No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake
No Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake is the perfect recipe to make this fall and pumpkin season! Each mini pumpkin cheesecake is made with a sweet and buttery graham cracker crumble topped with a pumpkin spice cream cheese whipped filling that is luxuriously smooth and delicious!
Now, when it comes to Thanksgiving Pies, we definitely have tons of delicious options for you to choose from! My Praline Pumpkin Pie, French Silk Pie and Southern Pecan Pie Recipe are frequent flyers at our Thanksgiving dinner! Sometimes it’s nice to have this individual option for those who want smaller portions (is that a thing?!) and those who aren’t crazy big fans of traditional pumpkin pie!
Why This Recipe Works
- Delicious twist on pumpkin pie. I’m sure you’ve had family events where someone doesn’t love pumpkin pie! This no bake mini pumpkin cheesecake is a great option for that!
- Thick and smooth pumpkin cream cheese filling. This pumpkin spice no-bake cheesecake filling is a dream! It has the taste of pumpkin pie, but the texture is so much better. The whipped topping in it makes it so light and fluffy. It’s the perfect filling for licking the bowl. I dare you not to just pipe the filling straight into your mouth. 😂
- Cheesecake and pumpkin flavor. The cheesecake instant pudding combined with the cream cheese and the pumpkin puree combined with the pumpkin pie spice, make for the best pumpkin cheesecake recipe ever!
Ingredient Notes
- Graham Crackers Crumbs: The crust for this mini no bake pumpkin cheesecakes recipe is just a crumble. So you pack in the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of your individual serving dishes. It won’t be firm like a baked crust.
- Cream Cheese: To get that delicious cream cheese flavor, we’ll use the entire 8 oz of cream cheese. It will make this filling cheesecake-like and deliciously smooth!
- Pumpkin Puree: Be sure to use plain pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. That has added sugar and spices that aren’t account for in this mini pumpkin cheesecakes recipe and will affect the flavor of the filling and how it sets up.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: Using pumpkin pie spice will make these delicious pumpkin spice no bake cheesecakes taste like your favorite pumpkin desserts!
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: The sweetened condensed milk will help the filling be sweetened and delicious and create a creamy and thick consistency.
- Sugar Free Cheesecake Flavored Instant Pudding Mix: The sugar free package is what we want because we only need this mix for the flavor and the thickening component. The sweetened condensed milk gives us the perfect balance of sweetness we need! The instant pudding mix is what makes this a quick and easy pumpkin cheesecake recipe because there is no baking required!
- Frozen Whipped Topping (Cool Whip): I recommend using the Cool Whip because it will help the pumpkin cheesecake filling hold up longer.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Make the graham cracker crumble. Add the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon to a medium-sized bowl. Stir to combine. Place the desired amount of crumb mixture into each jar (I used 1 1/2 T) and pack in with your fingers. Refrigerate to set slightly.
- Make the pumpkin cheesecake mixture. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice and the mudding mix. Beat until smooth and uniform. Add the sweetened condensed milk to the pumpkin mixture and beat until combined.
- Add the whipped topping. Change to the wire whisk attachment and add the frozen whipped topping to the pumpkin cream cheese mixture. Whisk on low until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 60 minutes.
- Assemble the no bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes! Spoon or pipe the pumpkin cheesecake filling into each cup or jar. Top with extra whipped cream and some pumpkin pie spice. Serve cold!
Recipe Tips
Putting the pumpkin whipped cream mixture in place in the refrigerator will allow it to set. I suggest letting it sit for at least 30 minutes but an hour would be ideal. But if you’re like me and you can’t wait an hour, it’s not a big deal. It’s still thick and tastes good!
If you don’t have 4-oz. glass jars, use what you have. You can use small classes, plastic cups, etc.
The longer you have the pumpkin whipped cream mixture in the fridge, the firmer the consistency.
For ease in filling the glass jars I used a frosting piping tip. You can use whatever you have on hand. I happened to use a 1M tip top pipe in the filling. I think piping the cheesecake makes it look more elegant.
While you’re welcome to use a homemade whipped cream for this no bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes recipe, I highly encourage you to use the store-bought container. Not only does it simplify the recipe but the cheesecake filling firms up better.
