½ C. finely chopped pecans or walnuts (optional, adds a little flavor and texture)
½ C. butter, melted
2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)
FILLING:
3 8-oz. packages of cream cheese
3 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
Dash ground cloves
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix crumbs, nuts and butter. Press onto the bottom (and 2-inches up sides of 9-inch of a spring form pan or 9x13 Pyrex baking dish. Bake 10 minutes.
Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla at medium speed with electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing at low speed after each addition, just until blended. Add pumpkin and spices to batter and mix well.
Pour batter over crust. Bake 55-60 minutes or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen cheesecake. Cool before removing rim of pan. Refrigerate four hours or overnight. Serve with whipped cream.
Recipe by Frugal Bites at http://frugalbites.com/pumpkin-cheesecake/