Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake

I never knew what cheesecake was, because my mother never made this and none of our relatives ever made this dessert. One day, we were given a piece of Strawberry Cheesecake at a friend's house.  

It was so good! Even though my friend showed me the box they opened and just added a few basic ingredients, I generally stay away from buying the ingredients in a box kit, so I searched through our cookbooks to find a recipe.  

I thought it would be complicated to make, but I quickly learned that it is not. Since then, I have added cheesecake to my list of desserts that my family enjoys.  

It isn't made very often, because it is high in calories, but we love the smooth, rich taste, that this delectable treat gives us. It is perfect to serve for special occasions, or just when you want something comforting. This is an easy recipe that I'm sure your family will enjoy.

Ingredients 

Crust 

1 9-inch ready-made pie crust. Or you can make your own pie crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 c. graham crackers, crushed (This is usually 1 sleeve of graham crackers)
2 Tbs. sugar  
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
 

Filling

8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (15 to 16 oz.) pumpkin purée. Do not use pumpkin pie filling
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 (8 oz.) cool whip topping
Cinnamon, optional

Instructions

Place the butter in a small saucepan. Melt the butter on the stove over low heat.

 

Put the graham crackers in a sealable bag and close the bag. Using a rolling pin, crush the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs.

 

Pour the crumbs into a large bowl. Add the sugar and cinnamon and mix.

Pour the melted butter over the graham cracker crumbs. Stir to combine.

 

Press the graham cracker mixture into a 9-inch pie pan.

Place the graham cracker crust in the refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes.

When the 20 minutes are about up, or when you are ready to make your pumpkin cheesecake, it is time to make the filling.

In a large mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk.  Beat thoroughly until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and creamy.

 

Mix in pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth. 

Gently fold in about a fourth of the whipped topping. This helps to lighten the mixture.  Fold in the remaining whipped topping. It is important not to over mix, or the filling will not be as light and fluffy.

 

Remove the pie crust from the refrigerator.  Spoon in the prepared filling. We sprinkle some cinnamon over the top of our pumpkin cheesecake.

 

Cover the pie with plastic wrap, or if you have a pie pan cover, you can use that. 

 

Set the pie in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or even overnight, if you can wait that long.

Cut into servings. Serve with whipped cream if desired.