Remember, the graham cracker crumb is just that — a crumb. It isn’t baked, so don’t expect it to be firm like a simple graham cracker crust.
For ease and convenience you can crush the graham crackers in your food processor. Pulse until they reach a fine crumb. Add in the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Pulse for 5-10 seconds. Then you’re good to go. 1 1/2 cups of crushed graham cracker will require 11-12 full length graham crackers.
Looking for regular cheesecakes? Try my Mini Cheesecakes which are mini versions of a classic cheesecake recipe.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
You’ll want the make the pumpkin spice cheesecake filling ahead of time to give yourself enough time for the mixture to chill.
Store the filling and graham cracker crumble separately. Just assemble what you are going to serve. That way the crumble doesn’t go soft.
Store the crumble in a ziplock bag in the fridge for up to 5 days. The filling will last for 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Dairy doesn’t do well frozen, so if you are freezing pumpkin cheesecake, keep that in mind. The filling may separate. However, the cream cheese in the mixture may help it stay OK if frozen. I’ve never frozen these so if you end up doing it, let me know in the comments how it went!
Recipe FAQs
These mini pumpkin cheesecakes will last up to 3 days in the fridge.
I would make these as you need them, that way the graham cracker crumb doesn’t get too soft. Then store the graham cracker crumb in a zip top bag in the fridge. Store the pumpkin whipped cream cheesecake filling in an air-tight container in the fridge. When you want more, pull out the crumb and the filling and assemble the mini cheesecakes!
It doesn’t taste exactly like it. The pumpkin puree and pumpkin spice in this recipe definitely brings that pumpkin pie-like flavor to the dish. However, because this recipe has a whipped topping added to it, the filling is much lighter than a traditional pumpkin pie. It’s got a light, fluffy, mousse-like texture.
Instead of making mini cheesecakes, you can definitely adapt this to be in a full pumpkin spice no bake cheesecake. I would recommend making a traditional graham cracker pie crust by baking the crust, completely cooling and chilling the crust, and then filling the crust with the pumpkin spice filling. Then chill the pie in the fridge for a few hours to set. However, the filling won’t set like a traditional pie since the whipped topping makes the filling light, so you might not get crisp lines as you cut and serve the pie.
More Pumpkin Recipes
Mini No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham crackers crumbs - heaping
- 5 T butter, melted
- 4 T sugar - (or brown sugar is fine too)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1-15 oz can pumpkin puree
- 3 1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
- 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 oz package sugar free cheesecake flavored instant pudding mix
- 12 oz container frozen whipped topping
Instructions
- *In a medium size bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Stir to combine.
- Place 1-1 1/2 T crumb mixture into 4 oz glass jars. I like a lot of crumb mixture, so I add a at least 1 1/2 T of crumb mixture to my jars. Use your fingers, or a spoon to lightly pack it down. Place in the fridge to set.
- In a bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or using your hand beaters, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then add the pumpkin, pumpkin spice, and pudding mix. Beat until ingredients are mixed in.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk to the pumpkin mixture. Beat until combined.
- Switch your paddle to the wire whisk attachment. Add the frozen whipped topping to the bowl. Mix until combined. I usually keep the speed on low, and it takes about 1.5-2 minutes for things to incorporate fully.
- Cover the pumpkin mixture and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. 60 minutes will allow for a firmer mixture.
- Remove from the fridge and spoon the pumpkin mixture on top of the graham cracker crust. Or, use a pastry bag and a 1M tip to add a fancy flare. Garnish with additional pumpkin pie spice. Place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
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4 Comments on “No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake”
You’re right, these are the best! Made these last week and I’m already craving them again. This recipe is a true keeper! I love following your blog, keep up the great work.
How many does this make?
It will make about 22-24 servings if you do them in 4 oz containers. If you were to use 9 oz clear plastic cups you’ll get about 10 servings.
So I’m not a huge fan of pumpkin pie…but I love pumpkin everything else! For each Thanksgiving I feel obligated to have a slice (a very small slice) of pumpkin pie because, well it’s Thanksgiving! I love this recipe! The individual servings are perfect. I might also try just sticking it in a pie pan and calling it pumpkin pie! This has changed my Thanksgiving Day pumpkin pie experience – now I might have two servings! Thanks!