[Foodie Friday Recipe] Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cheesecake With Candied Walnuts

This gorgeous pumpkin spice swirl cheesecake is the perfect centerpiece for your holiday dessert table!

If you’re looking for something special for your Christmas dessert table, this elegant pumpkin spice cheesecake is the perfect holiday treat! Rich, decadent, and delicious, it’s also relatively easy to make, and it’s better a day or two in, which makes it a perfect make-ahead dessert for the busy holiday season. This would also be great for Thanksgiving, but for all you pumpkin lovers out there, it works for Christmas, too! 🙂

It’s made with real, whole-food ingredients like nuts, fresh eggs, and pureed pumpkin. If you have your own eggs from your own chickens, of course that’s best; otherwise, try to find pasture-raised if you can.

Pumpkin Spice Swirl Cheesecake with Candied Walnuts

Ingredients:

For the Cheesecake:

4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1-1/2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies (about 24- 2″ round cookies)
4 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup real sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste (or an equal amount of vanilla extract)
3 large fresh eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin puree (homemade or canned)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 Tablespoon molasses
1 Tablespoon pumpkin pie spice

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and set a teakettle full of water to boil.  Butter a 9″ spring form pan and wrap two layers of foil around the outside.
2. Combine the butter and gingersnap crumbs, stir to coat evenly and press them into the bottom of the pan.  Chill until ready to use.
3. With a stand mixer on medium-low, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar and cornstarch until smooth. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla bean paste, and then the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated. Pour half the batter into a medium bowl and set aside.

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Get full directions + see pictures at FreshEggsDaily.com…