These Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Desserts are such a fun and unique Fall treat. How cute would these look on your Thanksgiving dessert table next to the pies!? Such a fun single-serving-sized treat for kids. Recipe includes a how-to video!
The Cutest Way to Eat Dessert
My last pumpkin dessert of the year (and what a perfect one, just in time for Thanksgiving)!
I don’t know about you but I’m honestly breathing a sigh of relief. My kitchen has been overwhelmed with pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cookies, and pumpkin cupcakes, and while Zach has been over the moon you guys know I’m not actually much of a pumpkin person myself.
But for those of you who do enjoy the flavor, these mini pumpkin pie cheesecakes are the perfect pumpkin-infused treats, simple to make, and no baking required (I bet your oven has plenty of plans this week already!). The base starts with my homemade, no-bake cheesecake filling that’s infused with pumpkin and Fall spices for a cheesecake/pumpkin pie hybrid. They’re simple to make (the kids can help!) and so, so good.
What You Need
Here’s what you need:
- Gingersnaps & butter. We’ll grind these up to make the “crust” for our desserts. I include notes in the recipe in case you’d like a graham cracker crust instead!
- Heavy Whipping cream. You can use heavy cream, whipping cream, or even double cream. We’ll whip this with powdered sugar and vanilla extract to make our own whipped cream. This will both serve some purpose as the stabilizer for the cheesecake layer and that swirl of whipped cream on top!
- Cream cheese. As with almost all of my cheesecake recipes, I recommend using brick-style cream cheese and not the spreadable kind, which contains additives and is less likely to firm up properly. You may have a bit more wiggle room with this recipe as opposed to my baked ones, but having not tried it myself I can’t say for sure how it would turn out.
- Pumpkin puree. I recommend using pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling, which contains additives and spices that you don’t need here.
- Sugar. Brown sugar and powdered sugar add sweetness, and the molasses from the brown sugar adds a subtle (Fall-inspired) depth of flavor.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice. I happened to have a jar in my cabinet, but if you don’t have any you can easily make your own homemade pumpkin spice.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes
The steps listed below correspond with the numbered photos above.
- Begin by making your crust. Pulse gingersnaps in a food processor until you have fine crumbs, then stir in a bit of melted butter until the mixture resembles coarse sandy crumbs.
- Divide the crumbs into 30 disposable shot glasses. Use a measuring spoon to tamp down on the crumbs so you have a firm bottom layer.
- Prepare your whipped cream by beating cream, sugar, and vanilla to stiff billowy peaks! We are making my favorite homemade whipped cream but I include notes to substitute Cool Whip (don’t do it!).
- Stir together pumpkin, cream cheese, and spices and then carefully fold the whipped cream into the mixture.
- Pipe filling into each shot glass, filling almost to the brim.
- Top off with a swirl of whipped cream.
Tip: Crush an extra cookie or two and reserve the crumbs for sprinkling over the desserts before serving!
This is just an overview of the instructions, the full printable recipe can be found below (along with a video).
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can, in fact I originally published the recipe this way.
To do this, skip all of the ingredients in the “Whipped Cream” section of the recipe and you will instead need 24 oz of thawed Cool Whip.
Fold half into the pumpkin mixture and reserve the other half to pipe on top.
Yes! Mix together ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs and 3 Tablespoons of melted butter (salted or unsalted) with a teaspoon of sugar and use that instead (no need to bake!).
Prepare up to 5 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator (see below for freezing instructions).
Yes! They freeze quite well. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to several months. You can serve from frozen or you can thaw overnight in the refrigerator to bring them back to a softer consistency (which I prefer).
More Recipes You Might Like
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Mini Pumpkin Pie Cheesecakes (No-Bake!)
Ingredients
- You will need 30 disposable 2 oz shot glasses click the link in the "equipment" section below to buy the ones I use
Crust¹
- 15 Gingersnap cookies
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted (salted or unsalted is fine)
Whipped Cream²
- 3 cups (709 ml) heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake
- 16 oz cream cheese softened, (2 8-oz packages)
- 1 cup (245 g) canned pumpkin puree
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Crust
- In food processor, pulse cookies until mostly crumbled. Add butter and pulse until completely blended (fine crumbs).2 Tablespoons butter, 15 Gingersnap cookies
- Using a small spoon, gently pack about 1 ½ teaspoons of the crumbled cookiemixture into the bottom of each shot glass (30 shot glasses total). Reserve any extra crumbs to sprinkle on top.You will need 30 disposable 2 oz shot glasses
Whipped Cream
- Combine heavy cream, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until mixture is thick and billowy and stiff peaks have formed (I demonstrate this in my video above).3 cups (709 ml) heavy whipping cream, 1 cup (125 g) powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Divide whipped cream in half (approximate is fine), you will need half for the filling and half for the topping. Set both aside for now.
Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake Layer
- Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat together cream cheese, pumpkin puree, and brown sugar until mixture is smooth and well-combined.16 oz cream cheese, 1 cup (245 g) canned pumpkin puree, 2 Tablespoons light brown sugar
- Gradually stir in powdered sugar until combined.2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar
- Add in pumpkin spice and vanilla extract and stir well.2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Take one half of your reserved whipped cream and carefully fold it into the pumpkin mixture until smooth. You could do this with an electric mixer on low speed but I usually do this part by hand.
- Pipe³ filling into prepared shot glasses, filling nearly to the brim.
- Pipe or dollop your remaining half of whipped cream evenly overtop the dessert shooters. If you reserved any cookie crumbs, sprinkle these over the whipped cream for decoration if desired. While these desserts may be served immediately, the filling will be quite soft and I recommend chilling in the refrigerator in an airtight container for at least 4 hours before serving.
Notes
¹Crust
You may substitute a graham cracker crust instead. Stir together ¾ cup (85g) graham cracker crumbs and 3 Tablespoons butter, and use that instead.²Whipped cream
To substitute storebought whipped topping (often Cool Whip) you will need 24 oz (680g) thawed whipped topping. Half will go into the pumpkin mixture and half will be piped on top. Omit all of the “Whipped Cream” ingredients/steps for in the recipe.³Piping
I like to use a large piping bag with a large open tip, but a large ziploc bag with a corner snipped off will work just as well. To pipe the whipped cream on top I like to use a Wilton 2D tip but you could just dollop the whipped cream on top with a spoon instead!Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or you may freeze for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
This recipe was originally published October 9th 2015. I’ve since updated to include more information, to use homemade whipped cream rather than Cool Whip, and to share a how-to video.
Sarah
can I make this in a cake pan instead of individual and what size pan would you suggest.
Sam
Hi Sarah! I think it could work, but it will be softer than a classic cheesecake and may require freezing for a little bit to be able to slice it. I’m not sure what size pan this will fill.
Karen
If planning to freeze, do you recommend leaving the Cool Whip off until ready to serve or, can I go add ahead of freezing?
Sam
Hi Karen! I would probably leave it off when freezing. 🙂
Olga
so you recommending better to use heavy cream for the whipped cream instead of the thawed cool whip? would the homemade whipped cream hold if you whip it to stiff peaks? I want to make these in bigger size cups like 4oz.
Sam
Hi Olga! Homemade tastes so much better if you ask me. I would certainly recommend it. It will hold in a bigger cup. 🙂
Olga
ok thank you I will stick with the heavy cream homemade version. thank you so much.🤗
Barb
can these be made in a cupcake pan with liners, or isn’t is firm enough?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Barb! We’d recommend using a more supportive vessel. The liners probably won’t hold up 😞
Mary Ann LaRue
How long can these stay frozen??
Sam
They will be good for a couple of months in the freezer. 🙂
Shauna
These are amazing! So creamy, so pumpkin-y. They are even better after chilling overnight. These are replacing pumpkin pie at our house as the go-to dessert for fall!!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, Shauna! 🙂
Jennifer Wilkins
I made these with the graham cracker crust. They were so good!! They were a favorite at Thanksgiving dinner! I will definitely be making them again.
Brittany
Hi Emily,
Looking to make this tonight (yum)! Can I pipe the filling after it’s been airtight in a fridge for a few hours? Or better to pipe to fill the individual containers and then put in the fridge? I’m looking to make them in slightly smaller jars/cups.
Sam
Hi! The filling will be easiest to pipe right away and that’s what I recommend, but it can be stored in an airtight container and piped after refrigeration, you just may need to let it sit at room temperature for a bit to soften enough to fill the containers before serving. I hope that helps!
Ursula drummer
Hello. Looking to make these for a party but having trouble finding an air tight storage container large enough to hold them? I want to make them ahead of time so I’m not rushing the day of. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Sam
Hi Ursula! You could try leaving off the whipped cream and wrapping them individually with cling wrap. You would just then need to top them with whipped cream the day you need them. 🙂
Ursula Drummer
Great advice. I’ll do just that. Thank you!
Sally Stevens
Just made these on Wednesday to serve on Thanksgiving day. I turned a Tupperware cake keeper upsidedown and placed the glasses in the inverted lid then snapped what would be the base holding the cake on as a “lid”. Worked like a charm. Everyone loved these. The kids were intrigued by the small dessert spoons that were perfect for the small glasses.
Ursula
Thank you! A great idea. I plan on making quite a lot so thank you again for the tip!
Briella
LOVE this recipe! My family always asks for more
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy everyone loves it, Briella! Thanks so much for commenting 🙂
Brenda
Hi Sam,
I love your recipes and am trying your mini pumpkin cheesecake shooters. My crust fell short a little on the shooters and I was wondering if you had the measurements grams for me for the gingersnap cookies. I believe mine were smaller than yours. Your help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! I’m sure they will turn out just fine. I’ll keep you posted!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Brenda! We’re so sorry this happened 🙁 That could absolutely be the cause. For us, 15 cookies is usually 105 grams. We will update the recipe to reflect this. Hopefully they still tasted great!