For a tasty Fall or Thanksgiving dessert, make creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites. This no bake dessert recipe is a snap to make!
I love to make individual, bite-sized desserts. They're so much easier than making a large dessert, especially when it comes to cheesecake!
I add pumpkin cheesecake bites to my holiday dessert platter along with gingerbread cake, apple crumble bars, and soft pumpkin cookies. They're delicious with a hot cup of tea, coffee, or apple cider.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Individual serving size. You can enjoy the holidays a little more with a stress-free no bake dessert like this. Just give each guest a creamy, decadent mini cheesecake.
- No oven or baking required! This pumpkin cheesecake recipe will give you plenty of oven space for baking and cooking other holiday goodies.
- Easy to make ahead of the holidays. This dessert freezes beautifully, for up to 2 months.
Ingredients
See ingredient substitutions in the next section. ⬇️
To make the pumpkin cheesecake bites you'll need:
- graham crackers: This will become the graham cracker crust.
- butter
- full fat cream cheese: Be sure to use block-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind sold in plastic containers.
- Pumpkin puree - Use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- powdered sugar
- spices - You'll need some ground cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice
Substitutions and Recipe Variations
- butter: I haven't tested this recipe with dairy-free butter substitutes, but you are welcome to do your own testing. Please leave a comment on this post to let everyone know how it goes!
- cream cheese: Full fat cream cheese is the best choice for a rich cheesecake filling. Lower fat options don't whip up and thicken as well, which can make it difficult for the pumpkin cheesecake to set up.
- powdered sugar: If you're out of confectioner's sugar, you can make your own in a food processor or high speed blender! Just add 1 Tablespoon of cornstarch for every cup of granulated white sugar. Add it to the food processor and pulse until it thickens and becomes fluffy.
- graham crackers: If you would like, you can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs. Or, substitute the graham crackers with gingersnap cookie crumbs or Oreo cookies. For a really cute Halloween dessert, use Oreo cookie crusts for orange and black pumpkin cheesecake bites. You can use my recipe for No Bake Oreo Cheesecake Crust.
- pumpkin spice: Store-bought is more convenient, but you can make pumpkin spice pretty easily. It's usually just a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Helpful Tools and Equipment
You don't have to use these tools, but if you do a good amount of baking, they're a good investment.
- food processor or high speed blender: I use this to make graham cracker crusts and cookie crusts. If you don't have either of these, you can use a potato masher or pastry blender.
- paper or silicone cupcake liners: This makes for super simple cleanup. I like to buy decorative liners for holiday desserts.
How to Make Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
Summary only. The complete recipe instructions are in the card at the bottom of this post ⬇️
- Make the crust mixture. Just combine the crumbs and butter together.
- Press the fine crumbs into lined muffin cups, to create the crusts for the cheesecake bites.
- Prepare the pumpkin cheesecake filling. To create the creamiest filling, use a food processor.
- Add filling to each crust, then chill or freeze the pumpkin cheesecake bites until set.
Liz's Tips for the Cheesecake Bites
- Chill your mixing bowl. A cold metal mixing bowl makes it much easier to whip and thicken the dairy products!
- Be sure your room temperature ingredients are still a bit cold. You don't want the cream cheese and butter to be too soft.
- If you don't have a food processor, use an electric hand mixer, stand mixer, high speed blender, or a stick blender (immersion blender).
- Use silicone cupcake liners. Paper liners are okay, but the non-stick silicone liners make it easier to remove and serve the cheesecake bites.
- Allow at least 4 hours for the filling to set up. Otherwise, this dessert will be pretty messy.
Serving Suggestions
- Whipped Cream: Garnish the pumpkin cheesecake bites with a dollop of whipped cream or non-dairy whipped topping.
- Add a drizzle of sauce. Maybe some hot fudge or salted caramel sauce.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
It's important to keep this dessert refrigerated or frozen until you're ready to serve it. The pumpkin cheesecake filling includes cream cheese and butter, and those dairy products can spoil quickly.
Do not leave the cheesecakes at room temperature for more than 2 hours after serving.
Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe FAQ
It's essential to chill the cheesecake for a minimum of 4 hours, and preferably longer. No bake cheesecake bites firm up well and quickly in the freezer.
The dessert is ready to serve as soon as the filling is cold, firm, and set up. It shouldn't be jiggly at all.
As these delicious pumpkin cheesecakes are made with cream cheese, do not leave them unrefrigerated for longer than 2 hours.
Other Pumpkin Dessert Recipes
Here are a few more easy pumpkin desserts to make!
Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
- 6 graham cracker sheets
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted
- 4 ounces cream cheese room temp
- ¼ cup pumpkin puree
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice
Instructions
- Make the crusts: To the bowl of a food processor, add the graham cracker sheets. Pulse several times, until you have graham cracker crumbs.
- Add in the melted butter and pulse again, until a sand-like mixture forms.
- Fill a muffin pan with liners and add about two teaspoons of graham cracker filling into each liner. Create crusts by pressing the crumb mixture with your fingers into the bottom of each liner. Place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.
Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling
- To a large metal mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and pumpkin spice. Using an electric hand mixer on high speed, beat until the mixture is creamy and thick. *See Notes
- Remove the crusts from the refrigerator. Top each crust with about two tablespoons of pumpkin cheesecake mixture. Use an offset spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the filling into an even layer.
- Place pumpkin cheesecake bites in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or until the filling is completely set. Serve and enjoy!
Helpful Notes and Tips From Liz
- Be sure your room temperature ingredients are still a bit cold. You don't want the cream cheese and butter to be too soft.
- If you don't have a food processor, use an electric hand mixer, stand mixer, high speed blender, or a stick blender (immersion blender).
- Chill your mixing bowl. This makes it easier to whip the dairy products.
- Use silicone cupcake liners. Paper liners are okay, but the non-stick silicone liners make it easier to remove and serve the cheesecake bites.
- Allow at least 4 hours for the filling to set up. Otherwise, this dessert will be pretty messy.
P
Confusing - quantities listed made enough crust for 24 bites but enough filling for only 6?
Liz Marino
I'm not sure what you mean by this, there is certainly more filling than for 6 muffin tins... not sure what size pan you're using.