My Cookie Journey

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Spring Cookies
  • Recipe Index
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • About Me
    • Spring Cookies
    • Recipe Index
    • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×
    Home » Cookies

    Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites - Revised

    Published: Sep 15, 2024 · Updated: Sep 24, 2024 · by Barbara · This post may contain links on which I could make a small commission if an item is purchased · Leave a Comment

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    I had a can of pumpkin puree in my cabinet that was calling my name to use, so I decided I would try to make a pumpkin cheesecake. So glad I did. It was creamy and had just the right amount of spices to give it that holiday look and taste.

    Choosing a nut for the crust was so easy since hazelnuts are a favorite of mine. If you are lucky enough to have your own tree but never were very sure what to do with them, here is a helpful site for harvesting your own hazelnuts.

    Close up of pumpkin cheesecake bites sitting on a plate.

    I wanted to know the history of cheesecake and started poking around the internet for an excellent resource. Found a great site if you have time to explore, The History of Cheesecake and Cream Cheese.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients for Crust
    • Ingredients for Filling
    • Making Pumpkin Cheesecake
    • Prepping
    • Making the Crust
    • Mixing the Pumpkin Filling
    • Bake Chill and Serve
    • FAQ's
    • Other Pumpkin Delight
    • Recipe

    Ingredients for Crust

    Pumpkin cheesecake bites crust ingredients.
    Jump to Recipe for Amounts
    • Graham crackers
    • Sugar white
    • Melted butter unsalted
    • Hazelnuts

    Ingredients for Filling

    Pumpkin cheesecake bites filling ingredients.
    Jump to Recipe for Amounts
    • Cream Cheese
    • Sugar white
    • Dark Brown Sugar
    • Eggs
    • Ground cinnamon
    • Ground nutmeg
    • Ground ginger
    • Vanilla extract
    • Pumpkin pie spice
    • Heavy cream
    • Sour cream
    • Pumpkin puree

    Making Pumpkin Cheesecake

    What a great start to the fall season. The smell of ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg, spreading throughout the home. Pumpkins for sale along the side of the road are signals that summer is over. Time for pumpkin baking.

    Prepping

    This is a one pan pumpkin dish. Take a 9x9 baking pan and line it with tinfoil. Have the tinfoil hang over two opposite sides. These will be used to lift the cheesecake out of the pan after it has chilled. Make sure the tin foil is pressed the whole way around, even in the corners. Set the pan aside.

    A 9X9 pan lined with tin foil for cheesecake.

    Making the Crust

    You will need a food processor to get the crust pieces small enough. I have a Breville that has two bowl sizes. A smaller one that fits into the bigger bowl that I use for nuts.

    Whole hazelnuts in food processor to be pulsed.

    It is hard to judge how many hazelnuts you will need to get ¼ of chopped nuts. I usually just add a handful, which is always more than I need. I pulse the food processor about 6 or 7 times or until the pieces are about the size of sand.

    Added the pulsed hazelnuts to big bowl and ready to add the graham cracker to the food processor.

    Now, I add the ¼ cup of chopped hazelnuts to the big bowl and turn the food processor on and start adding the graham crackers into the top spout of the lid a few at a time.

    Graham crackers and hazelnuts pulsed together in food processor.

    The graham crackers I use are dense and make a great crust that holds together. You want the mixture pieces to be about the size of sand.

    Adding melted butter and sugar to the hazelnut-graham cracker mixture.

    I add the graham cracker mixture to a bowl and add the sugar and melted butter.

    Graham cracker crust mixed and in a bowl.

    I find it easier to mix using a fork. Make sure all the graham crackers are moistened by the butter. This will make it easy to form the crust.

    Mixed graham cracker crust spread around bottom of the baking pan.

    I add the graham crackers to the prepared pan and spread it around to cover the whole bottom evenly.

    Now press down on the graham crackers so that you have a solid bottom crust for the filling. Set the pan aside and not it is time for the filling.

    The graham cracker crust that was spread around the pan has been pressed down to form solid crust.

    Mixing the Pumpkin Filling

    The filling is pretty easy to make, so let's get started.

    Cream cheese mixed in a mixer bowl.

    Add all the block cream cheese to the mixer bowl. Mix the softened cream cheese on a medium mixer speed for about 2 to 3 minutes. This will depend on how cold the cream cheese when you started out mixing.

    Adding both sugars to the beaten cream cheese.

