Crush the graham crackers in a bag or food processor until they become fine crumbs.
In a bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, packed brown sugar, a splash of vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and a pinch of salt until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Press this crumb mixture into a pie plate, ensuring it covers the bottom and sides to form a crust.
Blind bake the crust in a preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until it turns lightly golden, then remove it and let it cool.
In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the egg yolks, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, vanilla, heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and a pinch of salt to the cream cheese, mixing until everything is well combined.
Pour the pumpkin filling into the pre-baked crust.
Bake the pie at 350°F until the center is set and no longer jiggly, which should take about 45 to 55 minutes; it's normal for the pie to crack.
Allow the pie to cool completely before serving.
Serve topped with whipped cream and optional pumpkin spice brown sugar cream.
