These salted caramel pumpkin cheesecakes combine a crunchy gingersnap cookie crust, a smooth and creamy pumpkin cheesecake filling, and drizzle of homemade salted caramel. Make these single serve cheesecakes in a standard muffin pan, or follow my recipe notes to bake as a regular size cheesecake. This fall dessert is over the top in the best way possible!
Fall is here and what better way to celebrate than with homemade salted caramel pumpkin cheesecakes? I imagine your fall baking list is as long as mine, which includes pumpkin donuts, apple cake, pumpkin bars, and harvest spice bread, but I certainly hope you save time for these! Today’s mini pumpkin cheesecakes are simple, straightforward, and at only a few bites each, perfect for portion control.
Why You’ll Love These Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Flavored with fall’s favorite spices and you can use homemade pumpkin pie spice
- Crunchy gingersnap crust
- Velvety smooth pumpkin cheesecake filling
- Made in a regular muffin pan, so each is a single serving
- Easy to eat, great for sharing, and portable for parties
- So much texture in each bite
- Topped with salted caramel and toasty pecans
Gingersnap Crust
We use a wonderfully crunchy gingersnap crust as the base of today’s pumpkin cheesecakes. It’s actually the same crust I use for my pumpkin swirl cheesecake—there’s something so delightful about sweet, spicy gingersnaps paired with cool, creamy pumpkin.
These cheesecakes are baked in a standard 12-count muffin pan. There’s no need for a springform pan and no need to mess with a water bath. Mini cheesecakes are not only easier than a full cheesecake, they take half the time to prepare. I typically use store-bought cookies for this crust, and prefer Nabisco or Trader Joe’s brand of gingersnap cookies. Make sure they’re an extra crunchy variety! We’ll crush up the cookies, mix them with a little sugar and melted butter, and press into each liner. Use about 1 heaping Tablespoon of mixture for each. When you press it down, make sure the crust is tight and compact. Pre-bake the crusts for 5 minutes—a quick, but necessary step.
A graham cracker crust works, too! Try using the graham cracker crust from my mini key lime pies recipe. You’ll have the perfect amount for these cheesecakes.
Here’s What You Need for the Filling
This filling is the perfect balance of pumpkin and cheesecake. It’s unbelievably rich, smooth, creamy, and flavorful. Made with a few key ingredients, each plays an important role:
- Cream Cheese: Brick-style cream cheese is the base of these cheesecakes.
- Pumpkin: Can’t have pumpkin cheesecake without pumpkin! Use any leftover pumpkin puree in these pumpkin recipes.
- Eggs: 1 egg and 1 egg yolk provide structure and richness.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens this filling.
- Spices: Use warm and cozy flavors like cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice. If you can’t find pumpkin pie spice at the store, you can use my pumpkin pie spice recipe which includes ground ginger, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice.
- Vanilla Extract: A splash of pure vanilla extract adds flavor.
Topping for Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes
My recipe for homemade salted caramel is one of the most loved recipes on my blog. It’s surprisingly simple to make and pairs with just about anything. And, we use it to top these salted caramel pumpkin cheesecakes! You can even make a batch of salted caramel a day or 2 in advance so it’s all set to go when these cheesecakes are ready.
Drizzle a little salted caramel onto each chilled cheesecake and garnish with toasted pecans. While optional, the nuts add a welcome crunch and flavor—especially if you toast them first.
More Pumpkin Treats
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Salted Caramel Pumpkin Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 50 minutes
- Yield: 16 mini cheesecakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Smooth and creamy pumpkin cheesecake made mini in a muffin pan. Complete with salted caramel sauce and a crunchy gingersnap cookie crust!
Ingredients
Gingersnap Crust*
- 1 and 1/4 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (see note)
- 2 Tablespoons (23g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, melted
Pumpkin Filling
- 12 ounces (339g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (115g) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg + 1 large egg yolk
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon store-bought or homemade pumpkin pie spice*
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 cup (240ml) store-bought or homemade caramel sauce*
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with liners and a second 12-count muffin pan with only 4 (this recipe makes 16). Set aside.
- Make the crust: Mix the cookie crumbs, sugar, and butter together in a medium bowl until combined. The mixture will be thick, coarse, and sandy. Press a heaping Tablespoon of mixture down into each liner, making sure the crust is tight and compact. You might have a little crust leftover. If so, press a little more into each liner—if desired! Pre-bake the crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
- Make the filling: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth, about 1 minute. On medium-high speed, beat in pumpkin, egg and egg yolk, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. On high speed, beat in sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla until combined.
- Pour the filling evenly into each crust.
