This delicious Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is creamy, flavorful and perfectly spiced!
I recently spent a few days with a good friend who loves cheesecake. In fact it’s entirely possible that over a four day trip we ate at The Cheesecake Factory three times! I came home from the visit inspired to try some new cheesecake recipes.
I thought pumpkin would be a fitting flavor to try first. The recipe yielded a rich and delicious, lightly spiced cheesecake that would be the perfect addition to any holiday dessert menu.
I made 12 mini cheesecakes using a mini cheesecake pan (I found mine at Home Goods, but they are easily available on-line from Amazon or Sur la Table). The mini cheesecakes may be a tiny bit of extra work to deal with initially, but once baked and cooled, they make a perfect small serving, with no cutting needed.
This delicious mini pumpkin cheesecake recipe can also be made into one large cheesecake.
This is a perfect dessert for the busy holiday season. The cheesecake can be made up to 2 days ahead of time, and stored in the refrigerator. Top your chilled pumpkin cheesecake with fresh whipped cream and a dash of cinnamon for a delicious and festive treat.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
12 Mini Cheesecakes
Crust
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese 1 package
- 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree plus 1 tablespoon
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- pinch of cloves
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
9 inch Cheesecake
Crust
- 1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling
- 24 oz cream cheese 3 packages
- 15 oz pumpkin puree 1 can
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon cloves
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350*F
For mini cheesecakes
- Preheat oven to 350*F
- Prepare crust by combining crust ingredients in a small bowl. Mix to combine with a fork. Add one rounded tablespoon of moist crust crumbs into each mini cheesecake space. Use a small bottle (such as a spice bottle, or a shot glass) to press down the crumbs, to form a crust.
Prepare the filling
- Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add pumpkin, eggs, sour cream, sugar and spices. Blend until combined. Add flour and vanilla, and beat until well combined.
- Pour filling into prepared crusts. Divide batter amoung the 12 spaces.
- Bake mini cheesecakes in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool about 15 minutes. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours minimum.
For large 9 inch Cheesecake
- Follow general directions above. Press crust into the botom of a 9" springform pan. Prepare filling (as listed above). Bake cheesecake 1 hour. Cool 15 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 4 hours before serving.
- The cheesecake can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days.
- Top finished cheesecakes with freshly whipped cream.
Devin says
Thank you very much for this delicious recipe! I love pretty much everything pumpkin, and this is the perfect use for the leftover baked fresh pumpkin from a pie or bread. I wound up using about half the crust mix in a 24 count mini muffin pan, getting 2 dozen mini cheesecake bites. They were fantastic!
Thanks again!
Alyssa says
I made these in a mini cupcake pan and just sprayed the pan. However, next time I would probably use liners as I had a little difficulty getting them out of the pan. Also, I recommend to fill the mini cupcake pan to pretty close to the top. I did also have a problem that the batter looked like it curdled and that even after I baked them you could still see white specks in it from the cream cheese. Does anyone know why that would have happened?
With that said, they were still a hit and were very yummy! I can’t wait to try out your gingerbread recipe now!
NY says
does it work better with silicon liners?
Hana S says
Thanks for always posting awesome recipes! Your site is a happy place for me 🙂
After reading a few of the above comments I just wanted to give my experience,
1. I do have a Sur la Table close enough and also had enought time before Thanksgiving to order a mini cheesecake pan on Amazon. But choose not to as I have alot of baking stuff that I have bought and don’t use, so I used a muffin pan instead.
2. To use the muffin pan, I lined it with simple cupcake liners as I was going to throw them away anyways.
3. Advantage of using a muffin pan is that you can put in another batch within 5 mins of one coming out.
4. After they completely cooled (i left them in the fridge overnight) I peeled the liners of, decorated them with fresh whipped cream and dessert was ready 🙂
Hope this helps someone.
michelle says
wanted to update on this: I made them for Thanksgiving. super super easy to make and EVERYONE loved them. Even people who announced “I don’t like pumpkin” or “I don’t like cheesecake” all thought these were the perfect bit of both. They’re definitely a new addition to our desert line up. Now I’m looking for some for christmas – gingerbread? chocolate?
(ps, I got the pan on Amazon. not too expensive. Will probably get another as 12 minis only last so long)
Corina says
Hi Glory! Thx for sharing! Do u suppose we can use cupcake liners??? Recently I had a cheescake cupcake. I was in awe! It pealed perfectly. I’m curious if u have done so or anyone else. We do have a Sur la Table around here, but was wondering about that!
Thx for sharing it looks yummo!
Tara says
I saw that someone had asked on here about making them in a mini muffin pan, just wanted to say that I did this. I was afraid that they may get stuck in it, but I didn’t have a mini cheesecake pan so I went for it. I was very pleased with the way they turned out. I just took a toothpick and went around the outside of each one to loosen them up and then covered with tinfoil and flipped it up sidedown on the counter and lifted the pan up and they were all left on the tinfoil. They are more bite sized than mini so you don’t really see the layering as well, but they will be perfect for the tasting party and my sons preschool today and I am so excited about them that I will be making another batch to bring to dinner on Thanksgiving. 🙂 Thought this may help anyone else wanting to try it with a mini muffin pan.
Glory says
Great tips! Thanks so much for your experience!
Sweetsugarbelle says
Cont…. To tell you how awesome you are in writing because I tell you in real life, but you sure are awesome.
Glory says
Thank you sweet friend! I think you are pretty down right awesome too!
Sweetsugarbelle says
I forget to tell y
Sherri D. says
I’ve seen these pans before in a magazine and have thought about purchasing them. You mighta’ pushed me over the edge now! Beautiful presentation!! LOVE to bake cheesecakes here! Thank the Lord we get NEW bodies in heaven! I desperately need a thinner one! hahahahahaha!!!