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This Marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake is what happens when chocolate and pumpkin decide to share the spotlight. It has a silky pumpkin cheesecake base, dark chocolate swirls, and a rich chocolate graham cracker crust.
It’s indulgent, impressive, and the perfect Thanksgiving dessert when you want to go beyond traditional pie. If you’ve never paired chocolate with pumpkin, like with my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies or Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, you’re in for a real treat.
Krissy’s Notes
I made this cheesecake for a pumpkin-themed potluck years ago, and it’s been a fall favorite ever since. It’s rich enough that a small slice goes a long way, but it’s so good you’ll still go back for seconds.
What makes this dessert special is how balanced it is. The pumpkin adds warmth and spice, the chocolate adds depth, and the marbling makes it beautiful without any extra effort.
I used chocolate graham crackers for the crust (Teddy Grahams actually work great), and it gives the whole dessert a subtle cocoa base that pairs perfectly with the filling.
If you’re a pumpkin dessert lover, you might also want to check out my Pumpkin Roll or Pumpkin Swirl Brownies—both are crowd-pleasers at fall gatherings.
What You’ll Need To Make It
You’ll find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below, but here’s a quick overview.
For the crust: chocolate graham crackers and butter.
For the filling: cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin puree, eggs, heavy cream, cornstarch, lemon juice, pumpkin pie spice, and melted dark chocolate.
The combination of brown and white sugar gives the cheesecake depth, and the lemon juice adds just enough acidity to keep the flavor bright and balanced.
How to Make Marbled Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake
Full ingredients and directions are listed below, but here’s a quick summary.
- Make the crust: Pulse chocolate graham crackers into fine crumbs, mix with melted butter, and press firmly into a springform pan.
- Mix the batter: Whip cream cheese until smooth, then add the sugars, pumpkin, eggs, and the remaining wet ingredients.
- Marble it: Pour most of the batter onto the crust, then stir melted chocolate into the remaining batter. Drop spoonfuls on top and use a knife to swirl the two together for that perfect marbled pattern.
- Bake low and slow: Start at a higher temperature for 10 minutes, then reduce it to finish cooking for about an hour. The center should be slightly jiggly, not wet. Chill overnight for the perfect set.
Make Ahead, Storage, and Reheating
To make ahead: Cheesecake is best made a day in advance. Let it cool fully, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The flavor and texture improve with time.
To store: Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze individual slices for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before serving.
To serve: For clean slices, dip your knife in hot water and wipe it clean between cuts.
Learn From Me
This cheesecake has a few quirks, and I’ve learned them all through trial and error. A little butter leakage from the springform pan is normal. Just place a foil-lined baking sheet underneath to catch it.
The key is to not overbake; it should have a little wiggle in the center when it comes out. Once chilled, it firms up perfectly.
If you love pumpkin cheesecake but want a showstopper with a chocolate twist, this is the one to make.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are some of the reader questions I’ve gotten about this recipe with my responses.
It should move slightly in the center when shaken, but not look liquid. The edges should be set. It will firm up completely after chilling overnight.
Nope! That happens sometimes with springform pans. I usually place a piece of foil on the oven rack below to catch any drips.
Yes! Just press the crust into a 9×13 pan and bake for less time. Start checking around the 40-minute mark—bars will cook faster because they’re thinner.
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Ingredients
- 10 ounces chocolate graham crackers finely ground
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips
- 24 ounces cream cheese 3 – 8 ounce packages, softened
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Prepare 9″ springform pan by lining bottom with a 9 inch parchment round.
- To make the chocolate graham crumbs, pulse 10 ounces chocolate graham crackers in food processor until you only see fine crumbs, about 1 minute.
- Thoroughly combine crumbs and 10 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted). Press an even layer firmly into bottom of pan.
To make the cheesecake filling:
- Start by microwaving the 1 cup dark chocolate chips chips on 50% power, just until melted. Start with one minute, stir, and then continue 30 seconds at a time until melted when stirred. Set aside and allow to cool to room temperature. You want it to be soft enough to mix but not hot enough to cook the batter when you mix it.
- In a stand mixer bowl, beat 24 ounces cream cheese on medium high speed with the paddle attachment until completely smooth and fluffy, scraping occasionally, about 3 minutes.
- Add 1 cup granulated sugar and 1/4 cup packed brown sugar with the cream mixture until well combined. Scrape again.
- Add the 15 ounces pumpkin puree, mix well, and scrape again.
- Add 3 large eggs and 2 egg yolks. Mix on low until combined. Scrape again.
- In a separate bowl mix 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice. Stir very well to get any and all cornstarch lumps out. Combine well with the cream cheese mixture.
- Pour all but about 1 cup of cheesecake mixture onto the crust. Stir melted chocolate into the remaining cheesecake mixture. Spoon large dots of the chocolate mixture on top of cheesecake batter. Use a butter knife to create a swirl design between the chocolate and the pumpkin cheesecake batter.
To bake cheesecake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Bake at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 275 degrees F and bake and additional 60-70 minutes. Time will vary depending on your oven. Center should be only slightly jiggly.
- Chill overnight before removing from springform pan.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
this is fabulous, will diffently keep and make again and make again perfect for holidays. thank you so much I served it with a dolop whipped topping.
This cheesecake is amazing and unique. I love the flavors and how the marbling turns out. Thanks.
Delicious! Love this new variation on pumpkin cheesecake! So yummy, so incredibly good!
This pumpkin cheesecake is the perfect Thanksgiving dessert dish! Love it!
This is one of the best cheesecake recipes ever. I mean, chocolate and pumpkin. It’s fall plus cheesecake. Loved it!
This looks so amazing! I love pumpkin cheesecake and the marbling makes it that much better! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Hi, I’m making this right now for tomorrow. is it a 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream per mixture or a 1/4 cup for each flavor?
Hi Kelly, you add all of the whipping cream to the cheesecake mixture. Then, you take some of that cheesecake mixture and mix in the chocolate to make the chocolate portion. Make sense? -Krissy
So, even though I did line the pan with parchment paper I seem to have a problem with butter dripping out of my pan.
And the cooking time seems to be way longer, how jiggly is slightly jiggly? Mine seems very jiggly but is starting to crack on top.
Sorry for the late reply. My butter drips too. When it does, I usually put a piece of foil on the rack below to catch it. Cooking times definitely vary by oven so I would error on the side of cooking until it is barely jiggly. You definitely don’t want it to look or feel wet.
I currently have this is the oven. I baked it at 275 for 60 minutes after the 10 minutes at 350. The middle is jiggling like it’s still raw. I am.putting it back in at 300 for an additional.10 minutes. I really hope it turns out ok. I spent alot of time preparing it for our thanksgiving dessert for tomorrow.
Hi Michele, It should have some jiggle to it and will completely set once refrigerated. I hope it turned out! Happy Thanksgiving. Krissy
Hi! This is happening to my cheesecake as well. How much jiggle should it have? It seems very jiggly at the moment, and it has been in the oven for about an hour and a half at this point. Thank you.
Hi Michele, Sorry the cooking time is all over the place! When cooking at a low temp like that, the cook time for a cheesecake can actually vary widely and I always determine the doneness by the jiggle. It should shake but not look like liquid, if that makes any sense. The cheesecake will firm up in the fridge overnight, but this is definitely a more creamy cheesecake as opposed to dense and thick. Hope it worked for you!
This sounds like exactly what I’m looking for. I’d like to make bars, tho. Do you think I’d need to modify the recipe in any way?
Since bars are thinner, I think the only modification you would need to do is to reduce the cooking time?