National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day – October 21, 2024

History of National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day

Cheesecakes can be dated as far back as the 5th century B.C. when the ancient Greeks made the earliest form of cheesecake. This essentially consisted of cheese pounded with honey and flour, and cooked on an old-timey griddle. It was known as the ‘plakous’ meaning ‘flat mass’.

The cheesecake was then elevated in late medieval England, where it emerged with a tart-like pastry base. It spread rapidly across the region. Given its popularity in England, cheesecake soon made an appearance in American colonies. Cheesecake bakers here began to experiment with several different currants and spices as infusions, however, American cheesecake truly took a new form when cream cheese was introduced. Cream cheese made the base creamier and sturdier than it had ever been before. This new and improved cheesecake became all the rage in the 1930s when Arnold Reuben (the creator of the Reuben sandwich) introduced the ‘New York cheesecake’ to the city.

Bakers went on to experiment with an endless array of different flavorings and toppings — blueberry, strawberry, chocolate — and along the way, the pumpkin cheesecake was born. The pumpkin cheesecake went on to win hearts and gain popularity, so much so that cheesecake lovers declared October 21 to be National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day in 2011, and it has since been celebrated every year nationwide.