Easy Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites
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!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 5 full graham cracker sheets
- 25 grams sugar (2 Tablespoons)
- 42 grams unsalted butter, melted (3 Tablespoons)
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- 14 grams unsalted butter, softened (1 Tablespoons)
- 70 grams brown sugar, (1/3 cup, packed)
- 226 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (8 ounces)
- 80 grams full-fat sour cream, room temperature (1/3 cup)
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 128 grams canned pumpkin purée not pumpkin pie filling (1/2 cup)
- 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!
Notes
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 only have one 24-cup 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.
No food processor? You can also place the graham crackers in a zipper bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. Then, mix the crust together by hand.
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.
It’s important that all of the ingredients are room temperature when you mix the filling together. This will help the filling come out silky and creamy.
Make sure you are buying canned pumpkin purée. Not pre-made pumpkin pie filling! I recommend Libby's because it has less water than other brands.
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.
Serving: 1cheesecake bite, Calories: 59kcal, Carbohydrates: 4.6g, Protein: 0.9g, Fat: 4.2g, Saturated Fat: 2.5g, Cholesterol: 16mg, Sodium: 37mg, Potassium: 25mg, Fiber: 0.2g, Sugar: 3.4g, Calcium: 12mg
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