Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

These mini pumpkin cheesecake bites combine a buttery graham cracker crust with a layer of creamy spiced pumpkin filling, topped with a dollop of whipped cream. They’re bursting with seasonal flavors, and the perfect dessert for a Thanksgiving feast.

Mini pumpkin cheesecake bites are a perfect way to wrap up a holiday meal. After you’ve eaten focaccia fig and sausage stuffing, mashed sweet potatoes, turkey, and roasted parmesan broccoli, are you really going to have room for a whole slice of pie?

Probably not. But a cheesecake bite will scratch your itch for a mouth-watering sweet treat to cap off a special meal. I love this dessert because the pumpkin flavor isn’t overbearing. You know how sometimes you eat a pumpkin cheesecake and it only tastes like pumpkin? Well these cheesecake bites don’t. They’re super creamy and moist, with just the right ratio of cheesecake-to-pumpkin flavor. 

Make them for a holiday or a party, and watch them fly off the plate! 

Recipe Ingredients

This pumpkin cheesecake recipe uses a lot of ingredients, but don’t worry: most of them are probably already in your pantry or fridge. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the article to get the exact quantities.

For the Graham Cracker Crust:

• Graham crackers
• Unsalted butter
• Granulated sugar

For the Filling:

• Pumpkin puree – Be sure to buy unsweetened and unflavored pumpkin puree, rather than pumpkin pie filling.
• Eggs
• Dark brown sugar – The caramel flavor of dark brown sugar goes perfectly with pumpkin.
• Heavy cream
• Vanilla extract – Make sure to use 100% pure vanilla extract, with no artificial flavors.
• Granulated sugar
• Cornstarch
• Cinnamon
• Nutmeg
• Ground ginger – Alternatively, you can use pumpkin pie spice in place of the cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. 
• Salt
• Cream cheese – Make sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature before using.

For the Topping

• Heavy whipping cream – You can buy pre-whipped cream if you want, but whipping it yourself makes for a much more delicious topping. 

Can You Use Graham Cracker Crumbs Instead of Whole Graham Crackers For the Crust?

You absolutely can use graham cracker crumbs if you prefer. Just replace the graham crackers in the pumpkin cheesecake bites recipe with 2 ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs, and add a little more if the crust needs it.

How to Make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

This is a fun recipe to make, and it’s pretty straightforward.

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 400F, then spray both an 8×8-inch and 9×9-inch pan with baking spray. 
• Make the crust. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they are a fine texture. Pour them into a bowl, and mix in the sugar. Then add the melted butter, and stir until all the crumbs are moist.
• Bake the crust. Split the crust mixture between the two pans, and gently press it into the bottom of each pan. Bake the crusts for about 10 minutes, until they’re a little golden brown on top, then remove from the oven.
• Lower the temp. Drop the temperature on the oven to 325F. 
• Mix the wet ingredients. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, and dark brown sugar.
• Beat the other ingredients. Using a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, and spices. The mixture should be fluffy.
• Combine the fillings. Pour the pumpkin mixture into the cream cheese mixture, and beat until there are no lumps.
• Bake. Divide the mixture between the two pans, and bake for 40 minutes. The cheesecake is done when it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. 
• Cool and cut. Let the pumpkin cheesecake cool entirely, then cut into rounds (or whatever shape you prefer).
• Make the topping. Whip the cream in a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. 
• Finish. Using a piping bag or a ziplock bag with a frosting tip, pipe the topping onto the mini pumpkin cheesecake bites, then devour! 

Tips for Success

Here are some tips for making the perfect pumpkin cheesecake bites every time.

• Use full fat cream cheese. There’s no way around it: cheesecake is significantly better with full fat cream cheese. You’ll get a stronger cream cheese flavor, and a creamier texture.
• Don’t over bake. Remove the pumpkin cheesecake bites from the oven when they start to pull away from the sides of the pan. They’ll still be jiggly in the middle, but don’t worry! If the cheesecake isn’t jiggly, it’s overcooked. 
• Let cook completely. It’s tempting to eat these cheesecakes straight out of the oven, but let them cool entirely before eating them. That allows the filling to set, and also ensures that the whipped cream topping won’t melt. 

