This crustless pumpkin cheesecake recipe uses the traditional burnt Basque cheesecake as a base and enhances that world-famous recipe with homemade pumpkin purée and spices. It is the perfect cheesecake for fall, and so easy to make. If you love Spanish style cheesecakes (creamy and crustless) this is the recipe for you!
When I first tried the classic burnt Basque cheesecake in San Sebastian, I was blown away. I was never a big fan of cheesecake -- it was too dense and heavy, and often tasted like eating a tub of cream cheese with some jam on top.
Spanish style cheesecakes are nothing like this. More like a cross between a cheesecake and a flan, most Spanish cheesecakes have very few ingredients and don't bother with a crust or toppings.
When writing recipes for Spanish Feasts
So I worked to develop an easy crustless pumpkin cheesecake based on the burnt Basque cheesecake we all know and love.
The result is this creamy and delicious crustless pumpkin cheesecake that would make the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving table this year.
Key Ingredients: Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake
This recipe is so simple that it only uses a handful of ingredients. You'll need only six ingredients (plus spices) for this incredible dessert!
Key ingredients: Philadelphia cream cheese, eggs, sugar, heavy cream, flour, pumpkin purée, spices
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Flour: If you want to make this cheesecake gluten-free, simply omit the flour. It won't have too much of an effect on the final result!
- Sugar: You can cut back the sugar slightly, though I wouldn't say the cake is overly sweet.
- Cream cheese: The recipe calls for the Philadelphia brand because that's what Bar La Viña uses in their recipe! But you can use any cream cheese you'd like, and even substitute with other cream cheeses, such as mascarpone.
- Eggs: This recipe uses a lot of eggs, make sure they're the best quality you can find!
- Spices: I like the simplicity of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, but you can use any pumpkin pie spice blend you prefer.
Serving Suggestions
This crustless cheesecake makes the perfect addition to your holiday dessert table. It should be served cold or room temperature and goes great with a sweet dessert wine -- a Spanish Moscatel or Pedro Jimenez sherry, or a glass of port wine.
More Simple Spanish Desserts
If you like this delicious dessert, bookmark these ones too!
- Sherry Spiked Pecan Pie: Another perfect holiday dessert, my sherry infused pecan pie is a Thanksgiving favorite at my house!
- Pumpkin Pie Flan: Not a crust person? Apart from this crustless cheesecake recipe, you might want to try my pumpkin pie flan. All the yummy goodness of pumpkin pie without the bothersome crust!
- Arroz con Leche: Another simple Spanish dessert for the holidays is this simple rice pudding.
- Leche Frita: A delicious custard that's deep-fried... what's not to love?
Printable Recipe Card
If you’d like to print this out, you can do that here. The recipe can print in black and white, without the photos for an easy read.
Crustless Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1.65 lb Philadelphia cream cheese (you can also substitute any other cream cheese, such as mascarpone)
- 7 eggs
- 1 cup pumpkin purée (fresh is best but canned works too -- just make sure it's natural and not sweetened/spiced)
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon (you can add a pinch of nutmeg or any other pumpkin pie spices you like in this step)
- 2 cups sugar For a slightly less sweet cheesecake use only 300-350 g (1.5 to 1.75 cups)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 6.5 fluid ounces heavy cream (equal to â…˜ cup or 200 ml)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 410°F (210°C).
- Using an electric mixer, a whisk, or a metal spoon (the classic La Viña way!) combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.
- Line a 10 inch (25 cm) springform pan or round baking pan with enough wax or parchment paper that it extends past the edges of the pan. This will help you remove the cheesecake from the pan later on, and will prevent it from sticking. You can use a smaller pan for a higher cheesecake but may need to bake longer so that the center isn't too runny.
- Bake on the center rack for 35-50 minutes. The cake will rise quite a bit but don't worry -- it will settle when it’s out of the oven. If you like your cheesecake just cooked through, bake for 40-45 minutes, and if it isn't quite burnt enough on top, turn the heat up for another minute or two, being careful it doesn't burn too much! If you like the center very runny, remove at 35 minutes.
- When the cake is brown and almost burnt looking, turn the oven off. The center shouldn’t be completely set. It will wiggle a lot when you move the pan (like Jello!)
- Let it start to cool gradually by leaving it out on the counter. After an hour or so, move the cake to the fridge to cool completely.
- After a few hours, your cheesecake should be chilled enough to cut. Don’t remove the cake from the parchment paper until it’s ready to be cut, plated, and devoured (as it can start to lose its shape).
- Enjoy with a sweet glass of Pedro Ximénez sherry.
Notes
Top Tips for Cheesecake Success
Â- Flour: If you want to make this cheesecake gluten-free, simply omit the flour. It won't have too much of an effect on the final result!
- Sugar: You can cut back the sugar slightly, though I wouldn't say the cake is overly sweet.
- Cream cheese: The recipe calls for the Philadelphia brand because that's what Bar La Viña uses in their recipe! But you can use any cream cheese you'd like, and even substitute with other cream cheeses, such as mascarpone.
- Eggs: This recipe uses a lot of eggs, make sure they're the best quality you can find!
- Spices: I like the simplicity of cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, but you can use any pumpkin pie spice blend you prefer.
This recipe comes from Spanish Feasts from the Devour Tours Kitchen. It's one of 55 Spanish recipes perfect for a holiday feast! You can get your copy here
Pin me!
Leave a Reply