Little Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites
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Ok, we need to talk about these pumpkin spice cheesecake bites because they are ridiculously good! With graham cracker crust, pumpkin pie cheesecake filling, and freshly-whipped cream, they’re a cozy and decadent mini dessert for autumn. Seriously, make these for your next party or holiday with friends. Everyone will love them!
Today, I danced around my kitchen in my thickest wool socks because it finally feels like fall! It was chilly. It was raining. I even got to break out my favorite Halloween Snoopy mug. Friends, all is well in the world. And that means it’s time to bake!
In today’s contribution, I bring you literally everything that a good autumn dessert has to offer. Like, imagine if a pumpkin pie and a cheesecake had a baby. They’re based on the pumpkin cheesecake recipe that I used to make when I was in pastry school. But they’re tiny for a better crust-to-filling ratio.
These little bites have the butteriest graham cracker crust, lots of spice, and a dose of whipped cream for good measure. Even better, if you make this recipe, you’ll have just enough leftover canned pumpkin to make pumpkin pie cups or mini pumpkin whoopie pies!
This recipe is so much easier than a whole cheesecake
I mean, obviously, I’m not opposed to a whole cheesecake. But the great thing about minis is that they’re honestly so much easier to make and serve to a crowd.
- These cheesecakes are tiny – just two bites. No slicing, forks, or plates!
- You don’t need a water bath or springform pan to make this recipe.
- Pumpkin spice. I mean really, need I say more?
- This is an elegant mini dessert for parties or holidays!
Room temperature ingredients
The important thing to know about the ingredients in this recipe is that anything that comes out of the fridge (cream cheese, sour cream, eggs) need to be room temperature. First off, it makes it so much easier to mix everything together. But also, if the ingredients are cold, you’ll end up with a lumpy filling.
- Graham crackers – this will be the base of the crust. I use regular honey graham crackers but any will do. You can also use gingersnap cookies or even Biscoff cookies!
- Sugar – just a bit of granulated white sugar will sweeten the crust.
- Unsalted butter – you’ll need melted butter for the crust and softened butter for the filling.
- Kosher salt – I like Morton’s Kosher salt.
- Brown sugar – light or brown sugar will work in this recipe to sweeten the filling and give it a caramelized flavor.
- Cream cheese – full-fat is a must for a super creamy filling!
- Sour cream – this will give the filling a little extra tang. Again, use full-fat.
- Pumpkin pie spice – you can also use homemade apple pie spice. Or sub it out with cinnamon.
- Vanilla – just a little vanilla extract for even more flavor.
- Eggs – an egg will help the filling set and add extra creaminess.
- Pumpkin purée – I always recommend Libby’s because it has less water than other brands.
Make sure you are buying canned pumpkin purée. Not pre-made pumpkin pie filling!
Mini muffin pan
For bite-sized cheesecakes, you’ll need a mini muffin pan. You can use one 48-cup pan, two 24-cup pans, or one 24-cup pan but you’ll have to work in batches. I love my tin from William’s Sonoma but any will do! Make sure you also grab a pack of mini muffin liners for easy baking.
You can also make this recipe in a cupcake pan if you want bigger cheesecakes. You will need to bake the cheesecakes for closer to 16-18 minutes. The recipe will make between 16-18 cheesecakes.
Make the graham cracker crust
Don’t skip baking the crusts before filling them! If the crusts don’t set, the cheesecake filling will seep under them. Once the crusts are cooled, you can go ahead and fill them.
Mix the filling & bake
Don’t over-bake the cheesecakes or they will come out dense, grainy, and cracked. You want to bake them just until the tops are set. The filling will puff up a bit but it will deflate back down after the cheesecakes are cooled.
No-crack cheesecakes
We all hate a cheesecake crack, it’s just a fact. So to keep the mini pumpkin cheesecakes from cracking, here’s a little trick I learned in pastry school! After the cheesecakes are baked, turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Let the cheesecakes gently cool in the oven for about 20-30 minutes before you remove them from the oven. So easy!
Topping ideas
I love a good dollop of whipped cream on top of these cheesecakes. But you can use all kinds of toppings! Try these ideas.
- A drizzle of caramel sauce or butterscotch
- Chopped pecans, walnuts, or hazelnuts
- Pieces of baked pie crust (for pumpkin pie mini cheesecakes)
- Sugared cranberries – so pretty for fall!
- Toasted meringue for marshmallow vibes
Add any toppings right before you serve the cheesecakes. You don’t want them to get soggy or lose their crunch!
Store, freeze, & make-ahead
- Store – place the cheesecakes in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. The graham crust will lose a bit of its crunch over time.
- Freeze – start by freezing the cheesecakes on a pan until solid, 1-2 hours. Then, layer the cheesecakes in an airtight container and cover with a layer of parchment paper. Freeze for up to 1 month.
- Defrost – you can defrost the cheesecakes in the fridge overnight or on the counter for about 2 hours.
- Make-ahead – I like to make this recipe the night before. Since the graham cracker crust loses crunch over time, they’re best when they’re eaten within a day or so!
Servings & doubling the recipe
This recipe will make about 36 mini cheesecakes depending on the sizes of the cups in your mini muffin pan. But you can easily double the recipe if you’re baking for a crowd!
If you only have one mini muffin tin, you will need to work in batches. Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before you transfer them to a sheet pan. Then, let the pan cool completely before you assemble the next batch of cheesecakes.
I definitely recommend weighing ingredients with a kitchen scale instead of measuring cups. It’s the only way to make sure the recipe comes out amazing every time!
If you make this recipe, I would love it if you left a star rating and review! I read every single comment and love hearing what you think about my recipes. Thank you for supporting Sunday Table!
Little Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 5 full graham cracker sheets
- 2 Tablespoons sugar (25 grams)
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (43 grams)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, softened (14 grams)
- 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed (70 grams)
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened (226 grams)
- 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature (80 grams)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling (128 grams)
- Whipped cream, for serving
Equipment
- 1-2 mini muffin pans (24 or 48-cup)
- Mini paper cupcake liners
Instructions
Make the graham cracker crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a mini muffin pan with mini paper cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Break the graham cracker sheets into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the graham crackers a few times until you have semi-fine crumbs. You should end up with about 3/4 cup of crumbs (74 grams). Add the sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of Kosher salt. Pulse the mixture until the graham crackers are finely ground and you have a thick dough.
- Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the graham cracker mixture into each mini cupcake liner. Use a greased pastry tamper or spoon to press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the cups. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until the crusts are toasty and light golden-brown. Let the crusts cool completely.
Mix the filling
- Reduce the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- Pour the butter and brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together until the mixture is sandy. Add the cream cheese and beat until the cream cheese is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Then, add the egg and mix well. Pour the pumpkin into the cream cheese mixture and stir just until the filling comes together. Do not over-mix or the filling will come out dense and crumbly.
Assemble & bake
- Use a #60 cookie scoop (1 Tablespoon) to evenly divide the pumpkin filling between the cooled crusts. Use a small butter knife or spoon to smooth the filling over the crusts.
- Place the mini cheesecake pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 12-15, just until the edges of the cheesecakes are set but the centers are still a tad under-done. If the filling is runny, bake the cheesecakes for another 1-2 minutes.
- Once the cheesecakes are baked, turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Let the mini cheesecakes cool for 20-30 minutes in the oven. (This will keep the tops of the cheesecakes from cracking.) Let the cheesecakes cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Then, carefully transfer the mini cheesecakes to a sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, until the filling is completely set.
- Right before serving, top each cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!
