October is here which means it is officially time to crank out the pumpkin recipes! Excited? I am! Last night we had the missionaries over for dinner and I made chili and cornbread. For dessert I had prepared these tasty little cheesecake bites. This was my first attempt at baking in my mini cheesecake pan and I had no idea what I was doing. Since I made my own recipe I was unsure of the baking/cooling time…. yeah, I winged it. Turns out that my guesses were pretty spot-on because these came out moist and oh so delicious! Happy October and let the pumpkin madness begin!
Baking Tools & Ingredients You Will Need For This Recipe:
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Recipe
Spiced bites with warm fall flavors make these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes the perfect dessert choice for Thanksgiving or your next holiday celebration.
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Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes
Calories: 176kcal
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Ingredients
- 1 (8) ounces package Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese - room temperature
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2 tsp heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice - (or allspice)
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
Crust
- 8 gingersnap cookies
- 1 graham cracker
- 1 1/2 tablespoon butter - melted
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/4 cup pecans
- pinch of salt
Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- seeds from ¼ of a vanilla bean - (or ¼ tsp vanilla bean paste)
- pumpkin pie spice for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius). Lightly grease a mini cheesecake pan with baking or cooking spray. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a food processor, grind all the ingredients for the crust, except for the melted butter. The mixture should resemble slightly coarse crumbs. Remove the mixture and pour the melted butter over. Mix until the crumbs are wet. Press into the bottom of each hole. Place in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
- While the crust is baking, prepare the cheesecake filling. Beat together the cream cheese, sugar, and pumpkin puree until smooth. Add the spices, vanilla, heavy cream, and egg. Mix until just combined.
- Pour the filling over each crust, dividing evenly. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing the cheesecakes (yes, your cheesecakes will sink a little; this is normal).
- Remove the cheesecakes from the pan using the bottom of a wooden spoon. Use a butter knife to remove the metal bottoms and place the cheesecakes in an airtight container. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
- While the cheesecakes are cooling, prepare the vanilla bean whipped cream. Fit a chilled mixing bowl into your stand mixer. Add the heavy cream, sugar, and scraped vanilla bean seeds. Using the whisk attachment, beat on high for 2–3 minutes until stiff peaks form. Return to the refrigerator until the cheesecakes are ready to be served.
- To assemble, using a mesh sieve, lightly dust the cheesecakes with pumpkin pie spice before or after topping with a swirl of whipped cream. Enjoy!
NOTES
-I used the Chicago Metallic Mini Cheesecake Pan, but you can double the recipe and use a standard-size muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.
To STORE, place the mini cheesecakes in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. For FREEZING, individually wrap each cheesecake in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag or container. They will stay good in the freezer for up to 2 months.
To thaw, transfer the cheesecakes to the fridge and let them sit overnight. These cheesecakes are best served chilled, but you can briefly warm them in the microwave if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 176kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 45mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 134mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1972IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 1mg
Recipe source: Life Made Simple
Do you think I could make them with a regular mini cupcake pan?
Yes, of course. I would suggest lining the pan, doubling the recipe and increasing the bake time until they look set around the edges and slightly jiggly in the center (maybe 25-28 minutes?).
I’ve been making a full size pumpkin cheesecake for Thanksgiving, but only two of us enjoy this (I know, weird family, who doesn’t LOVE pumpkin?), so it’s really too much with all the other goodies we have. This will be perfect! The ingredients are very close to the full size recipe I use, including the gingersnaps and pecans – looking forward to trying this version!
I am making mine now for tomorrow and they look much lighter than yours. What kind of pumpkin did you use! They still look good I just love the deep colors of yours above. thanks for posting; I am looking forward to trying one later:)
I used Libby’s… I’ve never tried any other kind, but you could always add a few drops of food coloring next time. I hope you enjoy them, we sure did!
i used an organic brand from whole foods. usually use libby’s i left the second batch in longer and looked darker. they were a hit. thanks and happy thanksgiving!!!
Where do you get mini cheesecake pans and what size did you use for this recipe? Thanks! Look beautiful and delicious.
I work at Sur La Table and we carry the Chicago Metallic Mini Cheesecake Pan… here’s a link to it:
http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-555284/Chicago-Metallic-Mini-Cheesecake-Pan.
It should ship relatively fast if you decide to purchase it online. I haven’t really seen the pan in any stores, I know Bed, Bath & Beyond used to carry it. Hope that helps! Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Found this on Pinterest. Made them today and they are wonderful! Thank you!
Thanks for giving them a try!