Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Individual serving-size mini pumpkin cheesecakes are the perfect holiday dessert! Made with a layered with a buttery graham crack crust and creamy cheesecake filling swirled with pumpkin. You don’t need any special containers, pans, or techniques to make this cheesecake. No water bath, no springform pan, just your  average muffin tin and a hand mixer. 

If you love a classic pumpkin cheesecake, but don’t have the time or patience – or you want to have perfectly portioned individual servings, this is the recipe to make.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• No special pan or equipment needed. These bake up in a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
• No water bath. Because they’re smaller, they don’t need a water bath to cook fully.
• Individual serving size. Readers love this one because they’re perfectly sized portions.
• Make-ahead friendly. You can make these the day before to save oven space on the day of your holiday baking.

Ingredient Notes for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

For the crust: 

• Graham Cracker Crumbs: you can use sheets of graham crackers or buy the crumbs straight out. You’ll need 1 cup of crumbs.
• Butter: this is added as a binder for the crust
• Sugar: adds just a little sweetness to the crust

For the cheesecake filling:

• Cream cheese: You’ll need 8 ounces of cream cheese. It will have the best texture if it is room temperature before you start. We also prefer to use Philadelphia Cream Cheese whenever possible.
• Sugar: granulated sugar (same as the crust) to sweeten the cheesecake without overpowering the pumpkin flavor.
• Egg: this will help the cheesecake set as it bakes – and you only need one egg!
• Vanilla: we think it tastes best with pure vanilla extract, but imitation works in a pinch.
• Pumpkin puree: make sure you use puree, not pumpkin pie filling (puree doesn’t have spices, pumpkin pie filling has flavoring added)
• Pumpkin pie spice: this gives the pumpkin puree the flavors you love.

Equipment Needed

For this recipe, you only need a few simple kitchen tools. We recommend using the following equipment:

• Mixing Bowl
• Muffin Tin (Regular Size)
• Bowls (Microwave Safe)

How to make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

These cheesecakes  are made in two stages: first, the  graham cracker crust and then the  cheesecake filling.

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl.
2. Add in the graham cracker crumbs and sugar, and mix until completely combined. 
3. Divide this mixture evenly in the bottom of 10-12 muffin cups (make sure you lightly grease them first!).
4. Press the mixture gently, using two fingers, into the bottom of each cup.

Quick Tip: if you want to make sure the cheesecakes don’t stick, you can use a paper liner in each muffin cup.
 

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

1. In a medium size mixing bowl combine  the softened  cream cheese, sugar, egg and vanilla. Beat with a hand mixer until smooth. Using room temperature cream cheese will help you avoid clumps.
2. Remove about ¼ of the cream cheese mixture, and add it to a small mixing bowl. Add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice to it. Mix together until combined.
3. Spoon the plain cheesecake mixture divided evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Fill them about ½ to ⅔ full. Then drop 1 Tablespoon of the pumpkin/cream cheese mixture on top of each muffin and swirl each cup with a small knife or a toothpick.
4. Bake at 300 degrees F  for about 30 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time to ensure more even baking. Let them cool completely in the pan and then remove. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to serve.

Tips for making perfect pumpkin cheesecake:

• Use softened cream cheese. You’ll note this is mentioned several times throughout this post, but it’s that important to getting that smooth, creamy texture you love. Cold cream cheese = lumps.
• Don’t overbake. The edges should be slightly golden while the centers still jiggle a little. As they continue to cool, both in the pan and in the refrigerator, they will continue to set up.
• Use the right size muffin tin. These use a standard, 12-count muffin tin (NOT a 24-count mini muffin tin).
• Let them cool before removing them. If you’re worried about the cheesecakes sticking to the tin, gently run a knife around the edges to loosen them up before removing them. 

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Topping Ideas

We love these topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream, cool whip or Reddi whip, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a drizzle of white chocolate, caramel sauce, chopped pecans, or extra graham cracker crumbs.

Make Ahead, Storage, and Freezing

You can make these mini cheesecakes ahead of time (up to 24 hours in advance) and refrigerate them until you’re ready to serve.

To store, cool completely and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

To freeze, let them cool completely, then transfer them to an airtight container. For best results, we’d also recommend wrapping each one individually in plastic wrap, too. Freezer for up to 3 months and thaw in the refrigerator before serving. Make sure you freeze them without any added toppings.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake FAQs

Enjoy More Delicious Pumpkin Recipes

The holidays and pumpkin recipes go hand in hand! Check out our complete list of Pumpkin Recipes or view some of our favorites below:

• Pumpkin Dip
• Pumpkin Coffee Cake
• Caramel Pumpkin Toffee Cake
• Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
• Pumpkin Muffins