Goat Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake With a Pecan Hazelnut Crust
I normally don’t post too much on the weekends but I want to get this up for those of you who may want to make this for Thanksgiving.
This is not your momma’s cheesecake. Unless of course, you have MY momma. She gets all the credit for this and she gave me permission to recreate and post it here. It’s not a typical cheesecake, although the consistency is the same. It’s not super sweet but for those of us who don’t eat sugar very often, I found it a perfect sweetness. Both the goat and neufchâtel cheeses lend a unique sophistication and tart flavor that blends perfectly with the pecan hazelnut crust.
Note: To make this a “regular” pumpkin cheesecake, substitute the goat and neufchâtel cheeses with the same amount of plain cream cheese and increase the sweetener you use from 1/4 c to 1/2 c.
Tip: Make this the night before serving. Any great cheesecake needs to “set” in a fridge for at least a few hours to get the correct consistency.
The crust is totally gluten/grain-free and I had to figure out the right proportions to get it perfect. And it is delicious – perfect for pie, cheesecake, or a tart, I will be using this crust recipe going forward for everything I bake.
Goat Cheese Pumpkin Cheesecake With Pecan Hazelnut Crust
For the crust:
What you need:
- 1 c. pecans
- 1/2 c. hazelnuts
- 1/3 c. walnuts
- 1/3 c. coconut flour
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tbsp butter, melter
- 2 tbsp honey or agave (if you use honey, you may need 1 tsp water for consistency purposes)
What you do:
1) In a food processor or blender, pulse the nuts and cinnamon until the nuts are very small and fine.
2) Add in the melter butter and agave and pulse until blended
3) Using your hands, form the dough inside a 9-in pie plate.
4) Bake at 400 for 10 minutes, until firm through.
—
For the cheesecake:
What you need:
- 8 oz. cream cheeze
- 8 oz. neufchtel cheese
- 8 oz goat cheese
- 4 eggs
- 2 c. pureed pumpkin
- 1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/4 c. -1/2 c. raw honey or agave (or sweetener of your choice)
What you do:
1) Put everything in a blender. Yes, it’s that easy!
2) Pour into pie plate with the cooked crust
3) Bake at 325 for 75-90 minutes.
4) THIS IS IMPORTANT: Also place a large baking dish almost full with water in the oven on the rack below your cheesecake. The steam from this water will help keep the cake moist, as well as prevent cracking and burning on the top.
5) Top with fresh whipped cream or ice cream and cinnamon.
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This sounds awesome!!!!
I take it agave is a sweetener of some sort?
Sunny, yes. Agave is a sweetener. Click here to read more.
Looks delicious! Have you tried this crust with any other pies?
Michele,
I just invented it that day – I had to try a bunch of different ratios to get it perfect. But I can say with pretty great confidence that it would work with most pies/tarts.
Sounds great – love your site, thanks much! I’m going to try this without the crust because – ack! – I don’t have a food processor! But, I think it will make a great crustles custard? Thanks again and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Yes, you could definitely make this crustless!
Could you use honey for this since agave is even worse than HFCS?
Hey Ryan,
I agree that agave is not the ideal sweetener as it IS in fact highly processed and refined. for my readers, Food Renegade has a great post on it here. However, there are some people who disagree and like most anything else, I like to give options.
That’s why when it comes to sweeteners I always say “honey or agave” as honey is my sweetener of choice. It can almost always be found local and raw. Plus, it’s delicious!
The only caveat is that if you do use honey, the viscosity may be a little thicker so you may need to add a small amount of water.
I know some people also use Stevia but I don’t like the taste very much so I’ve never cooked with it. Both of these recipes (the crust and the cake) can be made with it I suppose but the difference in liquid would have to be taken into consideration. Water could be used in he crust and cream could be subbed in the cheesecake. That being said, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say with 100% certainty.
Thanks for bringing this discussion up, Ryan!
Woot! My husband just asked for pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving and I hadn’t started looking for recipes yet — thanks!
This is an outstanding recipe! My husband and I made a few of these as tarts for Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit! We served fresh whipped cream on top and it was all just to die for. Thank you for your creativity with this excellent creation! Love it!
great post, thanks for sharing
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I made this for Thanksgiving this week, with 2 packages of cream cheese instead of goat cheese. It was AWESOME. My only problem was the burning of the edge of my crust – any suggestions to protect it? Maybe I’ll have to cover the edges with tin foil next time?
I had leftover filling so I just tossed it in some ramakins and cooked the filling with no crust. Also amazing.
Thanks for the great recipes!
Yeah, I actually burned my crust too!! You should definitely foil the edges; it helps a lot!
Is the original recipe 8oz each of the 3 cheeses? And if you wish to use only cream cheese is it 3x8oz of cream cheese? And is there any difference if I were to use 3x8oz of goat cream cheese? (I’m allergic to cow’s milk).
Just double checking as i’m making this for Christmas! Can’t wait! Thanks!
You just need 24 oz of the cheese. I’ve never made it with all goat cheese but if you do try it, you may need to increase the amount of sweetener you use as goat cheese can be tart and a little sour. Let me know how it comes out. Also, before you make the whole cake, you can just bake some of the filling you make in a small ramekin to get an idea of how it will taste and go from there.
Can you use maple syrup as the sweetener? If so, would it be equal amounts as per your recipe?
Thanks!
Yes! I thik the maple syrup would give it a great flavor! Let me know ihow it comes out if you decide to use the substitution; I’d love to add it in the recipe!
Making this for Thanksgiving dinner! Just one question about your cheese: did you use *real* Neufchatel, or American Neufchatel?
My apologies, I’m a culinary student with an abundance of curiosity and penchant for research. I only ask because I found Neufchatel from Normandy is soft ripened cheese (not normally pasteurized, and not legal for import to the US).
Making this for Thanksgiving dinner! Just one question about your cheese: did you use *real* Neufchatel, or American Neufchatel?
My apologies, I’m a culinary student with an abundance of curiosity and penchant for research. I only ask because I found Neufchatel from Normandy is soft ripened cheese (not normally pasteurized, and not legal for import to the US).
It was American – the kind you can get by the cream cheese! I hope you like the end product! Let me know!