Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are the perfect dessert for any fall celebration. They combine all the flavors of pumpkin pie AND cheesecake in a delicious, individual sized treat everyone will LOVE!
Does anyone else come from a family like mine? Where the dessert table is always at least as big as the meal? Seriously. I have never once been to a family holiday where there was only one dessert option. Usually it’s more like 3 or 4….and sometimes even more.
There’s no hiding the fact that my family is dessert obsessed….which is both amazing and also incredibly dangerous. Because sometimes you just can’t choose between them. Cheesecake vs. pumpkin pie? That’s definitely NOT a decision I want to have to make. And with these mini pumpkin cheesecakes, you don’t have to!
They’re mini so you can still enjoy the rest of what’s being offered. And pumpkin + cheesecake because BOTH are necessary elements of a holiday dessert table!
These cheesecakes really are the best of both worlds. They combine all the flavors of pumpkin pie in a rich, creamy cheesecake. And let’s not forget about that graham cracker crust. Top them with whipped cream and cinnamon and you literally have the ULTIMATE holiday dessert…in cupcake sized form.
what you’ll need for this recipe
Graham cracker crumbs – I used 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs, which can either be purchased as crumbs or “homemade” by crushing whole graham crackers using a rolling pin or food processor.
Granulated sugar – I used 3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided between the crust and the filling.
Brown sugar – I also used 3/4 cup brown sugar.
Salted butter – I used 1/4 cup of melted salted butter for a deliciously buttery baked crust.
Pumpkin puree – I used 1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree for the filling, which is essentially one 15 ounce can.
Eggs – I added 3 eggs to the pumpkin puree.
Spices – I used a combination of 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. You can feel free to substitute 2 1/2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice (plus the salt) for the other individual spices.
Cream cheese – I used 24 ounces of softened cream cheese, which adds a creamy cheesecake texture to this recipe.
Vanilla extract – I added 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to round out the flavor and soften the spices.
how to make mini pumpkin cheesecakes
Make the crust. In a medium mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and melted butter. Mix well. Divide evenly among 24 muffin tins lined with cupcake liners and press down firmly. Chill while filling is being prepared.
Make the filling. In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, and vanilla. Blend until creamy. Combine the pumpkin mixture with the cream cheese mixture; blend until smooth.
Assemble & bake. Scoop 1/3 cup filling into each muffin cup. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until centers are set.
Cool & refrigerate. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate, covered, 2-3 hours or until ready to serve.
Garnish & serve. Top with whipped cream and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice before serving. Enjoy!
make them mini!
This recipe uses regular sized muffin tins, but can be made in mini muffin tins with some slight adjustments. You may decide you want to cut the recipe in half, as it will make quite a few. If you decide NOT to cut the recipe in half, here are the adjustments you’ll need to make:
- Divide graham cracker crumb mixture evenly among 72 mini muffin tins
- Divide cheesecake filling evenly among 72 mini muffin tins (approx. 1.5 Tbsp. each)
- Decrease baking time to 20 minutes
make-ahead & storage tips
To prepare the crusts in advance, simply press into the pans, bake, cool, and cover tightly with foil until ready to use. To prepare the filling in advance, mix all the ingredients according to recipe instructions and refrigerate until ready to use.
Cheesecakes can be stored in the refrigerator, covered, for up to one week. They can also be stored in the freezer. To store in the freezer, wrap them in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and place them in a heavy duty freezer bag.
More Pumpkin Desserts You’ll Love
We ALL love pumpkin, and you can never have too many recipes! These are some of our favorites:
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 1 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 24 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line 24 regular sized muffin tins with paper liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and melted butter; mix well.
- Divide evenly among lined muffin tins (approx. 1 1/2 Tablespoons each) and press down firmly. Chill while filling is being prepared.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin, 1/2 cup brown sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt. Mix well.
- In a separate bowl combine softened cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, and vanilla extract. Blend until creamy.
- Combine the pumpkin mixture with the cream cheese mixture; blend until smooth.
- Scoop 1/3 cup filling into each muffin cup.
- Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until centers are set.
- Cool on a wire rack; refrigerate, covered, 2-3 hours or until ready to serve.
Bea K. says
You are using smooth sides cupcake tins but the cheesecakes look like they were done in cupcake papers. Is that what you have done? Are they difficult to get out of the tin without the papers? Thanks!
D Ingram says
maybe they used silicone cupcake lineers
Sabrina says
great entertaining recipe, different too (at least for me) a good kind of pumpkin recipe, thank you, much appreciated!
Teresa says
Should a person use a liner or just spray the muffin pan well?
Thank you!
Linda Reed says
These are delicious!! Definitely recommend them!
Meghan says
These little cheesecakes are simply adorable! Such a great alternative to pumpkin pie!
Paula says
Individual servings are awesome, these are adorable!
Allison says
I love mini dessert, and I love pumpkin – these are perfect for me!
Demeter says
Mini desserts are my favorite for holiday entertaining! You don’t feel bad taking 2 or 3 or 5, haha!
Melanie Bauer says
Looks absolutely delightful! So much flavor packed into each bite, can’t wait to try!
Jamielyn says
Yum! The perfect sweet treat for fall!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert says
These would disappear in our house!
Susan h Hiatt says
Do you use the mini muffin pan or the regular muffin pan?
Cathy Trochelman says
I used a regular sized muffin pan.
Lauren says
Do you use a muffin/cupcake liner for these?