    Now, add ¼ cup of dark brown sugar along with ¼ cup white sugar and mix until blended. Then, add the nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla extract, and the pumpkin pie spice. Mix for a minute on a medium speed.

    Adding the eggs to the pumpkin filling.

    I break one egg into a small bowl to make sure there are no egg shells. Then add it to the bowl and mix until incorporated. Repeat with the second egg. Once the eggs are incorporated, add the pumpkin puree and mix into the cream cheese mixture.

    Adding heavy cream and sour cream to the pumpkin mixture.

    Finally, add the sour cream and heavy cream. The sour cream adds a little tang to the mixture and the heavy cream helps smooth everything out.

    Pour the filling on to the pressed graham cracker crust. Then smooth it out, so it is even in the pan. .

    Pumpkin cheesecake filling pored into the baking pan.

    Bake Chill and Serve

    Bake at 325°F (165°C or 170°C) for 41-44 minutes. Sometimes the cheesecake will develop cracks. I use these as a guideline for cutting my final cheesecake into small squares.

    Once out of the oven, I give it a little jiggle it should be on the firm side. If you press lightly in the middle, it should not leave an indent. I leave it in the pan and let it cool for about 40 minutes. Then cover it with plastic wrap and chill for at least 8 hours. I leave mine in overnight, but if you do not have the time, do the 8 hours.

    Finished baking and with the pan cooling on a rack.

    Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and, using the overhanging tinfoil, pull the whole cheesecake out of the pan.

    I put my hand under the cheesecake covering as much of the bottom with my hand that I can and pull the tinfoil away from the cheesecake. It comes off easily, mostly because of the butter in the crust.

    Chilled overnight and taken out of the pan and onto a cutting board.

    I cut 5 strips down and cut each strip into 5 pieces. So I got 25 squares of pumpkin cheesecake bites. You can, of course, make your bigger by doing 4 strips and then 4 pieces for each strip. This will give you 16 squares. I love to serve the pumpkin cheesecake bites with whip cream and even a little pumpkin spice on top

    Pumpkin cheesecake bites sitting on a plate.

    Enjoy!

    FAQ's

    How do I store my pumpkin cheesecake bites?

    I put them in a container and keep them in the refrigerator. This recipe is almost all cream cheese, so it needs to stay cold.

    Should I use a water bath?

    I don't usually for the cheesecake bites because they are small and I can use any cracks as guidelines for where to cut my pieces. But yes, you can use a water bath.

    Can I use regular graham cracker?

    I use Paula's honey grahams simply because they are a dense graham cracker. So when they bake, they are pretty solid. You can hold the cheesecake bites easily and they do not crumble. But you could try regular graham crackers. My advice is that when you press them down in the pan, they form a solid bottom. If they are crumbly, you can always serve them on a plate.

    Other Pumpkin Delight

    • Pumpkin spice snickerdoodle cookies on a wooden plank.
      Pumpkin Spice Snickerdoodle Cookies
    • Soft Pumpkin cookie on a soft cloth.
      Soft Pumpkin Cookies
    • A pie dish with a pile of pumpkin spreize cookie stacked in the dish.
      Pumpkin Pie Spritz Cookies
    • Pumpkin cranberry cookies and cream cheese icing with a single cranberry in the middle.
      Pumpkin Cranberry Cookies and Cream Cheese Icing

    Recipe

    Close up of pumpkin cheesecake bites sitting on a plate.
    QR Code

    Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites - Revised

    Barbara Hall
    If you are looking for a treat that you can carry around like a cookie, these pumpkin cheesecake bites will be a hit.
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Bake Time 43 minutes mins
    Chill 8 hours hrs
    Total Time 9 hours hrs 13 minutes mins
    Course Cookies, Nuts
    Cuisine American
    Servings 25 squares
    Calories 161 kcal

    Would you like to save this recipe?

    We'll email a link of this post to you, so you can come back any time!

