Have you ever tried a pumpkin cheesecake? It is like a pie but with a lot of cream cheese in the filling: pure silky perfection with spices! In this post I will give you a very easy recipe for Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes in ramekins that just can’t go wrong! Easy and delicious.
What makes this recipe great
New York style cheesecakes are so tasty but they can be a bit of a challenge when it comes to baking. If you bake it in a water bath, which helps for a better consistency, you always need to be extra careful with the pan that you use. I always wrap my pan tightly in 2 sheets of aluminium foil and still very often some water comes inside the cheesecake. No idea how it happens!
These individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes are so much easier to bake as they are made in ramekins!
Also they are single portions so no worries there in terms of slicing.
On the other hand these cheesecakes are very tasty and full of autumn flavours, thanks to the spices in the filling.
Is this recipe easy
Indeed, this recipe is very easy and the fact that the cheesecakes are baked in ramekins makes it easier. And it is also very versatile: you can prepare a keto version by substituting some of the ingredients. Check the notes in the recipe card for details!
How to make the filling
You can make the filling in two different ways, depending on your preference. If you use canned pumpkin puree, you can mix the ingredients in a bowl with a mixer. But if you prefer to use roasted pumpkin, which sometimes may be quite dense, you may prefer to mix the filling ingredients in a food processor. The only downside of the second method is that the cheesecakes might crack easier during the baking but there is no complete guarantee that they won’t crack even if you mix the ingredients in a bowl.
How to bake the cheesecakes
Place the filled ramekins in a baking dish and pour water to cover well the bottom of the dish. Bake for about 60 minutes at 320ºF or 160ºC. The cheesecakes are ready when the tops start becoming golden around the edges and the middles are just set. Be careful not to overbake them as the consistency will become too stiff.
Find the full instructions and the list of recipe ingredients in the recipe card, below the post.
I really hope you would like these Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes!
Let me know in the comments what you think of the recipe. If you made it, I would really appreciate your feedback!
Here are some more pumpkin recipes that you might like:
Ultimate Healthy Pumpkin Brownies
Chocolate Pumpkin Bread (Keto)
Soft Pumpkin Cream Cheese Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Cookies
Individual Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 2 tbsp/ 25 g butter, melted
- ¼ cup/ 30 g walnuts, ground
- 1 oz/ 30 g cookie crumbs, see notes
For the filling:
- 10,5 oz/ 300 g cream cheese
- ½ can/ 120 g pumpkin puree, see notes
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice, see notes
For the topping:
- 2 tbsp liquid honey , or maple syrup
- whipped cream , for piping
- pumpkin pie spice, for sprinkling
Instructions
Crust:
- Preheat oven to 160º C/ 320º F.
- In a bowl combine ground walnuts, cookie crumbs and melted butter. Mix very well. Divide the mixture between 4 ramekins and press it to the bottoms. Set aside while preparing the filling.
Filling:
- In a food processor combine all ingredients, except the egg and pulse for few seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and then add the egg. Pulse again, until smooth.
- Alternatively mix the ingredients in a bowl, following the same method (add the egg last).
- Divide the filling between the ramekins and smooth the tops.
- Place the cheesecakes in a baking dish. Pour water in the dish to cover well the bottom. Make sure the water won’t reach the top of the ramekins.
- Bake for about 1 hour or util the edges start becoming golden and the center of the cheesecakes is just set.
- Let them cool for ½ hour inside the oven, with the door open slightly. When they reach room temperature, cover each one with film and transfer them to the fridge for 4-6 hours.
- Before serving top the cheesecakes with honey, then pipe some whipped cream on top and sprinkle with spices.
- Store them for 3-4 days in the fridge, covered with cling film. You can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Notes
- For the crust you can also use graham crackers instead of cookie crumbs: you would need 8 crackers or 2 sheets.
- Pumpkin: you can also use 4,2 oz/ 120 g roasted pumpkin instead of puree.
The filling can be prepared with a food processor or with a mixer. Food processor is recommended if using roasted pumpkin. - See how to make your own pumpkin pie spice in this post.
- Low carb/ keto version: Use only walnuts for the crust (double the quantity) or substitute the cookie crumbs with almond meal or almond flour. Substitute the sugar with same quantity of xylitol or 4 tbsp erythritol. Skip the honey or use keto maple syrup.
Regina
Hi Daniela,
Oh my goodness, these are little dishes of pumpkin heaven! And so simple to make, too. Unlike many cheesecakes, these weren’t heavy at all and the pumpkin flavor and sweetness level were just right. I didn’t have any nuts on hand, so I used the full 60g of nilla wafer cookies with a bit of shredded coconut to jazz it up. (I’ll definitely use pecans next time.) And instead of topping the cheesecakes with maple syrup, I added it into the filling instead, which made the filling creamier, I noticed. I had too much filling for the four ramekins called for, enough for two extra dishes though those didn’t get a cookie crust. They baked up beautifully and smelled divine. I’ll make these delicious wonders again and again.
Daniela
Hi Regina, I am so happy you liked the recipe! I love the changes you made, they sound really nice. Thanks for sharing 🙂