- Bake until centers of pies only slightly jiggle, 18 to 20 minutes. Let cheesecakes cool at room temperature in the pan set on a wire rack. Once completely cool, place cheesecakes in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight. The cheesecakes will slightly sink in the middle- that’s ok! It gives you room for the caramel. Feel free to toast the pecans for the topping as the cheesecakes cool. To toast, spread the chopped nuts on a lined baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 300°F (149°C).
- Once chilled, drizzle each with salted caramel sauce and garnish with pecans. Store leftovers covered tightly in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the cheesecakes through step 4 up to 2-3 days in advance. Cover unbaked cheesecakes and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Continue with step 5. Freeze individual baked cheesecakes, without caramel topping, for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Gingersnap Crust: Use crunchy gingersnap cookies and grind them in a food processor into a fine crumb. I prefer Nabisco or Trader Joe’s brand.
- Graham Cracker Crust: Would be just as tasty with these tiny pumpkin cheesecakes! Use the graham cracker crust from my mini key lime pies recipe. You can even add 1/4 teaspoon each of ground ginger and ground cloves for extra flavor.
- Cream Cheese: Don’t use cream cheese spread; use brick-style cream cheese. Full-fat preferred, though low fat works too. Don’t use fat free.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: You can find pumpkin pie spice in the baking aisle of most grocery stores or make your own homemade pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have either and want to use individual spices, use 1/4 teaspoon each: ground ginger, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, and ground allspice. This is in addition to the 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon—you will still add that.
- Caramel Sauce: If using my homemade caramel sauce, please keep in mind this is a salted caramel. If you prefer a sweeter caramel, reduce salt in the caramel sauce to 1/2 teaspoon. You can make the caramel sauce in advance—see make ahead tip in the caramel recipe.
- Full Size Cheesecake: Double the filling ingredients (not the crust). Press the crust into a 9-inch springform pan. Pour filling on top. Bake at 350°F (177°C) for around 1 hour, give or take. Use a water bath to help prevent cracks in cheesecake. Once the pumpkin cheesecake is cooled to room temperature, refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours before drizzling with caramel and serving. No need to double the caramel sauce recipe.
- Super Mini Cheesecakes: Use a 24-count mini muffin pan! Follow the recipe as written and press 1 teaspoon of crust into each mini muffin liner. Pour filling evenly into each. Bake time will be about 10 minutes, give or take. Yields about 40-50.
Oh my! One of my favorite of your recipes so far!! I added some chopped pecans to the crust mix. Then I topped the cheese cakes with your Not so sweet whipped frosting then drizzled caramel and pecans. SOO good!
Hi I am going to make these mini pumpkin cheesecakes for the first time. I am making them tonight but not eating them until tomorrow. Should I put the caramel sauce and nuts on tonight or not? Thanks for any syggestions
Hi Debbie, I’m just seeing this question now– my apologies! You can definitely decorate the night before, but they taste better if you add the caramel and nut topping closer to serving them.
Hi Sally,
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I initially came across your Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake recipe and realized it included 1/3 cup of sour cream whereas this recipe (mini pumpkin cheesecake) doesn’t include that. I’m wondering why that is and if it would change the texture of the overall cheesecake and if it’s necessary. I was planning to make about 12-24 mini cheesecakes and was contemplating trying out this recipe or your other swirl one. Any suggestions? Thanks for the input! 🙂
Hi Esther! I add sour cream to the pumpkin swirl cheesecake to add volume. You can certainly use some in this recipe, but I can’t guarantee the pumpkin cheesecakes will hold their shape very nicely when unwrapped.
Excellent little bites! These were a big hit at an office gathering…so much so that I received a special request to make them “special order” for a coworker’s daughter.
I made the super mini version of this recipe and OH MAN they were delicious!
I did have a quick question though, is there any way anyone had the calculated calories per mini cheesecake? or the whole cheesecake version? I’m counting my macros and I’m trying to see how many I should eat without throwing my nutrition out the window. Any help would be much appreciated!
I made these for Mother’s Day, and they were insane!
I actually did them Sous Vide in 125 ml mason jars. So I think there was a higher “filling to crust” ratio than Sally’s original recipe (about 1/4” of crust and at least 1” of filling). Sous Vide is my new favorite way to make cheesecakes. So moist and creamy! Set it to 155 for an hour, and they come out perfect every time!
Anyway… I digress!
The crust… insane! Paired perfectly with the other flavors and added a lovely crunch to every mouthful.
The filling… smooth, creamy, yet light, so delicious! The flavor and texture was outstanding!
I made Sally’s Salted Caramel Sauce and used it to top these. It was incredible! Buttery, salty, caramel goodness!
I topped it with toasted pecans, which pulled the whole thing together and added a bit more lovely crunch!
