Pinterest

0
Print

11
Save

52
Facebook

0
Email

1

Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake

0 Ratings

0 Comments

Prep 45 min
Total 3 hr 45 min
Servings 12

A no-bake cheesecake with a light, fluffy texture - thanks to Yoplait® Greek in the base. MORE + LESS -

Michelle P

October 6, 2014

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2

cups graham cracker crumbs

tbsp butter, melted

tbsp sugar

Filling

cup sugar, separated

tbsp lemon juice

lb cream cheese, softened

cup canned pumpkin

1/2

cup Yoplait® Greek plain yogurt

Topping

Whipped cream (a cup or two, depending on how thick you want it!)

1/2

cup toffee chips

Steps

Hide Images

1

Set cream cheese at room temperature for an hour to soften.
2

Melt the butter for the crust, then combine with crumbs and sugar. Press firmly into 9 inch sprinform pan, and place in refrigerator to cool and harden.
3

Make caramel. Pour 1/2 cup sugar into a small, sturdy saucepan. Cover sugar with enough water to rise 1/2 inch above the sugar. Add the lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until the caramel browns, removing from the heat slightly before desired color is reached.
4

Allow the caramel to cool for a few minutes.
5

Combine caramel with the rest of filling ingredients and pour into prepared crust.
6

Refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Top with whipped cream and toffee chips before serving.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

If you're at all like me, there's one reason to look forward to fall that far outstrips all the rest: the fact that zucchini season is over.

Funnily enough, all my neighbors who previously had an overabundance of zucchini never seem to have any pumpkin to spare. I'm almost certain the pumpkins are all being used for delights like this Pumpkin Caramel Cheesecake Recipe. But don't worry, canned pumpkin works beautifully.

This cheesecake is a no-bake variety, and owes its light, fluffy texture to the Yoplait greek yogurt in the base. It has a little homemade caramel, which sounds scary, but is super easy.

First things first: fully soften the cream cheese by letting it sit at room temperature for an hour. A full hour. Doing so will prevent the formation of little lumpy pellets in the final cake.

Then prepare your crust. This is simply a matter of melting the butter, mixing it with the crumbs and sugar, and then pressing the mixture into the bottom of a springform pan before setting it in the refrigerator to cool. Or, it's simply a matter of unwrapping a store-bought graham cracker crust-- the choice is yours.

Next, caramel. This is really easy and the resulting caramel is so rich and flavorful! You'll need a small, sturdy, straight-sided saucepan, preferably with a lid. Place 1/2 cup of sugar in the pot, cover by 1/2 an inch with water, and add a teaspoon of lemon juice or corn syrup (both prevent the caramel from crystallizing). Place the pot over medium heat, and wait-- eventually the sugar will melt and the water will start to boil away.

If your pot has a cover, use it for brief intervals; the steam condensing on the lid and running down the sides of the pan will also help to prevent the dreaded crystallization. Note that you want to pull the caramel off the heat a bit before it's the color you want, because it will continue cooking with the heat of the pan. If your caramel is getting too dark, a splash of cold water from the faucet (carefully, though, the steam and splattering can be intense!) will arrest the cooking- then just put the pan back on the heat to boil off the added water. You should be left with a thin, mahogany syrup that will thicken as it cools.

After the daredevil, high-wire cookery of caramel production, the rest of the cheesecake goes together with an ease that is almost anticlimactic. Blend all the cake ingredients, spread in your cooled crust, and refrigerate for 3-4 hours. Top with whipped cream, toffee sprinkles, DEVOUR (and be glad it's not zucchini). Serve with more whip and caramel, if desired.

Hope you enjoy! (I have to admit, after making this recipe in our little test kitchen, we literally ate it for breakfast all week!)

XO, Michelle

Michelle Palm created the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen blog after discovering a lack of cocktail-style jelly shot recipes. Look for her posts here, and check her Tablespoon member profile often to see what she’s already gelled up!