This classy dessert delights with just a small slice. Please scroll to the end to see our how-to video!
Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
This dessert is a winner. We love it because it is very classy and you can get away with serving thin slices.
- 1 cup Oreo cookies
- 12 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 each whole eggs
- 2 cans pumpkin puree
- 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate (melted)
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Grind the cookie crumbs and pat into the bottom of a greased and papered spring form 9" cake pan.
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Cream the sugar and cheese together. Scrape the bowl and mix again several times. Add the pumpkin pie spice.
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Add the eggs one by one, scraping the bowl and mixing smooth each time.
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Add the pumpkin puree and mix smooth. Reserve one cup of the batter for the chocolate swirl. Pour the batter into the spring form pan.
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Mix the melted chocolate and remaining 1 cup of batter. If it is too stiff warm it a little. Add the chocolate to the pumpkin cheesecake and swirl in.
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Place the spring form pan on a baking tray. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wrap the spring form pan with wet kitchen towels so they fully surround it.
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Bake the cheesecake until it is firm in the center like an omelette or quiche. A toothpick should come out clean. This takes about 45- 60 minutes.
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Remove from oven and cool. Remove the spring form pan and slide onto serving plate. Chill until ready to serve. Slice into 12 or more pieces.
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Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII
Judy Doherty, MPS, PCII discovered her love of cooking at her grandmother's side, stirring raisin oatmeal on a Saturday morning. By 15 she had her first food service job. At 18 she was accepted to the Culinary Institute of America, where she graduated second in her class, then went on to the Fachschule Richemont in Switzerland to study pastry arts and baking. A decade with Hyatt Hotels followed before she founded Food and Health Communications with a single conviction: food that is good for you should taste extraordinary.
Judy holds a Master of Professional Studies in Food Business from the Culinary Institute of America, a Bachelor of Science in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University (Summa Cum Laude), two art certificates from UC Berkeley Extension, and the CIA's Pro Chef II certification. She has earned the American Culinary Federation Bronze Medal, Gold Medal, and ACF Chef of the Year award.
Today she develops every recipe on this site, shoots and styles food through her food photography and motion studio, and publishes nutrition education materials for dietitians, schools, extension offices, and health professionals through nutritioneducationstore.com. She uses the latest nutritional science and Dietary Guidelines to drive her creativity — whether that means a new twist on fajitas or Italian brownies made with toasted nuts and cooked honey. Her mission has never changed: help everyone make food that tastes as good as it is for them.
