Description
Delight in these creamy, no-bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes, bursting with warm fall spices and nestled on a buttery graham cracker crust. Perfectly portioned for gatherings or an indulgent treat, these cheesecakes require no oven time, just a few hours to chill and set.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Garnish
- Whipped cream
- A sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
- Prepare the muffin tin: Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners to ensure easy cheesecake removal and portion control.
- Make the crust: In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are evenly coated and resemble wet sand. Divide the mixture evenly among the cupcake liners, pressing firmly into the bottom to form compact crusts for the cheesecakes.
- Beat the filling base: In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, packed brown sugar, vanilla extract, and the ground spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves) until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and well combined without lumps.
- Whip the heavy cream: In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. This means the cream will hold its shape firmly when the beaters are lifted.
- Combine filling and whipped cream: Gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin-cream cheese mixture using a spatula. Be careful to maintain the airiness by folding slowly and thoroughly until fully incorporated for a light, fluffy texture.
- Assemble the cheesecakes: Spoon the filling over the prepared graham cracker crusts in the muffin liners, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula for an even surface.
- Chill to set: Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight to allow the filling to set firmly and develop flavor.
- Garnish and serve: Before serving, top each mini cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream and a light dusting of cinnamon for an appealing finish and extra flavor.
Notes
- These mini cheesecakes can be made 1–2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator to save time on serving day.
- For a lighter option, substitute part of the cream cheese with Greek yogurt to reduce richness while maintaining creaminess.
- Ensure cream cheese is fully softened to avoid lumps in the filling.
- Press crust mixture firmly to prevent crumbling when serving.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake, Chilling
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake
- Calories: 260
- Sugar: 18g
- Sodium: 160mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 23g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 55mg
