If you’re craving a rich and creamy pumpkin cheesecake but you don’t want all the calories, you have found the perfect fall dessert! My Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake has only 267 calories per slice. There’s 17 grams LESS fat than the Cheesecake Factory’s Pumpkin Cheesecake. Plus today’s recipe has the added bonus of 9 grams of protein thanks to my favorite secret ingredient! You won’t believe your taste buds!
This recipe is based on one I developed for EatingWell Magazine as part of a feature article I authored in the holiday issue in 2011. Yes, I have been developing recipes for that long. (Actually since 2002! See my published works here to take a peek.) The article’s title was Show Stopping Desserts, and let me tell you, this creamy dreamy Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust is a real showstopper!
Nobody will know it is secretly low-calorie because the recipe includes some of my all-time favorite hacks for lightening up a cheesecake- I’ve done this countless times [See my Peppermint Pattie Cheesecake or any of the Greek Yogurt Cheesecakes that I developed for clients] while keeping the delicious texture and creaminess we all know and love! One of the secrets is it’s made with fat-free cottage cheese, plus I used lighter cream cheese, a whole can of pumpkin (for a nutrient boost) and perfected the texture using my favorite healthy hack for healthier cheesecake recipes!
Wanna know my secrets? Keep reading! I’ll show you how to make it, step-by-step, and then all you have to do is get ready to stop the show when you walk into the dining room with this glorious pumpkin cheesecake on a platter!
Table of contents
- Ingredients For Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake
- How To Make Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
- Chef Katie’s Expert Tips For This Recipe
- Can I use maple syrup or honey?
- Can I use a graham cracker crust?
- Why Did My Cheesecake Crack?
- Do I need to bake the crust before adding the filling?
- Make Ahead Instructions
- More Healthy Pumpkin Desserts and Sweets
If you love this recipe, try out this Pumpkin Brownie recipe, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread and Pumpkin Pancakes. They’re all healthier pumpkin treats!
Ingredients For Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake
For the Gingersnap Crust
- Gingersnaps: I love the taste of gingerbread desserts with pumpkin for fall, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so I used gingersnap cookies to make the crust for this cheesecake. The spices are perfect with the pumpkin! To make the crust you’ll need 5 ounces of gingersnaps cookies. Plus I have some notes on ways to garnish the cake, so you’ll want to have extra.
- Butter: to moisten the cookie crumbs, you’ll need 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter.
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Cottage Cheese: Here’s my number one hack for a healthy cheesecake: using pureed cottage cheese will save you 1320 calories! It is so much better than using Greek yogurt in cheesecake because the flavor isn’t sour at all- it is neutral and a little salty, just like cream cheese. But has a fraction of the calories! Make sure your container is a 16-ounce container (some are only 14 or 15.) It should say non-fat or fat-free on the package. If you love this hack, try our Healthy Low Calorie Ranch Dip too!
- Reduced Fat Cream Cheese: I used 12 ounces of Neufchatel cheese instead of regular cream cheese, which can be found next to the full-fat cream cheese in the dairy aisle of the supermarket. The package often says “1/3 less fat than regular cream cheese.” Neufchatel cheese from France is a bloomy rind soft cheese and it is not the same as American Neufchatel cheese, so don’t sub that in!
- Sugar: For the perfect texture you need to use a blend of white granulated sugar and brown sugar. See note on subbing in natural sweeteners.
- Tapioca starch: To give the cheesecake perfect texture you’ll need 3 tablespoons powdered tapioca starch. This can be found in regular supermarkets in the baking aisle with the alternative flours or gluten-free section. You can also find it at Whole Foods or other natural foods stores. If you cannot find it, you can use 3 tablespoons of tapioca pearls, but you have to grind them to a fine powder using a clean coffee grinder.
- Pumpkin pie spice: to give the cheesecake pumpkin spice flavor! You can mix your own using a blend of cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg cloves and allspice.
- Eggs: Fresh eggs are key to a great baked cheesecake! They help the cheesecake batter set up and give it density.
- Pumpkin: I was able to use an entire 15-ounce can of pureed pumpkin. If you want, you can make your own pumpkin puree from scratch. Just make sure to strain it if making your own from a pie pumpkin, otherwise your cheesecake will be watery.
- Vanilla extract: For flavoring
- Garnish: The sky is the limit for garnishing this beautiful cheesecake recipe. I like to pipe whipped cream around the edge and space gingersnaps between each dollop. But you can opt for a healthier option like spiced nuts. Other ideas include using gingerbread cookies cut into pumpkin shapes or pumpkin-shaped candy corns.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
Preheat your oven to 325°F and give a 9-inch springform pan a good coating with cooking spray (see note below if you have an older pan that leaks*). While you’re at it, set a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.
Pulse the cookies in a food processor until you get a fine meal. Drizzle in the melted butter and continue to process, scraping down the sides and bottom of the food processor once or twice, until the crumbs are evenly coated. Press this crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of your prepared pan. Place the springform pan into a larger roasting pan and set it aside.
Rinse out your food processor and add the cottage cheese. Process it until completely smooth, which should take about 2 minutes. Don’t forget to scrape down the sides once during processing. Getting a creamy texture is key to smooth cheesecake.
In a mixing bowl, beat together the Neufchâtel cheese, both sugars, tapioca, and pumpkin pie spice using either a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Keep it on medium-low until everything is well combined and smooth.
Now, add in the eggs, pumpkin, vanilla, and that silky smooth cottage cheese. Continue beating on medium-low, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is uniform with no streaks. You don’t want to beat air into the mixture, so keep the speed low and try not to overmix.
Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan over the crust. Carefully pour the boiling water into the roasting pan around the springform pan to create a water bath. Gently transfer it to the oven and bake for 70 to 78 minutes, or until the cake is set but still has a slight jiggle in the center.
Once baked, remove the roasting pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the water bath until the water reaches room temperature. Then, take the springform pan out of the water bath and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if you prefer.
When ready to serve, run a knife around the edge of the cake, then remove the sides of the springform pan. You can transfer the cake to a stand or just leave it on the base. Garnish with whipped cream and gingersnaps if you’d like, and enjoy!
Chef Katie’s Expert Tips For This Recipe
For Leaky Springform Pans: If your springform pan is older and doesn’t form a tight seal, you can double-wrap the outside of it with aluminum foil to prevent the water bath from seeping into the cracks and making your cheesecake watery.
For a Pretty Presentation: Use a glass-bottomed springform pan for a pretty presentation. I got this one on Food 52. Decorate with fall foliage for a festive look.
Food Processor vs Vitamix: To puree the cottage cheese I suggest using a food processor fitted with a steel blade attachment. This will give the cottage cheese smooth texture without incorporating too much air into the batter. If you use a high-speed blender, you can always let your batter rest in the fridge for an hour or two to allow some of the air to settle out.
Can I use maple syrup or honey?
I am a big fan of natural sweeteners (I wrote a whole book on maple syrup) but they do not work in this recipe because it will make the texture too wet. If you do want to use unrefined sugar I recommend granulated maple sugar which will give the pumpkin cheesecake a lovely maple flavor. I do not recommend coconut sugar as the flavor is too bitter.
Can I use a graham cracker crust?
If you want the pumpkin to be the star of the show, without competing with the taste of gingersnaps, you can absolutely go with a traditional crust made of graham cracker crumbs instead. You can use a regular graham cracker crust in this recipe. Follow the instructions to bake first. I do suggest that you spray the pan before adding the crumbs.
Why Did My Cheesecake Crack?
To prevent the cheesecake from cracking follow these tips:
- Use room-temperature eggs, cottage cheese and light cream cheese. This will help the cake come to temp more quickly and evenly. Check for doneness on the low end of the cooking time.
- Avoid over-beating the filling. Adding too much air to the filling can cause a cheesecake to crack.
- Use the water bath: Set the cake into a roasting pan and pour the boiling water into the pan. If you do not have a roasting pan large enough to fit the cake pan you can improvise by placing a casserole dish with boiling water in the pan on the rack below. Set the cake pan on a baking sheet on the rack above to help disperse the temperature evenly.
- Do not over-bake the cheesecake- if it puffs in the center it is overbaked. It should wiggle slightly in the center when you lift up the edge of the pan.
If the cheesecake does crack as it cools, you can top your pumpkin cheesecake with Sauteed Apples with Cinnamon to cover up the cracks and nobody will be the wiser!
Do I need to bake the crust before adding the filling?
For this gingersnap crust, you do not need to bake it first. The cookies are very hard and do not require blind baking. However, if you use a graham cracker crust you should bake it first following the instructions of your recipe.
Make Ahead Instructions
Prep Ahead: You’ll need to refrigerate the cake after it is baked for about 4 hours or until it is very cold. This will set the tapioca starch to give the cake firm texture. If you want to make it in advance, you can refrigerate it overnight. However, after a day or two the liquid in the dairy will start to weep and the crust will get wet so we suggest serving this cheesecake within the first 24 hours after baking it.
Freezing: While you can freeze a regular cheesecake, low-fat cheesecake, especially pumpkin, will not freeze well. It is too high in moisture and the starches in the tapioca weaken. So sadly there are limits to the magic of this recipe.
More Healthy Pumpkin Desserts and Sweets
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
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1 9-inch Spring Form Pan
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1 food processor with steel blade attachment
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1 hand mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
- 5 ounces gingersnap cookies plus more for garnish if desired
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 16 ounces non-fat cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons powdered tapioca starch
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 3 eggs
- 15 ounces unsweetened pumpkin puree
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- whipped cream for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray. See note*. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
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Grind cookies to a fine meal in food processor. Drizzle in butter and process, scraping sides as needed until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Set the springform pan into a roasting pan and set aside.
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Clean food processor and add cottage cheese. Process the cottage cheese in the food processor until completely smooth, about 2 minutes. Scraping down sides once.
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Beat Neufchatel cheese, sugar, brown sugar, tapioca and pumpkin pie spice with an electric mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-low until the tapioca and spice is incorporated.
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Add in eggs, pumpkin, vanilla and the cottage cheese. Beat on medium low, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionallyuntil no streaks remain.
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Pour the batter into the spring-form pan over the crumb crust. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan to create a hot water bath for the cake and carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake until set but slightly wobbly in the center when gently shaken, 70 to 78 minutes.
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Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Let cake cool in the water bath until the water is room temperature. Remove the spring-form pan from the water bath and refrigerate until completely cold, at least 4 hours. Wrap tightly and refrigerate overnight if desired.
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Run a knife along the edge of the pan. Remove sides of the spring-form pan. Transfer cake to a cake stand if desired or just leave it on the pan bottom. Garnish with whipped cream and gingersnaps if desired.
Notes
Prep Ahead: You’ll need to refrigerate the cake after it is baked for about 4 hours or until it is very cold. This will set the tapioca starch to give the cake firm texture. If you want to make it in advance, you can refrigerate it overnight. However, after a day or two the liquid in the dairy will start to weep and the crust will get wet so we suggest serving this cheesecake within the first 24 hours after baking it.
