Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Oreo crust are a creamy bite-sized fall dessert baked in a muffin pan. Serve this black and orange dessert for Halloween or as a Thanksgiving For Two dessert.


Close up of mini pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream

When it comes to decorating desserts for the holidays, well, let’s just say I know my weaknesses.

Some bakers are a natural at decorating. They can pipe buttercream roses, turn cupcakes into pumpkins, and flawlessly pipe royal icing onto mini gingerbread cookies.

Mine usually look like a five-year-old made them.

With Halloween coming up, I wanted to share something festive.

I am not a spooky Halloween kind of girl. I don’t like gore. I don’t like fright. I like cute black cats that like to cuddle and rice krispie pumpkins. Certainly no spiders.

I’ve made Halloween truffles and Halloween popcorn.

Both are easy treats for me to make without worrying too much about decorating.

This time I decided to stick with my baking strengths and make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with an Oreo crust.

This recipe for mini pumpkin cheesecake is very creamy and tastes like pumpkin pie in cheesecake form.

I really like how they turned out black and orange because not many foods can give you that natural black look.

I’m not opposed to food coloring, but my hands get very, uh, colorful when I do use it.

Not only are they black and orange for Halloween, they’re small batch pumpkin cheesecakes, which make a great Thanksgiving for two dessert.

Oops did I say the T-word before November? Ahh well hopefully you can forgive me after you eat a few of these mini pumpkin cheesecakes.


Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Oreo crust on a brown cutting board

Ingredients for Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecake is made up of a few easy ingredients:

  • Cookie crumbs: I used Oreo to make it black and orange for Halloween, but you can also use graham cracker or gingersnap crumbs. I use a food processor to crush into crumbs.
  • Butter: Needed to bind the crust
  • Cream cheese: It’s not cheesecake without cream cheese! Make sure you’re using full-fat cream cheese. The low fat and fat free versions have more water in them and may be too watery after baking.
  • Granulated sugar: Adds a bit of sweetness to balance out the tanginess of the cream cheese
  • Egg: As with all baking recipes, use a large egg.
  • Canned pumpkin: It wouldn’t be pumpkin cheesecake without the pumpkin! I use canned for the most consistent results. Make sure it’s plain and not pumpkin pie flavored.
  • Vanilla: Adds flavor to the batter

Looking for a black and orange no bake dessert? Make my No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars using Oreos for the crust.


Oreo Pumpkin Cheesecakes on a cutting board

How To Make Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

To make your mini pumpkin cheesecake recipe:

  1. Mix cookie crumbs and melted butter. Add roughly 2 tablespoons to each paper liner and press down to form a bottom crust.
  2. Bake crust for about 10 minutes or until it no longer looks wet. This will help crisp up the crust before the cheesecake filling is added.
  3. Beat cream cheese and sugar until super smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
  4. Beat in egg, pumpkin, and vanilla, being careful not to overbeat the batter. Fill each liner with filling.
  5. Bake at 325F degrees for 20-25 minutesor until edges are set, the center doesn’t look wet and is mostly set with some wiggling, and internal temperature reaches 150F degrees.
  6. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before garnishing

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 7 days.


Mini pumpkin cheesecakes with oreo crust on a wooden cutting board

How To Garnish Pumpkin Cheesecake

The best garnish for oreo pumpkin cheesecake is homemade whipped cream.

If you’re feeling really decorative, you can make little jack o’ lantern faces or chocolate spider webs on top for Halloween.

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes FAQ

Do you need a water bath for mini cheesecakes?

Mini cheesecakes don’t need a water bath because they’re small enough to evenly bake in the middle without overbaking the top.

Can mini cheesecakes be frozen?

Yes, pumpkin cheesecakes can be frozen before garnishing.

Place in a single layer on a baking sheet or plate then freeze until firm, about 1 hour. This prevents them from sticking to the plastic wrap and to each other.

Next wrap each one individually in plastic wrap then place in a freezer-safe bag. Freeze for up to 1-2 months.

Why do mini cheesecakes sink in the middle?

Chances are if your mini cheesecakes sunk in the middle after cooling, the middle is underbaked. When it’s underbaked, it’s not strong enough to support the top.

Another possible reason is you overbeat the batter especially after adding the egg, incorporating more air than needed. This air will cause the batter to rise too much then sink as it cool.

Can you double this recipe?

Yes, you can double this recipe.

More Mini Cheesecake Recipes

Enjoyed this recipe for mini pumpkin cheesecakes? Check out my Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes including these favorites:

Close up of mini pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Yield: 6 mini cheesecakes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Cool Time: 5 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 50 minutes

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with an Oreo crust are a creamy fall dessert baked in a muffin pan. Serve this black and orange dessert for Halloween or as a Thanksgiving For Two dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (such as Oreo)*
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted*
  • 8 ounces (1 block or 8 tablespoons) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature and not cold to the touch (do not sub fat free)
  • 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature and not cold to the touch
  • 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 recipe Small Batch Homemade Whipped Cream

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F. Line a muffin pan with 6 paper liners. If not using paper liners, grease with cooking spray.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the cookie crumbs and melted butter until moistened and clumpy.
  3. Press roughly 2 tablespoons crumbs into the bottom of each paper liner. Bake 10 minutes or until set and no longer looks wet. Cool while you make the filling.
  4. In a large mixing bowl on high speed (with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer), beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
  5. Beat in the egg for 1 minute or until smooth (do not overbeat). Beat in the pumpkin and vanilla.
  6. Divide the filling among the paper liners. They should be filled to the top. Bake 20-25 minutes or until tops and edges are firm, the center slightly jiggles when moved, and internal temperature is 150F.
  7. Cool for 1 hour at room temperature then cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before garnishing and serving.

    Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

Notes

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Originally published October 8, 2014