An easy recipe for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes, featuring a spiced gingersnap pecan crust and a smooth, creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling. Top these bite-sized treats with cream cheese whipped cream and chopped pecans for a perfect fall dessert.

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Originally posted November 15, 2018. Updated with new photos and information November 12, 2020.

LONG LIVE THE PUMPKIN!

It’s bittersweet to share that this is the last pumpkin recipe I’ll post this season. It’s been a delicious pumpkin journey, and I’m ending it with one of my favorite treats: Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes.

MINI PUMPKIN CHEESECAKES

My mini cheesecake recipes are always popular, and with Thanksgiving approaching, a pumpkin version felt perfect. These mini cheesecakes are small in size but big on flavor. Baking them as individual portions makes them easy to serve at gatherings, and they’re the ideal make-ahead dessert.

If you plan to serve them at a holiday meal, consider doubling the recipe—your guests will come back for seconds.

GINGERSNAP PECAN CRUST

The crust combines gingersnap cookie crumbs with chopped pecans for crunch, plus brown sugar and cinnamon for warmth. The result is a crunchy, spiced base that pairs beautifully with the pumpkin filling.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE FILLING

The filling is smooth, thick and rich—lighter than traditional pumpkin pie but full of cozy fall flavor. Start by beating cream cheese with brown and granulated sugar and cornstarch until creamy. Stir in pumpkin purée, sour cream, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice, then add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.

These are baked in a standard 12-cup muffin pan lined with regular cupcake liners. Note: “mini” here refers to the size relative to a full cheesecake, not to mini cupcakes. They bake quickly—about 18–20 minutes—so no water bath is needed.

CREAM CHEESE WHIPPED CREAM

This whipped cream is enriched with cream cheese for extra tang and stability. It’s light, fluffy and perfectly complements the dense cheesecake. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth, then add chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla, whipping until stiff peaks form. The cream cheese both flavors and helps stabilize the topping.

TIPS & TRICKS

Use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Purée is plain pumpkin; pie filling already contains spices and sweeteners.
Canned pumpkin purée is recommended over fresh pumpkin for consistent flavor and texture.
If you have a food processor, pulse gingersnaps and pecans to fine crumbs. Without one, crush cookies in a zip-top bag with a rolling pin and finely chop the pecans, then mix with brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter.
Press the crust into liners with the bottom of a small glass or tablespoon to compact it so it holds together when you remove the liners.

Both pumpkin lovers and skeptics will enjoy these—I’ve even converted a few pumpkin haters with these cheesecakes. Serve them at Thanksgiving instead of a traditional pie for something a little different and undeniably crowd-pleasing.

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More Pumpkin Desserts

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Maple Pecan Praline Sauce

Streusel Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Streusel Bread

Pumpkin Donuts with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust

Pumpkin Spice Fudge Blondies

Caramel Pumpkin Spice Latte

White Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies

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Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream

Yield:
12 mini cheesecakes

Prep Time:
40 minutes

Cook Time:
25 minutes

Total Time:
1 hour 5 minutes

An easy recipe for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with a spiced gingersnap pecan crust and a creamy pumpkin filling, finished with cream cheese whipped cream and chopped pecans.

Ingredients

Gingersnap Pecan Crust:

1 cup gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 15 cookies)
½ cup pecan halves
1½ tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

1½ (8-ounce) packages (12 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch (or 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour)
1 cup canned pumpkin purée
2 Tbsp sour cream or heavy cream, room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 large eggs, room temperature

Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:

4 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Optional Toppings:

Chopped pecans

Instructions

For the Gingersnap Pecan Crust:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.
Add gingersnap cookies and pecans to a food processor and pulse to fine crumbs. Add brown sugar, cinnamon and melted butter and pulse to combine. If you don’t have a food processor, crush cookies in a zip-top bag and finely chop pecans, then mix with the remaining crust ingredients.
Place 1 heaping tablespoon of crumbs into each liner and press down with the back of a spoon or the bottom of a small glass. Bake 5 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and lower oven temperature to 325°F.

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake:

In a large bowl with a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese, brown sugar, granulated sugar and cornstarch on medium speed until creamy, about 1–2 minutes.
Scrape the bowl and add pumpkin purée, sour cream, vanilla and pumpkin pie spice. Beat until smooth.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing slowly until just combined. Scrape the bowl and tap it on the counter to release air bubbles.
Fill each liner with about ¼ cup batter. If you have extra batter, distribute it evenly—cheesecakes can be filled to the top.
Bake at 325°F for 18–20 minutes, until the tops are puffed and look dry. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack.
Cover and refrigerate until chilled and firm, about 2–3 hours or overnight.

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:

In a medium bowl, whip the softened cream cheese until light and fluffy.
Add chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Whip on medium-high until stiff peaks form.
Remove chilled cheesecakes from the refrigerator and peel off paper liners.
Transfer whipped cream to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe a swirl onto each cheesecake. Garnish with chopped pecans, if desired. Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12
Serving Size: 1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 386
Total Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 77mg
Sodium: 153mg
Carbohydrates: 32g
Fiber: 2g
Sugar: 18g
Protein: 5g

BON APPÉTIT!

Love, Dedra