Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

I love cheesecake, and I love it even more when I can add fun flavors. These Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are bursting with fall flavor, all in a perfect little bite. They’re made using a regular muffin tin, so no special baking pans are needed. These are perfect for a party, family gathering, or potluck. Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Yield: 10 mini cheesecakes

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 3 hours 10 minutes

These mini cheesecakes are creamy and smooth with delicious pumpkin flavor, all in a delicious little bite.

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Ingredients

Crust

• 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 6 rectangles)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Filling

• 1 (8 oz) package full-fat cream cheese
• 1/4 cup full-fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Topping

• Caramel sauce (I recommend my Pumpkin Pecan Caramel Sauce)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place muffin liners in a regular muffin tin. This recipe makes 9-10 mini cheesecakes. Then lightly spray the inside of the muffin liners with non-stick spray.
2. Thoroughly combine all of the crust ingredients. Evenly divide the crust mixture between the muffin liners and press it into the bottom. Bake for 5 minutes.
3. Use a hand mixer to beat softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, egg and sour cream.
4. Place ~1 tablespoon of cream cheese mixture on top of each crust and spread to evenly cover the crust.
5. To the remaining cream cheese mixture, add the pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree. Divide the pumpkin mixture evenly between each cheesecake and smooth to make the mixture even along the top.
6. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Then remove the cheesecakes from the muffin tin and cool for another 2+ hours in the refrigerator.
7. Once fully cooled, remove the muffin liners from the mini cheesecakes. Top with caramel sauce and serve.

Notes

You can skip using the muffin liners and just spray non-stick spray directly into the muffin tin. However, it will be much more difficult to cleanly remove them from the muffin tin.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 110Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 77mgCarbohydrates: 14gFiber: 0gSugar: 11gProtein: 1g

Nutrition information is an estimate only.

For more delicious fall flavor, try these carrot cake muffins.

Storage

Mini cheesecakes can be stored for 3-4 days in the fridge; make sure to keep them in an airtight container. Mini cheesecakes can also be frozen and will last up to 2 months. You can freeze them with the caramel sauce on top, but it may be trickier as the caramel is sticky and the texture may be affected. I recommend thawing your cheesecakes in the fridge overnight then topping them with fresh caramel sauce.

Why Did My Mini Cheesecakes Sink?

Mini cheesecakes do tend to have a slight dip in the center even when made correctly. However, they shouldn’t have a significant dip or sink completely. Let’s walk through some ways to help keep your mini cheesecakes looking their best.

Don’t Underbake

If your mini cheesecakes are underbaked, the edges will be set, but the center won’t be set enough. If your cheesecakes are underbaked they will completely sink in the center once removed from the oven. If underbaked enough, the texture will be slightly wet and runny inside. Make sure to bake until the edges are completely set, and the center is just slightly jiggly.

Make it More Stable

While you need to beat your cream cheese long enough to be smooth and creamy, be careful not to overwhip. This can put too much air in the cream cheese mixture with nothing to support it, so the mini cheesecake sinks. Using room-temperature eggs and cream cheese can make it easier to beat the cream cheese until smooth.

Another way to make your mini cheesecakes more stable is to add just a little bit of flour. The recommendation is to add one tablespoon of all-purpose flour per 8oz of cream cheese. However, adding flour will make your cheesecake have a slightly cakey texture.

Cook With Steam

Cooking with some steam in your oven will help keep your mini cheesecakes from cracking and sinking. Often a full-size cheesecake is baked in a water bath. That isn’t practical for a muffin tin. Instead, after you’ve prebaked the crust place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack of the oven while you make the filling. The water will then heat up and fill the oven with steam.

If you made this recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Please leave a review or a comment letting me know how things turned out. Happy baking!