Cathy Trochelman says
Yes, I used a regular sized muffin pan with cupcake liners.
judi says
I want to make these b/c they look delicious… however, others have asked the questions I also have. It is very frustrating to not receive an answer….I’m sure it would all turn out better if the details were included, please. I’ll ask again… Were cupcake lines used bc otherwise it would be difficult to get them out of the tins?…. And… were mini muffin tins used or regular sized ones? A reply from the author would be much appreciated by several of us. Thank You
Cathy Trochelman says
I used a regular sized muffin pan with liners. Yes, the liners allow for easier removal and make these much easier to serve 🙂
Natalie says
You say it’s mini but used regular sized muffin pan…wasted a lot of batter and measurements were completely off because I used a mini cupcake pan as in the title…terrible
Gray says
calm down Natalie, its just cheesecake
Loved it says
It’s mini b/c it’s not a full size cheesecake or pumpkin pie; however, there are directions for both the regular sized muffin tin as well as adjustments for the mini muffin tin. The only thing not stated was the liners in the directions, but the lines on the picture are a give away. I loved these and used gluten free Graham crackers, and my family couldn’t tell the difference!!! Great recipe 🙂
Thank you!
Melissa Leung says
Just made these and they turned out great! (I used cupcake liners just to play it safe).
Going to try to make a larger version – wished there was a recipe for that so I know what ratio of filling and crust to use but I guess I’ll have to do a bit of experimenting on my own.
Chantell says
Going to try these shortly. I was wondering if I could freeze these?
Gabrielle says
I don’t see where it says how much of each ingredient. The list of ingredients isn’t enough to understand how much of each is needed. Sadly I’ll have to find another recipe, these looked look good too.
Cathy Trochelman says
Hi Gabrielle,
The full recipe is included just a bit further down on the page. It includes ingredient measurements and full baking instructions. Hope this helps!
Eileen Mccarthy says
I use this recipe this holiday season and it turned out great. The only thing that’s different is are used wholesome pantry organic pumpkin and Truvia white and brown sugar and still turned out pretty good. The only difference is it’s just a little bit less sweeter but everyone in my family loved it.
Chelsea says
These mini cheesecake bites are scrumptious! They were so good I was asked to make them again for Thanksgiving dinner.
Can I use this recipe to make a full cheesecake?
Cathy Trochelman says
Yes, absolutely! So glad you enjoyed them!
Natalie says
Make sure you use a regular size cupcake/muffin tin to make these. The terms “mini” and “bites” that are used several times are very misleading. I learned my lesson the hard way when I followed the directions exactly, only to be confused as to why I had so much filling or why the recipe was calling for so much crust per slot. Hope this helps! Otherwise, the crust and cheesecake was very delicious!
Cathy Trochelman says
So sorry for the confusion, Natalie! I updated the post to hopefully make this more clear.
Sue McGillivray says
I want to make these for Thanksgiving. I see your note that if using a mini tin to cut the recipe in half. I am curious how to halve 3 eggs? I think 72 mini would be way to many. Thank you
Cathy Trochelman says
Hi Sue! Good question. I would suggesting using 1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk.
Karen says
I want to make these but only have pumpkin pie spice – not individual spices. How can I substitute?
Thanks!
Vicki says
Yes, the recipe shows at the end that 2- tsp of pumpkin pie spice can be substituted for the individual spices.
Vicki says
that is 2-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice substituted for the individual spices.
Karen says
I want to make these but only have pumpkin pie spice – not individual spices. How can I substitute?
Thanks!
Cathy Trochelman says
Simply omit the other spices and use 2-3 tsp. pumpkin pie spice in their place.
Kathleen says
Could you substitute the granulated sugar for baking Splenda?
Cathy Trochelman says
Yes, as long as you follow the conversions on the back of the package it should turn out fine.
Lauren says
Hi! These look great, I’m hoping to make them for Thanksgiving this year. The amount of sugar you list isn’t consistent throughout – The first ingredients list says 1 3/4 c. granulated sugar but then calls for 1/4 c (crust) and 1/2 c (filling) in the instructions; and 1/2 c. brown sugar but then 1/4 c (crust) and 1/2 c (filling) in the instructions. Then in the printable recipe section it says 3/4 for both. Can you confirm the correct amount needed? Thanks!
Cathy Trochelman says
So sorry for the confusion! I updated the recipe 🙂
Nadiya says
The amounts on the list for sugar don’t match the amounts in the instructions…hope these still come out as good! I followed the instructions but the list doesn’t add up the same as those.
Cathy Trochelman says
Sorry for the confusion! I updated the recipe 🙂
Anastasia says
I made this for Christmas Eve and they turned out like absolute perfection. They were a smash hit. Everyone in my family asked if I could bring them to every family gathering. They were especially a hit with the guys surprisingly. My mom’s bf who doesn’t like sweets loved them, my sisters boyfriend loved them, and even my picky brother! I ended up leaving the rest for him. The estimates for how much graham cracker and how much cheesecake batter to scoop into each one were so helpful too and I’m glad you included it! Great recipe!
Cathy Trochelman says
Thanks so much for the feedback! Happy everyone enjoyed them!
Gina says
Did you remove the liners before serving?
Cathy Trochelman says
You could go either way on this!
Beth says
Absolutely fabulous! These worked perfectly! I used muffin tins with paper liners, then removed the liners when it was time to serve and smooth the ridges with one swipe of a butter knife. A little bit of ready, whip on top and they were absolutely beautiful and incredibly delicious! A huge hit and so easy to do! Thank you so very much for this wonderful recipe. I will make it again and again!
Cathy Trochelman says
So happy to hear it!