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Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes have everything perfect for fall – creamy pumpkin cheesecake, caramel topping, crunchy pecans, and an Oreo crust. They are the easiest mini cheesecakes to make – perfect for the holidays!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Out of all the cheesecakes in the land, pumpkin is my favorite!
- For these Mini Turtle Pumpkin Cheesecakes, I decided to make them small and bake them in a muffin tin. First, it’s more acceptable to say, “I ate a whole cheesecake” when it’s a mini one and two, they’re portable, which is perfect for the holidays.
- They have an Oreo cookie crust that is just one whole Oreo – no extra step of making a crust.
- Then I topped the Oreo pumpkin cheesecakes with my homemade pumpkin caramel sauce mixed with chopped pecans. If you don’t have homemade caramel on hand, feel free to use ice cream topping or any caramel you like.
- On top of that? Chocolate. Of course.
Ingredients in Mini Cheesecakes
- Oreos: This is the crust. You can use Golden Oreos too, or any similar sized cookie.
- Cream Cheese: Be sure it’s softened to avoid lumps.
- Egg: Your eggs must be room temperature!
- Room temperature pumpkin puree – not pumpkin pie mix.
- Granulated Sugar: This is for sweetness
- Vanilla Extract, Pumpkin pie spice, Salt: For flavor
- All-Purpose Flour: To help the cheesecakes solidify
- Toppings: I like drizzling with chocolate and caramel and sprinkling with pecans, but you can leave them plain or add whipped cream.
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- In a bowl (or in a stand mixer), beat the cream cheese with pumpkin and sugar until it’s smooth.
- Mix in the vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and flour.
- Line cupcake pan with liners and lay an Oreo in the bottom of each to make the crust.
- Spoon the cheesecake batter over each Oreo in the pan until each liner is about ¾ full.
- Bake the cheesecakes
- Bake until they are no longer glossy on top. Cool them completely to room temperature, then chill them for at least four hours or overnight.
Expert Tips
- It’s VERY important your cream cheese and egg are room temperature to avoid lumpy cheesecake.
- A standard size cupcake pan works best for this recipe.
- Use cupcake liners in the pan for easy removal.
- Cheesecake needs to cool and chill to set, so don’t skip those steps.
Storage & Make Ahead
Store pumpkin cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a few days. You can make them ahead up to 48 hours but don’t top them until ready to serve. Freeze plain cheesecakes well wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Thaw in refrigerator. Once topped you can freeze them, but they might be soggy when thawed.
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 Oreos
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ cup (183g) pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie mix; I use Libby’s, room temperature
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon (7g) all purpose flour
- ½ cup caramel sauce (optional)
- ¾ cup chopped pecans (optional)
- ½ ounces hot fudge (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners. Place one Oreo in each liner.
- Make sure your ingredients are all room temperature to avoid lumps!
- Beat cream cheese with a hand or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Beat in the egg, sugar, and pumpkin puree, mix until smooth. Add vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and flour, mix until smooth.
- Spoon cheesecake mixture over Oreos in prepared pan. (Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full using about 1/4 cupfuls of the cheesecake mixture per liner.)
- Bake for 22-25 minutes until the cheesecakes loose their glossy top. Some may start to crack around the edges, and a toothpick will come out clean from the center of the cheesecake. Cool completely to room temperature then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- When serving: unwrap each cheesecake. Stir pecans and caramel together in a small bowl. Melt chocolate according to package directions in a small bowl and then place the melted chocolate in a ziploc baggie with the tip cut off. Spoon some of the pecan caramel mixture over the top of the cheesecakes, then drizzle with chocolate.
- Store in refrigerator. Will keep for up to 3 days in an airtight container or you can freeze the cheesecakes without the topping for up to one month.
Recipe Notes
- Use any similar size cookie for the crust (i.e. Golden Oreos, shortbread, Vanilla wafers)
- You can skip the topping and just use whipped cream if you prefer.
Recipe Nutrition
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are an easy dessert recipe! With an Oreo crust these mini cheesecakes are the perfect fall recipe – top them how you like!
These are adorable! Pumpkin cheesecake sounds divine, I have never had it before but it sounds to die for, especially if they are miniature AND with an oreo base! Cool facts about the diamonds as well, I wonder if you can chose which colour you want!
These look fantastic, love the Oreo cookie base idea. Great photos!
I’ve heard of the people into diamonds thing. I think they do it after the person is cremated, using the ashes. My mom was the one who told me about it.
So on to these mini cheesecakes. Anything mini is so much fun. I love the easy grab n go functionality of mini desserts. Plus, I don’t feel like I’m being as bad when I eat them. ๐
Wow, these look mouth-watering…are they coming the Thanksgiving dinner? And now I know what you can do with Daddy’s and my ashes…you’ll have a doorknob sized diamond!!! ๐
Turtle and pumpkin together is a masterpiece. ย You are quite the geinus! ย Pinned.
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