Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
These Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are delicious, adorable variations on classic pumpkin cheesecake. Rich, delicious pumpkin cheesecake with graham cracker crust in bite-sized form? Oh, yes, we did!
We love the classics, but we love even more is creating variations on those classics. That’s why we love this recipe. It takes full-size pumpkin cheesecake and shrinks it down into little bites that are perfect for fall parties, holiday gatherings, and even weeknight desserts.
Table of contents
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It only takes a few simple ingredients to make.
- It’s full of classic pumpkin cheesecake flavor in a fun bite-sized package.
- It’s an easy recipe that even beginners can make.
- It’s a great dessert for the fall.
🛒Ingredients
You’ll only need a few basic ingredients to make this simple recipe, and you’ll find them all in your kitchen and at your local grocery store. Be sure to check the recipe card at the end of the post for exact amounts.
For the Crust
- Crushed graham cracker crumbs
- Sugar
- Pumpkin spice
- Melted unsalted butter
Cheesecake Batter
- Softened cream cheese
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Pumpkin puree
- Lemon juice
- Flour
- Sour cream
For the Topping
- Heavy whipping cream
- Powdered sugar
🔪 How to Make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Making this recipe is as easy as shopping for the ingredients. It only takes a few minutes and a few simple steps to make and then, you just bake it and let it cool. That’s it!
Step 1: Prep
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and place cupcake liners in a muffin tin. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Crust
Crush the graham crackers into small crumbs. Then, combine them with sugar, pumpkin spice, and melted butter. Scoop the mixture into heaping, loosely packed tablespoons and press it into the cupcake liners to make the crust.
Step 3: Make the Batter
Cream the softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Then, combine one egg at at time, mixing between each addition. Add the pumpkin pie spice, flour, and lemon juice and mix again. Finally, add the pumpkin puree and sour cream and mix well.
Step 4: Fill and Bake
Fill each cupcake liner to just under the rim of the top. Then, bake for 14 to 16 minutes until the centers of the mini cheesecakes move slightly while the edges remain in place.
Step 5: Cool
Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and cool to room temperature. Then, place in the refrigerator for another 2 hours until completely set.
Step 6: Make the Topping
Prior to serving, combine the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar in a stand mixer and beat until stiff peaks form. Add a dollop onto each cheesecake and enjoy!
📝Variations
Do you want to change up this recipe and make it your own? Here are some ways that you can do that!
- Pumpkin Puree – You can use sweet potato puree to make mini sweet potato cheesecakes.
- Sour Cream – You can use full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream.
- Graham Crackers – You can use crushed Nilla wafers for the crust.
If you love this fun variation of pumpkin cheesecake, then we think you’ll enjoy these pumpkin cheesecake parfaits.
🥄 Equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
- Stand mixer
- Mixing bowl
🥫 Storage
Refrigerate these mini pumpkin cheesecakes for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze them for up to a month in an air-tight, freezer-safe container in single layers separated by parchment paper.
💭 Tips
- Be sure to buy pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. They’re often found close to one another.
- Be sure to remove the cheesecakes when the centers are jiggly and the edges are set. They’ll continue to cook to perfection as they cool.
- Crush your graham crackers into crumbs, not fine powder.
⁉️ FAQ
Do you have questions about this recipe? Here are the answers to the most commonly asked questions.
Mini cheesecakes are miniature versions of full-size cheesecakes. They’re mixed and baked in the same way, they’re just smaller.
If you don’t chill the cheesecakes, they won’t set properly and will sort of ooze all over when you cut into them.
Serve them with a glass of milk and a cup of coffee or tea. They’re also wonderful with fresh fruit, and of course, whipped cream.
🍽 More Recipes
Do you enjoy mini cheesecakes? Then try these delicious recipes:
📌 PIN IT!!
🧾Recipe Card
Want to make this recipe? Print the recipe card below, or pin this recipe, so you can find it later.
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Equipment
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Muffin tin
- cupcake liners
- Stand mixer
- Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs crushed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon Pumpkin spice
- ½ cup unsalted butter melted
Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 c. sugar
- 4 eggs
- 15 ounces pumpkin puree
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin spice
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 2 cups sour cream
Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place cupcake liners in your pan.
- Crush the graham crackers into small pieces and crumbs. Some small chunks are okay – does not need to be finely ground.
- Add in the 1 T. sugar, 1 t. Pumpkin spice and melted butter. Mix until the butter is incorporated and the mixture has a wet appearance.
- Scoop out one heaping, loosely packed tablespoon worth of the crust mixture and place in the bottom of the cupcake lined baking pan.
- Using the back of the tablespoon or the flat bottom of a ¼ cup measuring cup, gently press down to pack the crust into the bottom of the pan.
- Repeat with the remaining crust mix. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar and softened cream cheese – cream until smooth. Take your time with this step – if your cream cheese is not incorporated well enough or it was cold, there will be chunks in your cheesecakes. Make sure the mixture is creamed together well.
- Add in one egg at a time and mix well between each addition.
- Add in the pumpkin pie spice, flour and lemon juice.
- Combine well again.
- Add in the pumpkin puree and sour cream and mix thoroughly to combine – stop the machine and scrape down the sides and mix again.
- Fill each cupcake liner until just under the rim of the top. Cheesecakes will not overflow when baked. They will puff up slightly during the bake time, but then settle again once cooled.
- Bake in preheated oven for approximately 14-16 minutes. Before removing from the oven, preform a “jiggle test” – gently wiggle the pan and the centers of the cheesecakes should move slightly while the edges remain in place.
- The cheesecakes will completely solidify once cooled but overbaking until it is completely set makes for a dry and crumbly cheesecake.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Then place in the fridge for an additional 2 hours to completely set.
- Do not remove the liners from the pan before they have cooled and solidified, otherwise you will have a messy, broken cheesecake.
- Once the cheesecakes have cooled, they can be served. Just prior to serving, finish the topping. Place the whipping cream and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high speed for 1-2 minutes until stiff peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip and gently pipe a dollop of cream on each cheesecake.
