These Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes feature an easy three ingredient gingersnap cookie crust with a smooth and creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling on top. These are the perfect mini dessert for fall!
Fall is just around the corner and I’ve been patiently waiting to break out the pumpkin and start sharing some pumpkin recipes with you. I’ve actually been working ahead on recipes and I have some delicious treats lined up for this fall. I thought it would only be appropriate to start with these adorable Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes.
I love mini desserts because they’re perfect for potlucks, family gatherings, and the perfect size to pick up and enjoy. I especially love mini cheesecakes because you can make them the night before, pop them in the refrigerator overnight, and dessert is ready to go the next day.
For the bottom of these mini cheesecakes, I went with a gingersnap crust. I think the spices in gingersnap cookies pairs beautifully with pumpkin cheesecake. If you’re not a fan of gingersnaps or want to try something else, you can use the graham cracker crust in this recipe.
As for the filling, it’s just a simple mixture of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, pumpkin puree, and an egg. When it comes to the pumpkin in this recipe, make sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin puree is just pumpkin that’s been pureed (makes sense, right?) and will list pumpkin as the only ingredient on the back of the can. Pumpkin pie filling is actually pumpkin puree that’s been sweetened with spices added to it, so be sure to use the correct one for this recipe.
One important tip, make sure your cream cheese and egg are at room temperature before you start making these cheesecakes. Room temperature ingredients in cheesecakes always ensure a smoother and creamier filling with no lumps.
I also used a mini cheesecake pan for this recipe, here’s the same pan that I own and here’s another one that’s similar. If you don’t have one, you can also use a muffin pan. If you do use a muffin pan, I suggest using liners in the muffin pan so the cheesecakes are easier to remove. The cheesecakes will have some grooves on them from the liners, but they’re still delicious and bake up beautifully.
You can also top these cheesecakes with anything you like. I prefer to top these with some homemade whipped cream, salted caramel sauce, or both. Because, why not?
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 12 gingersnap cookies (90 grams or 3/4 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs)
- 2 tablespoon (25 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the pumpkin cheesecake filling:
- 8 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3/4 cup (185 grams) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg room temperature
Instructions
To make the crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray each cavity of a 12-count mini cheesecake pan well with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. You may also use a regular muffin pan (not a mini muffin pan) for this recipe, I also suggest using cupcake liners for easier removal. If using a regular muffin pan, only line 10 cavities of the pan with liners.
- Add the gingersnap cookies to a blender or food processor and process until you have fine crumbs. Scoop the crumbs into a mixing bowl, add the sugar and butter and mix until fully combined. Evenly distribute the mixture between all 12 cavities in the mini cheesecake pan (or 10 cavities in the muffin pan), making sure to press each one down firmly into one even layer. Bake at 325°F for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep oven temperature at 325°F while you make the filling.
To make the cheesecake filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add in the pumpkin puree and mix until fully combined, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the egg and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the filling between all 12 cavities of the cheesecake pan (or 10 cavities in the muffin pan) and return to the oven.
- Bake at 325°F for 15-20 minutes or until the tops of the cheesecakes are set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. Once the cheesecakes are chilled, carefully remove them from the pan, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
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Pumpkin cheesecake is seriously my FAVORITE thing once fall rolls around! These tiny adorable cheesecakes will give me every excuse to eat tons!
Mine too, Sarah! Thank you! 🙂
Hello ladies! I needed to finally come on here and let you know this has become my go-to recipe for many mini cheesecakes, all delicious! I’ve substituted the pumpkin puree for orange and nispero puree (that’s a loquat I believe… I’m in Spain right now) also lemon curd, and a mocha chipotle chocolate that was insanely delicious… they all are! I’m so happy! Thanks a lot and Happy Holidays!!
Mini cheesecakes are my favorite kind of cheesecake — they’re just too cute! It wouldn’t be fall without pumpkin cheesecake and these look just perfect Danielle!
Mine too, especially because I can eat more than one haha! Thanks, Marcie! 🙂
Mini everything! And especially cheesecake! These bites are perfect for Fall…and for celebrating our friends!
Thank you, Liz!
I need a mini cheesecake pan like that — these are so cute! Mini desserts are so perfect for this time of year, if you can share 😉 Thank you so much for helping us celebrate!
I think you’d love one, Ashley! So happy for you too! 🙂
It’s like you read my mind and knew I’ve been craving all the pumpkin these days! These look so delicious and so creamy!! Thanks so much, Danielle, it’s been so nice to get to know you over the years. We need to do another conference, although I guess I won’t be up for one for a little while 😉
Thank you, Denise! I’m so glad I met you ladies and hopefully we can get together again in person soon! 🙂
Good morning!
What exactly is piped onto the mini pumpkin cheesecakes?
Hi, Carrie! I made a batch of homemade whipped cream to use on top of these mini cheesecakes. You can find my recipe here: http://www.livewellbakeoften.com/homemade-whipped-cream/.
These look amazing! Although, maybe a little dangerous because I would eat so many of them, haha! Perfect way to start the pumpkin season 🙂
Haha mini desserts can sometimes be a little dangerous around me too 😉 Thanks, Izzy!
These little cheesecakes look amazing! Totally craving pumpkin cheesecake now! 🙂
Thank you, Stacey!
Perfect for the small gathering we’re invited to for Thanksgiving, thanks! I was looking at other pumpkin cheesecake recipes, but they were HUGE, coming in around 650+ calories per slice. Per. Slice. Just too much. I’m going to go the muffin tin route, so will make ten. They’ll still be generous.
That’s why I love mini desserts and they’re perfectly portioned too! 🙂 Hope you enjoy the mini cheesecakes!
