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Creamy, warmly spiced, and baked over a buttery graham cracker crust, this Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake uses cottage cheese as the base with just enough cream cheese for that classic cheesecake flavor. Everything gets blended until completely smooth, so the pumpkin filling gets silky and creamy. Maple syrup and pumpkin pie spice bring the fall flavor, and the whole cheesecake bakes in an 8-inch springform pan with no water bath and 10 grams of protein per slice.
Silky Smooth Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake
Blended cottage cheese gives this cheesecake a silky smooth, creamy texture that will leave you shocked that it’s made with cottage cheese. It gets blended with just a little bit of cream cheese and all of the other filling ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you’re not a huge cottage cheese fan or you don’t like the texture, you don’t have to worry about that with this one.
Here’s what else I love about this cottage cheese pumpkin cheesecake:
- It doesn’t actually taste like cottage cheese. Once blended, the mild cottage cheese flavor fades into the background behind the pumpkin and spice, while just 2 ounces of cream cheese adds that familiar cheesecake tang.
- A full-size cheesecake with a real crust. This isn’t a single-serve protein dessert or a crustless cottage cheese bake. It slices like a traditional cheesecake and has a buttery graham cracker crust.
- 10 grams of protein per slice. Cottage cheese and eggs contribute most of the protein, so each generous slice has 10 grams without adding protein powder to the filling.
- No water bath. That means no wrapping the pan in foil, no roasting pan, and no hot water to carry to the oven. It bakes right in the springform pan, which makes this one much simpler than most cheesecakes.
Ingredient Notes
For full recipe instructions and complete list of ingredients, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Cottage cheese: This does most of the work in the filling. It gives the cheesecake its creamy base and most of its protein. I use full-fat (4%) cottage cheese because it gives the filling a fuller, more indulgent texture. If your container looks watery, pour off the extra liquid before measuring so the filling doesn’t turn out loose.
- Cream cheese: Just 2 ounces adds the familiar tang and richness I wanted without making cream cheese the main ingredient. Use block cream cheese rather than spreadable cream cheese from a tub, which contains more moisture.
- Pumpkin puree: Make sure the can says pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced.
- Maple syrup: I love using maple syrup here because it does more than sweeten the filling. Its caramel-like flavor goes so well with pumpkin pie spice.
- Cornstarch: I use cornstarch to absorb some of that extra liquid from the cottage cheese and pumpkin puree and help the filling set like it should.
- Graham crackers: Nine full sheets make about 1¼ cups of fine crumbs. Make sure they’re finely crushed so the butter can evenly coat them and the crust packs together firmly.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cottage Cheese
You’ll just need a food processor or a high speed blender and an 8-inch springform pan. Here’s how I make this easy:
- Preheat the oven and make the crumbs. Heat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment if it isn’t nonstick. Pulse the graham crackers into fine crumbs, or skip this step with 1 ¼ cups store-bought crumbs.
- Press the crust: Stir the crumbs with 4 tablespoons of melted butter, then press them firmly into the pan with the bottom of a measuring cup. A firmly packed crust holds together much better when you slice. Note: There’s no need to pre-bake the crust for this recipe. It sets up underneath the filling as the cheesecake bakes.
- Blend the filling: Blend all the filling ingredients until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. If you can still see any curds, keep blending.
- Pour and bake: Pour the filling over the crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Bake for about 50 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still has a slight jiggle. It’ll keep firming up as it cools. Let it cool at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. When it’s ready to serve, I like to top each slice with whipped cream and a drizzle of caramel.
Jamie’s Tips
How To Get a Set Center and Clean Slices
This pumpkin cottage cheese cheesecake is easy to make, but a few small details make the difference between a soft, cracked center and clean, even slices.
- Soften the cream cheese first. Room-temperature cream cheese blends much more easily into the cottage cheese mixture, so you aren’t chasing small cream-cheese lumps after everything else is smooth.
- Know what the right jiggle looks like. Every oven runs a little differently, so I start checking around 45 minutes. Give the pan a gentle nudge. The edges should look set, while the center, about 3 to 4 inches across, still wobbles slightly like Jell-O. If it ripples or sloshes like liquid, give it a few more minutes. Don’t wait until the whole thing looks firm, or it’ll overbake and can crack or turn dry.
- Loosen the edges once it’s out of the oven. Run a thin knife around the inside of the pan right after baking. The cheesecake shrinks a little as it cools, and freeing the edges keeps it from pulling and cracking across the top.
- Let it cool on the counter first. I know it’s tempting to get it into the fridge right away, but a sudden temperature change can crack the top. Letting it sit on the counter first helps it cool down gradually.
- Give it the full overnight chill. Four hours is the minimum to set, but an overnight chill is where the patience really pays off. The texture turns extra creamy and dense, and the pumpkin spice flavor has more time to come through.
Make Ahead and Storage
This is one dessert I actually prefer making the day before serving because the overnight chill gives the filling time to fully set.
- Make ahead: Bake it the day before you plan to serve it so it has all night to chill. It’s an easy one to have ready for Thanksgiving or a fall get-together.
- Store: Keep the cheesecake covered or store slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Wait to add the whipped cream and caramel until right before serving.
More Sweet Cottage Cheese Recipes
If you’ve made and loved this Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and comments below!
Creamy Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake
Creamy Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake has a silky pumpkin filling, buttery graham cracker crust, and just enough cream cheese for classic cheesecake flavor. Cottage cheese blends completely smooth, and each slice has 10 grams of protein with no water bath needed.
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 9 sheets graham crackers , pulverized into fine crumbs or 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Cheesecake:
- 16 ounces full fat cottage cheese
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Optional toppings: whipped cream, drizzled caramel
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Start by pulverizing graham crackers in a food processor or blender until they’re fine crumbs. If you’re starting with graham cracker crumbs, you can skip this step.
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs and butter together in a small bowl, and then add to the bottom of a 8” springform cheesecake pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup or glass to firmly press the mixture evenly on the bottom of the pan to create the crust. Note: You can cut out a circle of parchment paper to line the bottom if it isn’t non-stick.
- Add the cottage cheese, softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, cornstarch, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract to a food processor or blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling over the prepared graham cracker crust. Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake in the oven for 45-50 minutes, or until the edges are the set and the center has a slight jiggle when shaken. The filling should not look liquidy in the middle.
- Cool to room temp for 1-2 hours and then transfer to the fridge to chill completely for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight.
Notes
- Use full-fat cottage cheese. I recommend 4% cottage cheese for the creamiest texture. If there is visible liquid in the container, pour off the excess before measuring.
- Blend until completely smooth. There should be no visible cottage cheese curds before the filling goes into the pan.
- Don’t overbake. The edges should look set, but the center should still have a slight wibble when you gently move the pan.
- Chill completely before slicing. Four hours is the minimum, but overnight gives the cleanest slices and the creamiest texture.
- Storage: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add whipped cream or caramel just before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 69mg | Sodium: 372mg | Potassium: 213mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 3532IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an estimate.
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Food photography by Marie-Catherine Dubé.
