Ingredients

For the Gingersnap Crust

1 1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs

4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Pumpkin Filling

12 oz full-fat, brick-style cream cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

3 tablespoons pumpkin purée

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground mace (optional)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup heavy cream

Make and Chill the Crust

First, process the gingersnap cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can place them in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

In a medium bowl, combine the cookie crumbs, melted butter, and salt. Mix it with your hands until the texture is like wet sand and it clumps together when you squeeze it. Depending on how dry your gingersnaps are, you may need another tablespoon of butter to get the right consistency.

Press the mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Use the bottom of a measuring cup to pack it down tightly – this is key to making sure the crust doesn’t crumble when you slice the cheesecake later. Place the pan in the freezer for at least 15 minutes while you make the filling.

Prepare the Filling

In a small bowl, whisk together the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and mace. Setting the spice mix aside now makes it easier to incorporate evenly later.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed for ~2 minutes until it’s smooth. You don’t need to soften it beforehand. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the granulated sugar and dark brown sugar. Beat for another ~3 minutes until the sugar fully dissolves into the cream cheese. You shouldn’t see any granules.

Add the pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, kosher salt, and the spice mixture you made earlier. Mix on low until everything is just combined.

Assemble and Set the Cheesecake

Switch to the whisk attachment on your stand mixer. With the mixer on medium-high, slowly pour in the cold heavy cream. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens and forms stiff peaks. Be careful not to over-whip, or the cream will start to separate and the filling will become grainy.

Pull the crust from the freezer. Scrape the filling into the chilled crust and spread it into an even layer with an offset spatula.

Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate it. It needs at least 4 hours to set properly, but letting it chill overnight is best for clean, firm slices.