Friday was my husband’s birthday & he requested a cheesecake for his dessert (every birthday we all choose the dessert we want). He loves almost anything pumpkin & Fall is around the corner, so I thought, “Why not a pumpkin cheesecake?”. The chocolate ganache works well with the pumpkin and makes a pretty topping. I mean, it’s chocolate, so why not? Enjoy!

Ingredients for crust:

1 3/4 cups Schar gluten free graham crackers, crushed in a food processor (it’s about 1 1/2 boxes worth)

3 TBSPNS light brown sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 stick melted Earth Balance butter

Directions for filling:

3 (8 oz.) Packages cream cheese, room temperature

1 (15 oz.) Canned 100% pure pumpkin

3 eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp ground cloves

2 Tbspn all purpose gluten free flour with xanthan gum

1 tsp vanilla extract

Ingredients for Ganache:

1 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup Heavy whipping cream

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350° F.

2) In a large bowl: mix together graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add melted butter. Stir. Pour into a 9″ springform pan. Press down evenly into bottom of pan. Set aside.

3) In a stand mixer with whisk attachment: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in the pumpkin, eggs, egg yolk, sour cream, granulated sugar, and cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add flour and vanilla. Beat together until well combined.

4)Pour into crust. Spread out evenly and place it in oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

5) Remove from the oven and place on a wire cooling rack for 15 minutes.

6) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

7) Make ganache: Stir in small saucepan over medium heat, constantly until melted & just combined. Don’t leave pan on heat for long or it will lose it’s shine & eventually burn on. Pour on top of cheesecake and serve.