Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pecan Praline Cheesecake with Speculoos Crust

This is the Thanksgiving centerpiece that makes pie nervous: spiced pumpkin cheesecake on a gluten-free speculoos crust, crowned with a buttery pecan praline that cracks under the fork. Every layer is doable ahead, and the whole thing must chill overnight anyway.

Yield: One 9-inch cheesecake, 12 slices · Time: 2 hr + overnight chill

Ingredients

• Crust: 2 cups GF speculoos or gingersnap crumbs + 5 tbsp melted butter + 2 tbsp sugar
• Filling: 24 oz (680 g) cream cheese, 1 cup (200 g) brown sugar, 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree, 3 eggs, 2 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla, 1/4 tsp salt
• Praline: 3/4 cup brown sugar, 4 tbsp butter, 1/4 cup cream, 1 cup toasted pecans, pinch salt

Directions

1. Press the crust into a 9-inch springform; bake at 350°F (175°C) for 10 minutes.
2. Beat the cream cheese and sugar smooth; blend in pumpkin, eggs, cornstarch, spice, vanilla, and salt.
3. Bake in a water bath at 325°F (165°C) for 60–70 minutes until just set; cool slowly, then chill overnight.
4. Boil the praline ingredients (minus pecans) 2 minutes; stir in pecans and cool 10 minutes.
5. Spoon the praline over the chilled cheesecake just before serving.

Pro tip: Wrap the springform in two layers of foil for the water bath — one pinhole leak is a soggy crust.

Gluten-Free Notes

A quick label-reading reminder: scan ingredient lists for wheat, barley, rye, and malt, and look for a gluten-free claim on anything processed. When a label is unclear, the manufacturer’s website usually settles it.

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