Can These Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites Be Made in a Muffin Tin?

Sure! If you’d rather make these pumpkin cheesecakes in a muffin tin, you can do so easily. You’ll want to bake the crust for a shorter amount of time (keep an eye on their color), and the filling will only take about 15 minutes to bake.

The upside of using muffin tins is that you don’t have to cut the cheesecakes into bites. The downside is that they’re a lot easier to overcook this way. 

How to Store Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

I love to make these pumpkin cheesecake bites in advance, and pull them out when it’s dessert time. If you keep them in an airtight container, they’ll last for up to 3 days in the fridge, or 2 months in the freezer. If you freeze them, just thaw them in the fridge until you’re ready to eat them.

For best results, freeze the cheesecakes without the whipped cream topping. Then, when it’s time to serve, finish off the mini cheesecake bites. 

More Pumpkin Recipes to Try

If you liked these mini pumpkin cheesecake bites (and I know you did!) then be sure to check out these other pumpkin recipes of mine.

• Pumpkin spice latte cupcakes
• Pumpkin roll
• Pumpkin cream cheese muffins
• Pumpkin pie smoothie
• Pumpkin spice snickerdoodles 

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

These mini pumpkin cheesecake bites are the perfect fall dessert. They're creamy, fluffy, and full of mouth-watering pumpkin flavor, and they're a great way to end a Thanksgiving meal.

5 from 1 vote

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 bites

Author: Julie Chiou

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Ingredients 

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For the graham cracker crust

• ▢ 18 graham crackers, about 2 sleeves
• ▢ 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
• ▢ ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar

For the filling

• ▢ 15 ounce (425 g) pumpkin puree
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ ½ cup (110 g) dark brown sugar
• ▢ 2 tablespoon heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ▢ ½ teaspoon nutmeg
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ginger
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 20 ounce (567 g) cream cheese, room temperature

For the whipped topping

• ▢ 1 cup (237 ml) heavy whipping cream

Equipment

• Square baking pan
• Food processor
• Stand mixer
• Hand mixer

Instructions 

• Preheat oven to 400 °F (204 °C). Lightly spray a 8×8 baking pan and a 9×9 baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
• In a food processor, put the graham crackers in and pulse until finely ground. Pour out into a large bowl. Pour the granulated sugar on top and stir, then add the melted butter and stir until well incorporated and all the crumbs are moist.
• Divide the graham cracker mixture evenly amongst the 8×8 baking pan and the 9×9 baking pan. Press gently to the bottoms of the pans. Bake for 10 minutes, until slightly golden brown on top. Remove, set aside, and turn oven temperature down to 325 °F (163 °C)
• In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree, eggs, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together cream cheese, granulated sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt until light and fluffy. Gently pour in the pumpkin mixture and beat until well incorporated. Continue beating until no lumps remain.
• Divide the batter evenly amongst the 8×8 pan and the 9×9 pan.
• Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cheesecake starts to pull away from the sides.
• Let cool completely before cutting into circles.
• While the cheesecake cools, make your whipped cream.
• In a bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk 1 cup of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. To pipe onto the individual circles, fill a piping bag with a large pastry tip (I used a closed star tip).

Recipe Notes

Store without the topping in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Add the topping when you’re ready to serve the cheesecake bites.

NUTRITION FACTS

Serving: 1 Bite | Calories: 264 kcal | Carbohydrates: 21 g | Protein: 4 g | Fat: 19 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 16 g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

The default measuring system for this website is US Customary. Unit conversions are provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. While we strive to provide accurate unit conversions, please be aware that there may be some discrepancies.

Photography by Eat Love Eats