Great recipe, where can I find the mini cheesecake pans ?
I actually got mine as a gift and I’m not sure where it came from. You can find them on Amazon though! 🙂
So glad I ran across this recipe. Made it for Thanksgiving and it turned out great! Made it with a graham cracker crust.
So glad you liked the mini cheesecakes, Teresa!
Would love to bake these for my niece’s wedding cookie table, how long in advance can you make these?
Do they freeze well?
Perfect for a fall wedding.
Thanks,
Sandra
You can refrigerate them for 3-4 days. They will freeze well for up to 3 months too. You can just thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
This recipe was amazing! Super simple and D-licious! I’ve been a baker in the professional world for over 10 years and these little guys were a hit at Friendsgiving this year! I will be using this recipe again many times over! Thank you so much! I used the recipe with the Gingersnap Crust and made my own Chantilly cream for the top and they were fantastic, if I do say so myself! I also baked them in cupcake papers in a 12 count muffin pan (minus 2) and the papers came off easily with non-stick coconut spray. Filled almost to the top of the paper and baked for 25 minutes. I made 24 total. Thank you for this wonderful recipe, I cant wait to make them again for Thanksgiving!
So glad you liked the cheesecakes, Jamie!
I can do this with graham cracker crust also right?!
Yes, absolutely!
I absolutely LOVE this recipe! I’ve been searching high and low for a good pumpkin cheesecake recipe! Do you think it would be a good idea to use mini muffin pan with liners for these desserts if we can’t find the mini cheesecake pans you suggested?
Thank you, Leah! It would be fine to use a mini muffin pan, you would need to reduce the baking time on the crust and the filling. I find that a regular muffin pan works well though.
I have made this many times, using a small ginger snap cookie for the crust has worked well. Have you done any baking with mini pecan pie?
I have a mini pecan pie recipe here: https://www.livewellbakeoften.com/mini-pecan-pies/.
Hi Danielle. They look delicious! Can I use a cupcake pan instead?
Yes, that’s fine. There are instructions in the recipe notes for how to use a cupcake/muffin pan.
I made these to bring to a Thanksgiving gathering. They were a hit! Super tasty, and people liked having bitesize dessert! Winner!
I love these! Mine always sink in the middle though. I cover it with whipped cream, but I’d love to know if you have any tips on this.
Hi, Melissa! There are a couple of reasons cheesecakes can sink. One could be that they were slightly under baked, you may check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer or increase the baking time by a few minutes. Another reason could be that the egg was over mixed into the batter, which incorporates more air and causes the cheesecakes to fall. If you make them again, I would recommend mixing in the egg on low speed until just combined. You also want to be sure to use the blocks/bricks of cream cheese and not the cream cheese in a tub. Hope that helps!
Hi Danielle!
I’ve made several of your recipes and have loved them all!
I was wondering what brand of gingersnap cookies you would recommend as I don’t regularly eat or even try them.
Thank you, Amanda! Any kind of crunchy gingersnap cookie would be fine. I typically just use the store brand gingersnaps and they work great!
Hi Danielle,
I’ve tried this recipe a total of 3 times now. Each time the flavor is amazing but I’ve had trouble with the cheesecakes actually setting. I’ve also made your mini strawberry cheesecakes and notice that these are much softer than those. As I’m making these in a cupcake pan instead of a cheesecake one, I used the tip above and increased the time by 5 minutes but they still were way too soft. In a second trial I reduced the amount of pumpkin puree but these just ended up softer than the original recipe. Any idea on what I may be doing wrong?
Hi, Amanda! Are they so soft that they aren’t setting up at all? These will be softer than the mini strawberry cheesecakes because of the moisture in the pumpkin puree, but they should still firm up once they are chilled.
I believe the frist time I made the recipe they set a little bit but after reducing the pumpkin pureé my cheesecakes became as soft as the homemade whipped cream that topped them. I figured these would be slightly softer because of the pumpkin but I guess I’m just not too sure how much softer I should be expecting them.
The softness of the cheesecake filling is similar to the softness of the filling of a pumpkin pie. Are you using bricks or blocks of cream cheese too? If you happen to use cream cheese in a tub, it could affect the texture of the cheesecakes.
Hi! I do not have a mini muffin pan but I do have silicone muffin liners in regular and jumbo size. I would like to use my regular size silicone muffin liners if possible. I’m thinking I would need to at least double the recipe. I wondered if you had any suggestions on baking in a larger muffin size? I think a gingersnap crust is the way to go! I’d appreciate your advice on making them in regular size silicone muffin liners. Looking forward to making them. Thank you! 🙂
Hi, Leigh! You actually don’t need a mini muffin pan for this recipe. I did use a mini cheesecake pan, but it’s not the same thing as a mini muffin pan, it’s actually similar to a regular muffin pan. You can use the regular silicone muffin liners to make 12 mini cheesecakes, the recipe and baking time will all stay the same.
My apologies. I misread the type of pan you were using. For some reason I had a mini muffin pan stuck on the brain. I attempted a full size pumpkin swirl cheesecake with gingersnap cookie crust last Thanksgiving, but it flopped. I was going to attempt it again this Thanksgiving but I’m undergoing chemotherapy and I double I’ll be up to doing a lot. This recipe caught my eye and seems to be much simpler and hopefully fail proof since they are smaller individual ones. I would like to make a flavored whipped topping to pair it with. Would you happen to have any suggestions on a good flavored whipped topping recipe? I’ll have to let you know how it went. Thank you! 🙂
No worries, Leigh! I have a homemade whipped cream recipe here, you could add some maple extract to the whipped cream to flavor it. I also have a salted caramel sauce recipe here that goes great with them too!