spices, and the creamy texture is beyond decadent. Wonderful recipe!
What a great fall dessert. So much more added flavor with the bourbon. The sauce is everything. Thank you for the recipe.
This cheesecake looks amazing!! I am so excited to make it tomorrow, thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
Question: I have a bottle of Jim Beam Vanilla Bourbon and a bottle of Jack Tennessee Honey Bourbon. Can I substitute either of these for the straight up bourbon?
Yes, either of those would work great! Enjoy!
This bourbon pumpkin cheesecake looks absolutely heavenly! I love the combination of flavors, and the addition of bourbon makes it even more tempting. Can’t wait to try this recipe for my next family gathering—thank you for sharing!
This Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake looks absolutely divine! I love the combination of rich flavors and the idea of adding bourbon just makes it even more enticing. Can’t wait to try this for the holidays! Thank you for sharing such a delicious recipe!