Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

I love a New York style cheesecake,  piled high with cream cheese and a little on the fluffier side.  Adding pumpkin to cheesecake just seemed like a no-brainer. And after several tries I had a beautiful, soft cheesecake with a chocolate crust tasting better than an Oreo cookie.  What a great combination!  I hope you enjoy this cheesecake!

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:
1 cup nuts (I used pecans. You could omit the nuts and replace with seeds if desired)
1 cup gf oatmeal
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup dutch processed cocoa
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 stick butter (cold)
1 egg white

Combine the first six ingredients (all but the egg white) in a food processor and pulse till finely chopped. Then add the egg white and pulse or stir till combined. Press into a greased 10 inch spring form pan. Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes. 

Batter:
3 - 8 oz cream cheese (room temp.)
1 cup sugar
1 egg yolk
1 T lemon juice
1/2 t vanilla
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 t ginger
1 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
1/4 t salt
6 eggs divided

Turn oven to 500 degrees. Combine cream cheese, sugar and egg yolk and beat on low speed till soft and smooth (like frosting).  Add lemon juice and vanilla.  Then add pumpkin and the spices.  Mix on low speed until smooth, scraping bowl often.  Add eggs two at a time beating on low for 30 seconds and scraping bowl after each two.  Pour into crust and bake @ 500 for 10 minutes. Without opening oven door, turn temp down to 200 and bake 90 - 105 minutes.  It may still seem a little undone after 105 min. but it sets in the refrigerator. Refrigerate for at least 5 hour or overnight.

To watch me make this cheesecake press  Here