Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe Baked Inside Pumpkins on the Big Green Egg [2026 Halloween]

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe starts with a different kind of baking dish: a real pumpkin. In his Big Green Egg cook, Matthew X. Ruder roasted sugar pumpkin halves with butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, then filled them with cheesecake batter and returned them to the grill.

His serving suggestion brings everything together: scoop a little tender pumpkin flesh with each bite of cheesecake. The pumpkin supplies both the seasonal flavor and an edible bowl, making this a Halloween dessert that needs little decoration.

Here is an expanded guide to his two-stage method, with ChefsTemp temperature checks to help manage the grill and determine when the filling is ready.

Part 1. Easy pumpkin cheesecake recipe: Ingredients and equipment

Makes four filled pumpkin halves for sharing. Filling depth varies with cavity size; you don’t need to fill them to the rim.

For the pumpkins:

•  
  2 sugar pumpkins, also called pie pumpkins, approximately 4–6 pounds each

•  
  4 tablespoons melted butter

•  
  2 tablespoons brown sugar
•  
  3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

For the cheesecake filling:

•  
  16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
•  
  ½ cup sour cream
•  
  ⅔ cup granulated sugar
•  
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  
  A pinch of salt
•  
  2 large eggs
•  
  Caramel sauce, optional, for serving

 

                                                                                                     

 

Use pumpkins sold for cooking, not decorative carving pumpkins. Check that the halves fit your Big Green Egg and leave space for heat to circulate; cook in batches if needed.

Have a convEGGtor or suitable heat deflector, a rimmed metal tray that fits the grill, heatproof gloves, and a mixer ready. A ChefsTemp ProTemp S1 monitors grill temperature, while a separate instant-read food thermometer checks the filling.

Part 2. How to make pumpkin spice cheesecake on the Big Green Egg

1. Set up for indirect cooking

Prepare the EGG for indirect cooking and stabilize it at 425°F (218°C) with the heat deflector and cooking grid in place. The deflector shields the pumpkin bottoms from direct charcoal heat, allowing the grill to work like an oven. Start with a clean-burning fire and skip extra smoking wood for your first attempt to keep the dessert’s flavors balanced.

The ProTemp S1 shown on Matthew’s EGG provides an easy-to-read dome temperature. Connected to the ChefsTemp app, it also lets you track temperature changes while you prepare the filling. That reading tracks the cooking environment at the sensor, rather than the food’s internal temperature.

2. Prepare and season the pumpkins

Wash and dry the pumpkins. On a stable cutting board, split each vertically from the stem end toward the base. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers, leaving the flesh intact.

Combine the melted butter, brown sugar, and pumpkin pie spice, then brush it over the exposed flesh and cavities. Arrange the halves cut-side up on the tray. Support any rocking halves with crumpled foil rings; avoid cutting through the shells, which could let filling leak later.

                                                                                         

 

3. Roast until the flesh softens

Roast at approximately 425°F for about one hour, following Matthew’s starting guideline. Check with a fork near the end: the flesh should be softening while the shells still hold their shape. Thick pumpkins may need longer.

Watch the S1 for sustained temperature drift and make small vent adjustments as needed. This helps distinguish a pumpkin that needs more time from a grill that has cooled below its target. Keep the dome closed between food checks.

 

                                                                                       

 

4. Mix the filling and lower the heat

Beat the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping the bowl to remove lumps. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, and salt. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until incorporated to avoid beating excess air into the batter.

Remove the pumpkin tray using heatproof gloves. Carefully spoon out any liquid pooled in the cavities so it will not dilute the filling.

Adjust the vents to bring the EGG down to 350°F (177°C). Ceramic grills retain heat, so allow time for the temperature to drop. Follow the S1 reading and wait for the lower temperature to settle before returning the filled pumpkins. The S1 monitors this change; the vent adjustments manage the heat.

                                                                                     

 

5. Fill and bake to temperature

Divide the batter among the pumpkin halves, leaving space below the edges. Return the tray to the indirect cooking grid and bake at approximately 350°F.

Begin checking after about 30 minutes. Matthew’s original recipe suggests a second stage of roughly 35–45 minutes, but pumpkin size, filling depth, and the endpoint below can change the timing. Use temperature to decide when to remove them.

                                                                                       

 

Insert a clean instant-read thermometer into the center of each filling, keeping its sensing area away from the pumpkin flesh and tray. For this recipe made with regular shell eggs, reach at least 160°F (71°C), consistent with food-safety guidance for egg dishes. Remove each half as it reaches that temperature.

Here, the tools answer two different questions: the S1 shows whether the grill is holding its baking temperature, while the food thermometer confirms the cheesecake’s center is ready. Browning alone cannot tell you both.

                                                                                     

 

Tip: Click here to learn more about safe temp for Halloween party snacks.

6. Chill and serve

Cool briefly on a rack, then refrigerate promptly in shallow containers. Do not leave this egg-and-dairy dessert out for more than two hours, or one hour above 90°F (32°C). Chill until firm and cold; making it the day before Halloween is convenient.

Drizzle with caramel if desired. Serve with spoons so guests can scoop the creamy filling and roasted pumpkin together—the distinctive feature of Matthew’s spiced pumpkin cheesecake.

FAQs Before Your Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake

Does the filling need pumpkin purée?

No. The pumpkin flavor comes from the roasted flesh and spice coating. Adding purée changes the batter’s moisture balance and would require a different recipe.

Which ProTemp S1 fits a Big Green Egg?

Choose the S1 BGE version, and verify that your existing thermometer port fits before installation. Use the dome-mounted S1 to monitor the grill, and use a separate food thermometer for the filling checks in this pumpkin cheesecake recipe.