Pumpkin Cheesecake Icebox Pie

It still feels like summer in the south but, it's fall, and that means pumpkin season. I've had a hankering for pumpkin pie for several days, but, don't want to eat a warm pie when the temperatures are over 90 degrees; so I came up with this icebox pie recipe that I think you'll love. This pie is super pumpkiny, creamy, easy to make, and stores in the refrigerator like a dream.

First, you'll need to make some pumpkin pie spice, it's super easy. You can use this spice to flavor coffee, tea, milk, ice cream, sprinkle on toast, waffles, add to pancakes, and som much more. You'll need a small airtight jar for storage and a few items from your pantry and you're ready to mix.

In a small bowl, add the following:

4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

2 tsp Ground Ginger

1 tsp Ground Cloves

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

Stir with a spoon until thoroughly blended and pour into your airtight jar. Store and use within two years before the flavors begin to dissipate.

Now for the recipe:

Pumpkin Cheesecake Icebox Pie

For the crust:

Cooking spray

2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs or 1 sleeve of crackers ground fine

6 tbs butter, melted

3 tbs organic sugar

1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Pinch of salt.

1. Make the crust: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Coat a 9-inch spring-form pan with cooking spray.

2. Stir together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Press mixture firmly into the bottom and 3 inches up the sides of your spring-form pan. Using a drinking glass with a flat bottom really speeds up the process. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven and set to the side to cool.

For the filling:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

In a bowl with a hand mixer or a stand-alone, whip the heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form, it'll take about 5 minutes.

2 bars full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature.

1 can Organic pumpkin - 15 oz

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup real maple syrup

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

In a separate bowl, blend together the cream cheese, pumpkin, vanilla, brown sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin pie spice till creamy.

Gently, fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin/cream cheese mixture one cup at a time until thoroughly incorporated.

Pour into the graham cracker crust, smoothing out the top. Garnish the top with a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, chill for 4 - 6 hours and serve.

Enjoy!

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