    Ingredients
     

    CRUST

    • 7.5 ounces (7.5 ounces) Graham crackers
    • 1 ½ Tablespoon (1.5 Tablespoon) Sugar white
    • ⅓ cup (75.67 g) Melted butter unsalted
    • ¼ cup (30 g) Hazelnuts

    PUMPKIN FILLING

    • 16 ounces (16 ounces) Cream Cheese room temperature
    • ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar white
    • ¼ cup (55 g) Dark Brown Sugar
    • 2 (2) Eggs
    • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Ground cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Nutmeg
    • ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) Ground ginger
    • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Vanilla Extract
    • ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Pumpkin pie spice
    • ½ Tablespoon (0.5 Tablespoon) Heavy cream
    • 1 Tablespoon (1 Tablespoon) Sour cream
    • 15 ounces (15 ounces) Pumpkin puree

    Instructions
     

    CRUST

    • Take a 9X9 pan and line the sides and bottom with tinfoil. Leave enough tinfoil over 2 opposite sides so you can use them to lift the cheesecake out of the pan after it has chilled.
    • In a food processor, add the hazelnuts and pulse until it is like sand in size. Reserve ¼ in the bowl, then add the graham crackers and pulse until both the graham crackers and the hazelnuts are the size of sand. Place the graham cracker and hazelnut mixture into a bowl and add the sugar and melted butter. Mix until the graham crackers are damp and sticking together.
    • Pour the mixture into the baking dish with tin foil. Spread evenly around the bottom of the pan. Then, press down to form a solid crust covering the whole bottom of the pan. Set the baking dish aside.

    PUMPKIN FILLING

    • In a stand or hand-held mixer, add the blocks of the softened cream cheese and mix on a medium mixer speed for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add both sugars and mix for another 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides, then mix for another minute.
    • Add the vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin pie spice, and mix for a minute. Add one egg and blend before adding the 2nd egg. Stop and scrape along the sides and bottom to make sure everything is incorporated. Next, add the pumpkin puree and mix before adding the heavy cream, sour cream. Blend for a minute.
    • Pour the pumpkin cheesecake filling on top of the graham cracker crust prepared pan. Smooth the filling, so everything is even. Bake at 325°F (165°C or 170°C) for 42-44 minutes. When you take the dish out of the oven, the cheesecake filling should not jiggle very much or if you touch the center it should not leave an indent. Sit it out to cool for 40 minutes, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
    • Take the cheesecake out of the refrigerator after chilling and grab the tin foil on two long sides and lift it right out of the dish.Holding the bottom of the cheesecake, the tinfoil peels off the bottom easily. Place on a cutting board, cut the cheesecake into whatever size pieces you like. I had quite a few people at my home, so I made mine small so they could pick it up and eat it like a cookie. Serve with whip cream and even a little pumpkin pie spice sprinkled on top.

    Share this recipe

    NUTRITION DISCLAIMER

    I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 161kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 39mgSodium: 139mgPotassium: 92mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 2993IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 36mgIron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More Cookies

    • Fresh strawberry and jam cream cheese cookies on a plate close up.
      Fresh Strawberries and Jam Cream Cheese Cookies
    • Raspberry Hazelnut Mascarpone Cookies feature image.
      Raspberry Hazelnut Mascarpone Cookies - Rich, Fruity, and Perfectly Creamy
    • Amaretto almond crescent cookies on a wooden board in front of a bakery. Feature image.
      Amaretto Almond Crescent Cookies - Sandy, Biscuit, and Lightly Boozy
    • Italian Anise Cookies - Soft, Glazed and Perfect for the Holidays sitting on a board.
      Italian Anise Cookies - Soft, Glazed, and Perfect for the Holidays
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

    Join the Discussion Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Rate Recipe




    Barb the owner of my cookie journey head shot.

    Hi, I'm Barbara Hall, the baker and photographer behind My Cookie Journey, a blog devoted to creating and sharing unique cookie recipes. A retired IT pro, I now spend my day's baking, styling, and snapping photos of cookies that have been featured in multiple regional magazines.

    More about me →

    Sign-up

    Yes, I want free cookie recipes...

    Spring Cookies!

    Easy lemon bars feature image on a black plate.

    What's popular...

    • Stacks of PA Dutch Sand Tarts which are round with cinnamon sugar and a pecan half on top.
      Pennsylvania Dutch Sand Tart Cookies

    • Second single closeup of a traditional Sicilian Almond Cookies.
      Traditional Sicilian (traditional Italian) Almond Cookies

    • Stack of Cardamom Orange shortbread cookies with slices of orange skin.
      Cardamom Orange Shortbread Cookies

    • Rosemary lemon with honey cookies on white dish.
      Rosemary with Lemon and Honey Shortbread Cookies

    • Cardamom Orange with Cinnamon Pizzelle

    • Plate full of apricot with almonds cookies, with plenty of white chocolate icing.
      Fresh Apricot with Almonds Cookies - Revised

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Hosted By WPopt AB

    • Contact

    Copyright © 2025 My Cookie Journey

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.