I brought them to our Mother’s Day celebration yesterday, and they were loved by young and old alike! The kids were begging for seconds!
These two recipes are the first I’ve done from Sally’s website, and they were both incredible! Thank you Sally!
Hi Sally,
Do I need to pre-bake the crust for the mini version or just 10 minutes for everything?
Thanks!
I would, yes. About 5 minutes.
Hi Sally! I am planning on making these tomorrow for some Fall Bake-Off fun at work. I would like to double the recipe for the mini cheesecakes; any tips on that or will I be good if I just double everything? I know I can always count on your website when I want to make something that people will love!
For this recipe you should be fine just doubling everything! Have fun!
These look delicious!! I can’t wait to make them!
What kind of salt do you use in the salted caramel recipe? Kosher salt or table salt?
I’ve used both in the past– either are great.
Can you make the crust with your gingersnap cookie recipe or should I use store bought gingersnaps instead?
Hi Lindsay! Yes and I would use my new recipe for these crisp molasses cookies.
These cheesecakes are to die for! It’s a good thing I am limiting my sugar intake or I would probably eat the whole recipe! I am hosting an event and know I will have to make another batch because the folks in my crowd will eat one mini and go back for 4 more. Thank you so much for this recipe!
I have made these and they were delicious. I would like to make a whole cheesecake but do not have a springform pan. Do you think I could put parchment paper in a 9×13 pan and make it in there?
I’m sure you could make these more into bars– though I would use an 11×7 pan. I believe the 9×13 will be too large.
Hi Sally! I made the caramel sauce last night, and plan to make the cheesecakes tonight. I don’t know what I did wrong with the caramel, but it was super thick and gummy. I’ve had great success with your caramel recipe before, so I’m sure it was user error. Do you think I could thin it out by heating it and adding more half and half? Or should I just make a new batch? Thanks!
Did you use cream or half-and-half? Hopefully it was cream! Warming it up will thin it out 🙂
Okay, thanks! I did use cream — I don’t know why I wrote “more” half and half.
Any suggestions on how I could make these with a chocolate crust? I’m not a fan of gingersnaps and I feel like I ALWAYS use graham crackers. Plus I just really like chocolate. I’m really looking for an excuse to make your salted caramel sauce again. I can’t believe how easy and delicious it is!
I’m glad you enjoy the salted caramel sauce, Ashley! You can use Oreos for the crust– like I did for these salted caramel chocolate chip cheesecakes. Or use chocolate wafer cookies (like Oreos, without the cream filling).
I use biscoff cookies for most of my cheesecakes, including this one. Yummy.
Oh my goodness, Sally! You went over the top with this one…that crust, that filling, that topping!!! Pure indulgence!
Great recipe!
Sally, I made these over the Thanksgiving holiday, and they were a huge hit! I love the idea of a bite size cheesecake. With that said, are you doing anything like these for the Christmas holiday? I would love to do a Christmas version of these.
I made this this week, and it turned out GREAT! I used your regular graham cracker crust recipe and am planning to embellish it (I made the big, springform pan version) with whipped cream. #beautiful
I made this in the full cheesecake version. Haven’t tasted it yet but it looks and smells good. My question…it didn’t rise very high and looks very dense. Is that the way this recipe is supposed to be?
Yep! It’s a dense cheesecake for sure. Enjoy!
This was cheesecake was incredible. Even my husband, who pretty much looks down on cheesecake if it is not blueberry or cherry loved it. Thanks for the great recipe.
Hi Sally! I am so excited to make these, my taste buds get all tingly every time I read over your recipe. I am making desert for a fairly large crowd and I want to make a double batch of these. Is it as simple as just doubling the ingredients or do I need to do something different? Thanks!! 🙂
You can easily double the filling ingredients! I would only 1.5x the crust, though. You’ll have too much if you double it. And make 2 separate batches of caramel sauce instead of doubling it in 1 pot. Though you’d probably have enough caramel with only a single recipe! Depends how much you like caramel sauce.
Holy Moses!!! I had every ingredient on hand and made these as soon as I read the recipe. They are amazing! Rich, creamy, dreamy…the kind of good that makes you enjoy it waaaay to loudly. (Maybe that’s just me?)
Anyway, I followed the recipe exactly, except I used Pamela’s gluten free ginger snaps for the crust to make it GF. The result was delicious! And the caramel? I am going to dip everything I eat into that jar until it’s gone! Sooo good! Loud good!!
Hi Kat! The caramel solidifies after refrigerating, so yes, warm it up on the stove or in the microwave for a minute before spooning or drizzling it on top of the pumpkin cheesecakes. You can certainly toast the pecans too!