These pumpkin cheesecake bites are 12 mini cheesecakes baked in a silicone pumpkin mold or a mini bundt pan, each on its own graham cracker crust. The filling is cream cheese, pumpkin purée, one egg and warm spices, baked at 325°F for 18 to 22 minutes and chilled for at least 4 hours.
A pretzel stick or green candy stick pushed into the top turns each one into a small pumpkin. Because they need that long chill, they are a dessert to make the day before a Halloween party, not the morning of.
Following a special diet?
Every recipe on this site can be converted to gluten-free, vegan, dairy-free, keto, nut-free or egg-free with adjusted ratios so nothing falls flat.
Try the Recipe Converter →Before You Grease the Mold
- Makes: 12 mini cheesecakes
- Pan: a 12 cavity silicone pumpkin mold or mini bundt pan, lightly greased
- Oven: 325°F (165°C); crust 5 minutes, filling 18 to 22 minutes
- Time: 25 minutes prep, about 40 minutes in the oven, at least 4 hours chilling
- Crust: about 1 tablespoon per cavity
- Make ahead: 1 to 2 days in the fridge, stems added on the day
Baked or No Bake: Which Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites Hold Their Shape?
This recipe is baked, and that is on purpose. The egg and 2 tablespoons of flour set the filling firm enough to keep the ridges of a pumpkin mold, so the bites stand up on a tray and slice cleanly in two bites.
A no bake filling of cream cheese and pumpkin stays soft. It works rolled into balls and chilled, not pressed into a detailed mold. If you want a Halloween no bake cheesecake treat with no oven at all, make these no bake pumpkin cheesecake balls instead.
A Tablespoon of Graham Crust in Each Cavity
Stir 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar, 4 tablespoons of melted butter and the optional ½ teaspoon of cinnamon. It should look like wet sand and hold together when you squeeze a pinch.
Press about 1 tablespoon into each greased cavity with the back of a measuring spoon. Pack it firmly, or the crust crumbles away when the bites come out of the mold. Bake for 5 minutes and let it cool before the filling goes on.
Gingersnap crumbs work in place of the graham crackers. They are spicier and crunchier, so leave out the cinnamon.
Mixing a Smooth Pumpkin Filling
Leave the 16 ounces of cream cheese on the counter for about an hour. Beat it alone until smooth, then add ½ cup of sugar and beat again. Cold cream cheese leaves small lumps, and once the egg is in you cannot beat them out without whipping in air.
Add ½ cup of pumpkin purée, the egg and 1 teaspoon of vanilla, then 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon of cloves and the flour. Mix on low only until combined. Air beaten in at this stage makes the bites puff in the oven and crack as they cool.
Use plain canned purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which is already sweetened and spiced. Homemade purée is usually wetter, so blot it on paper towels or cook it down for a few minutes first.
A few drops of orange gel food coloring are optional. The purée alone gives a soft orange. The gel makes them read as pumpkins from across the room.
How Jiggly Should Mini Cheesecakes Be?
Spoon the filling over the cooled crusts almost to the top, then tap the pan on the counter to bring air bubbles up. Check the ridges of a pumpkin mold, where bubbles like to hide. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes.
They are done when the edges look matte and set and the centers still wobble a little when you nudge the pan, like set jelly. A wet, shiny center needs a couple more minutes. Puffed, cracked tops mean they went too long.
Cool them at room temperature for 30 minutes, then chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. The chill finishes the set. Unmolding early is how bites tear.
- Cracked tops: overbaked or overbeaten after the egg. Stems and leaves cover small cracks.
- Lumpy filling: the cream cheese was cold. Soften it longer next time.
- Stuck in the mold: freeze the whole mold for 15 minutes, then push each bite out from underneath.
- Crust falls off: it was not packed firmly enough before baking.
Pretzel Stems and Candy Leaves
Once fully chilled, push each cheesecake out of the silicone and insert a pretzel stick or green candy stick into the center for the stem. Green candy sticks stay crisp longer than pretzels, which soften against the filling after several hours.
For leaves, pipe small shapes of melted green candy melts onto parchment and let them set, or cut leaves from green fondant. Candy melts are quicker for a big batch. Fondant gives cleaner edges.
On a party table they sit well next to pumpkin patch strawberries, Halloween cake pops and Halloween strawberries.
Keeping Them Cold Until Serving
Store the bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 to 2 days. Add the stems on the day, so the pretzels stay crunchy.
They are a baked egg and cream cheese dessert, so do not leave them out longer than about 2 hours. For a long party, keep half the batch in the fridge and swap trays, or set the tray over a pan of ice.
If you need to make them further ahead, freeze them plain without stems, wrapped well, for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge before decorating.
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Questions
Can I make pumpkin cheesecake bites in a mini muffin tin?
Yes, with paper liners. They will be round cups instead of pumpkins and may need a few minutes less, so start checking at 15 minutes.
What else goes with them for a fall party?
Try pumpkin cheesecake cookies for a second pumpkin bite, and a pumpkin glow punch to drink. In December the same mini cheesecake idea turns into Santa hat cheesecake bites.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites Recipe
These pumpkin cheesecake bites are mini pumpkin cheesecakes made with cream cheese, pumpkin purée, one egg, warm spices and a graham cracker crust, baked in a silicone pumpkin mold or mini bundt pan. The recipe makes 12 bites with 25 minutes of prep, about 40 minutes in a 325°F oven and at least 4 hours of chilling. The egg and a little flour set the filling firm enough to hold the pumpkin ridges, and a pretzel or green candy stick makes the stem. Serve these Halloween cheesecake bites on a party tray or a fall dessert table. Make them 1 to 2 days ahead in the fridge and add stems on the day; for a no bake version, try pumpkin cheesecake balls.
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
- FOR THE FILLING
- 16 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Orange gel food coloring (optional)
- FOR DECORATION
- Pretzel sticks or green candy sticks (for stems)
- Optional: green candy melts or fondant leaves
Instructions
- PREHEAT THE OVEN AND PREP MOLDS: Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Lightly grease a mini bundt pan or silicone pumpkin mold to ensure easy release after baking.
- MAKE THE CRUST: In a mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. Stir until the texture resembles wet sand. Add about 1 tablespoon of the crust mixture to each cavity and press down firmly to form an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool.
- PREPARE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and beat again until light and fluffy. Mix in the pumpkin purée, egg, and vanilla extract. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and flour, and beat just until everything is combined. If using orange gel food coloring, add a few drops and mix until evenly colored.
- FILL AND BAKE: Spoon the filling over the cooled crusts, filling each mold almost to the top. Tap the pan gently on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until the centers are set but still slightly jiggly. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- DECORATE THE CHEESECAKE BITES: Once fully chilled, carefully remove the cheesecakes from the molds. Insert a pretzel stick or green candy stick into the center of each to resemble a pumpkin stem. Optionally, add a small fondant or candy melt leaf for decoration.
Notes
Use a silicone mold for the easiest release, and grease it lightly. Soften the cream cheese for about an hour and beat it alone before adding sugar, so the filling is smooth. Mix on low after adding the egg; overmixing beats in air that makes the bites puff and crack. They are done when the edges are set and the centers still wobble slightly. Chill at least 4 hours before unmolding; if one sticks, freeze the mold for 15 minutes. Make 1 to 2 days ahead and store chilled; add pretzel stems on the day. Do not leave them out more than about 2 hours.
Nutrition Information
Yield
12Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 279Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 64mgSodium 189mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 1gSugar 17gProtein 4g
