Happy day after Thanksgiving! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebrating with loved ones. I personally love Thanksgiving – food, family and relaxation…it almost doesn’t get any better than that. Almost. I have to say I’m an even bigger fan of the day after Thanksgiving. Leftovers + acceptable Christmas decor and excitement = pure happiness.
I will say though, the passing of Thanksgiving does not mean the end of pumpkin season. No way, no how. I’ll still be having pumpkin errythang well until the new year. If it’s raining it Seattle, it’s acceptable to have pumpkin – especially in cheesecake form 😉
This cheesecake pretty wonderful. Original cheesecake tends to be a little too rich for my taste, and the pumpkin lightens this up beautifully. Instead of a traditional graham-cracker crust, I used crushed pecans. It was a really tasty (and gluten-free!) swap. If you have some leftover cans of pumpkin laying around and are sick of pumpkin pie, give this a try!
- 2 1/2 Cups Pecans
- 1/2 Teaspoon Ginger
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon Allspice
- 1/4 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Coconut Sugar
- 3-4 Chopped Dates
- 4 Tablespoons Melted Butter
- 15 oz Canned Pumpkin (1 Can)
- 16 oz Light Cream Cheese, Softened
- 3 Eggs, Room Temperature
- 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Coconut Sugar
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prepare a springform pan by spraying with non-stick spray, and lining the bottom of the pan with parchment. Set aside.
- To prepare the crust, place pecans, sugar and spices in a food processor and pulse until a crumb consistency.
- Drizzle in melted butter and add chopped dates. Pulse until a sticky consistency forms.
- Empty contents into springform pan and press in an even layer with a wooden spoon. Set aside and begin preparing the filling.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, spices and vanilla. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a stand or hand mixer, beat cream cheese and coconut sugar until fluffy.
- Add half of the egg mixture to cream cheese and beat on low. Once combined, add the rest of the eggs and continue beating on low until a thick, smooth batter forms.
- Pour batter onto crust and smooth into an even layer.
- Place cheesecake into the oven, and bake at 425F for 15 min.
- Without opening the oven door, lower temperature to 350F and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, and prop open the oven door slightly. Leave cheesecake in the oven for 30 minutes.
- When done, place on cooling rack to cool for 30-40 minutes.
- Place in the refrigerator to finish cooling overnight.
- When it's time to cut it, use a sharp knife that has been wet with warm water.
What’s your favorite post-Thanksgiving treat?
Do you usually put up your holiday decorations before Thanksgiving or after?