Skip to Content

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Jump to Recipe | Save Recipe

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.

A white tray with seven pumpkin cheesecake bites, garnished with cinnamon, with cinnamon sticks in front of the tray and plates and a pitcher behind it

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! 

Close up of a mini pumpkin cheesecake bite dusted with cinnamon, with more of them surrounding it

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.

A mini pumpkin cheesecake bite on a plate, with a bite taken out of it and a fork on the plate, with two cheesecake bites on plates in the background

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! 
Three plates with a mini pumpkin cheesecake bite on them, dusted with cinnamon, with a fork on each plate, next to a bowl of ground cinnamon

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. 

A tray filled with mini pumpkin cheesecake bites, dusted in cinnamon, with a tray and pitcher in the background, and a kitchen towel and cinnamon stick in the foreground

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.

Close up of a mini pumpkin cheesecake bite dusted with cinnamon, with more of them surrounding it

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.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 16 bites
Author: Julie Chiou
Save Rate Print

Ingredients 

For the graham cracker crust

  • 18 graham crackers, about 2 sleeves
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar

For the filling

  • 15 ounce pumpkin puree
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup dark brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoon heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg
  • ½ teaspoon ginger
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 20 ounce cream cheese, room temperature

For the whipped topping

  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream

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.

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F. 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
  • 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.

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheesecake bites recipe, mini cheesecake bites, mini cheesecakes, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cheesecake recipe

Photography by Eat Love Eats

Recipe Rating




DEBBIE

Friday 22nd of November 2019

What type of pan to make these small pumpkin cheesecake bites?

Julie Wampler

Monday 25th of November 2019

i used a mini muffin tin

Stephanie

Sunday 20th of November 2016

I did this but used my mini-cupcake pan, lined with wrappers and pressed the graham cracker crust in with a cocktail muddler end, filled with filling and baked for 15 minutes. They were PERFECTLY sized, cooked and the wrappers came right off easily for presenting on tray. It made 36 mini-bites and had no waste!

Barbara Manrique

Wednesday 11th of November 2015

I had something similar to these and never saw them ever again, so I finally had a chance to put this together and the delightful aroma is filling the house. I know it will be good because the rest of the family and I couldn't stop eating the batter..ha. Can't wait to finish.

Beth in Texas

Friday 21st of November 2014

I think I'm going to make these - what do you think of me cooking them on Wednesday (storing the pans in the fridge over night) and then cutting them out Thursday morning? Also, about how many did they make? Thanks.

Julie

Saturday 22nd of November 2014

You can definitely do that. In the recipe, it says it makes 16-18 cheesecake bites! Enjoy!

Amy

Friday 29th of November 2013

I made these for Thanksgiving and they tasted wonderful. I did do a little addition of some gingersnap cookies mixed into the crust. I was wondering if you ever have had problems cutting through the crust or getting the cheesecakes out of the cutter. Most of mine did not look very professional. Do you have any tips?

Julie

Sunday 1st of December 2013

Hi Amy! I'm so glad you made these for Thanksgiving! I just pressed gently on the top of the cheesecake and it would fall out of the cutter and onto the plate. You could also dip the cutter in flour before cutting and that should help it slide it out more easily.