Amazing Mini Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pies
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Pumpkin szn is here! And these mini cream cheese pumpkin pies have buttery crust and a fluffy, no-bake filling for a ridiculously delicious autumn dessert. Even better, these pies are super easy to throw together with just a cupcake pan. You need to give this dessert a try for Halloween, Friendsgiving, and more!
It’s been fall for about 0.2 seconds and I’ve already made a batch of mini pumpkin whoopie pies. Listen, the world is a weird place right now. If I want to bake pumpkin pie cups and put up my Halloween decorations, I will dammit!!
Anyways, last weekend we were in Vegas where it’s still in the 90s, but I obviously had to make something fall-ish after Labor Day. So I made a batch of this no-bake pumpkin pie dip which is creamy and dreamy and everything I want the second September hits. But I also figured it would be good in pie crust and I was right. It kind of tastes similar to my pumpkin spice cheesecake bites but fluffier and more pie-like than cheesecake-ish!
For the mini pie crusts, I like to make them in a regular old cupcake pan. When I was in pastry school, we used mini pie plates, but it’s definitely not necessary. Just keep it easy and use what you have. Also, in this version, I decided to use pie dough, but you could totally use homemade tartlet shells if you like more of a shortbread crust. (There’s lots of good info in that post too!)
Store-bought or homemade crust
Store-bought or homemade pie dough will work in this recipe, so it just depends on how much effort you want to put into the recipe haha. I love my homemade pie crust recipe, but I will often use store-bought dough if I’m in a rush. For the filling, you will need heavy whipping cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar, canned pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom.
If you want to make this recipe completely no-bake, feel free to graham cracker crust instead.
How to make the pies
Assemble right before serving
I like the pie crusts to be on the crisper side, so I typically assemble these pies less than an hour before serving them. If you want to make them in advance, you totally can! Just keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep in mind, the crust will get softer as it sits in the fridge!
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Easy Mini Cream Cheese Pumpkin Pies
Ingredients
Pumpkin Pie Dip
- 240 milliliters heavy whipping cream (1 cup)
- 226 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
- 150 grams powdered sugar (1 1/4 cups)
- 230 grams canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling (1 cup)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (optional)
Pie Crusts
- 2 9-inch pie crusts, store-bought or homemade
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer with whip attachment
- 2 standard cupcake pans
- 3-3 1/2-inch round cookie cutter
- Pie weights, dried beans, rice, etc.
Instructions
Pumpkin Pie Dip
- Pour the cold heavy whipping cream into a large mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer with a whip attachment, beat the cream into heavy peaks, about 4-5 minutes. Use a rubber spatula to transfer the whipped cream into a separate bowl and refrigerate it for later.
- Add the cream cheese and powdered sugar to the same mixing bowl. Using a paddle attachment or beaters, beat the mixture until it's completely smooth. Then, mix in the pumpkin purée, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and cardamom until the mixture is well-combined.
- Fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin-cream cheese mixture in two batches. Work gently so the whipped cream doesn't deflate!
- Once the filling is fluffy and completely combined, cover the top of the bowl with a bowl cover or plastic wrap. Refrigerate the filling while you prepare the pie crusts.
Pie Crusts
- Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lightly dust a surface with flour. Working one pie crust at a time, roll the dough until it's about 1/8-inch thick. Then, use a 3-3 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut out as many dough circles as you can. Gather & re-roll the scraps of dough and cut out as many circles as you can. Repeat with the other pie crust. You should have about 32 dough circles total.
- With an offset spatula or butter knife, transfer the dough circles to the cups of the cupcake pan. Evenly press the dough circles into the cups, using a pastry tamper or shot glass to gently press the dough into the edges & bottoms of the cups. Then, use the tines of a fork to dock the bottoms of the crusts. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes, until the crusts are very cold.
- Place a paper cupcake liner in the center of each crust. Fill the cupcake liners with pie weights, dried beans, or dried rice. Bake the crusts for 15-16 minutes, until the crusts are set and golden-brown on the edges.
- Carefully remove the paper liners from the crusts. (They should not stick. If they are sticking, bake the crusts for another 2-3 minutes, until the paper liners easily release.) Bake uncovered for another 5-7 minutes, until the crusts are crisp and deep golden-brown. They will shrink a tad, but should still be deep enough to fill. Let the crusts cool for 10-15 minutes and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely before filling.
Assemble the Pies
- Right before serving, spoon the pumpkin filling into a piping bag fitted with a big round tip. (Alternatively, you can use a zipper bag with the corner cut off.) Pipe the filling evenly between the cooled pie crusts. Decorate with whipped cream, pie crust leaves, etc. Enjoy!
