You will need a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan for this recipe.

At least 1 hour before preparing the cheesecake, remove the cream cheese from the refrigerator and let come to room temperature. It is extremely important for a creamy cheesecake that your cream cheese is not cold.

Place the gingersnap cookies (200 grams/ 7 ounces) into a food processor and pulse until you have cookie crumbs. Alternatively, you can place them in a zip top bag and use a rolling pin to roll back and forth over the cookies until they are crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a medium bowl.

Stir in the granulated sugar (50 grams/ ¼ cup) and the melted butter (113 grams/ ½ cup) until all of the crumbs are completely coated with butter.

Firmly press the crust into the bottom and about 1 inch (2.5 cm) up the sides of the spring form pan. The bottom of a glass or a measuring cup can be helpful to press the crumbs into an even layer.

For a more toasted flavor, bake the crust at 375°F/190°C for 8 minutes and then set aside to cool while you prepare the filling. This step is optional. You can also skip baking the crust and refrigerate it while you make the filling.

Place the cold heavy cream (235 grams/ 1 cup) in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. Begin whipping on medium speed until stiff peaks are formed. Set aside.

In a separate bowl using a hand mixer, whip the room temperature cream cheese (452 grams/ 2 cups) until soft and light. Add the pumpkin puree (2267 grams/ 1 cup), pumpkin pie spice (1 ½ teaspoons), and powdered sugar (150 grams/ 1 ¼ cups) and whip together until combined.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin mixture using a rubber spatula.

Pour the filling into the springform pan and smooth out with a rubber spatula.

Chill for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight before un-molding and slicing.

Garnish with whipped cream and additional cookie crumbles if desired.