These Mini Pumpkin Pies with Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping are the perfect way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year!
Hi, I’m Ginnie from Hello Little Home, and I’m so excited to be sharing my first post at The Pinning Mama. One of the things you’ll learn about me is that I have a major sweet tooth! My mom was known for her delicious desserts, and one of her specialties was homemade pumpkin pie made featuring fresh pumpkin. I can almost smell it cooking now!
I still love pumpkin pie, although I’m not nearly ambitious enough to make my own pumpkin puree. This year for Thanksgiving, I decided to put a twist on the traditional pie. These Mini Pumpkin Pies with Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping are the result.
These cute little pies taste just like the real thing, only better, because they’re topped with cheesecake. The pies might look labor intensive, but don’t worry, they come together really quickly.
I started out by making a simple pie crust, cutting it into small circles, and then pressing the pastry into mini muffin pans. The crusts are then filled with a spicy pumpkin mixture and baked.
While the pies are baking, I had fun creating decorative leaves from the pie scraps. These little leaves are super cute but completely optional, so skip them if you’re pressed for time.
The finished pies are then topped with a delicious cinnamon cheesecake mixture. That might just be my favorite part!
How cute are those little leaves?
These Mini Pumpkin Pies would be the perfect addition to any holiday table. If you make them ahead of time, make sure to refrigerate the pies. Remove them from the refrigerator at least a half hour before serving and then enjoy!
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Mini Pumpkin Pies with Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1 1/4 cups flour
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup butter cold, cubed
- 2 – 4 tbsp. ice water
For Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 2 tbsp. milk
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. ginger
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- Pinch each: cloves and allspice
For Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping:
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 oz. cream cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
Instructions
Prepare Crust:
- Add flour and salt to a food processor bowl and pulse to combine.
- Add butter to flour mixture and pulse until it looks like small crumbs.
- Sprinkle mixture with 2 tbsp. ice water.
- Pulse until dough holds together when pressed with your hands. Add additional ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.
- Dump dough onto a cutting board and press into a ball. Flatten into a thick disk.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
Prepare Pumpkin Filling:
- Lightly beat egg in a medium bowl.
- Add pumpkin through allspice and mix until well combined.
Assemble Pies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 mini muffin pans (or enough pans for 24 mini pumpkin pies) lightly with nonstick cooking spray.
- Remove dough from refrigerator, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured board.
- Use a rolling pin to roll dough to about 1/8-inch thick.
- Cut out 24 circles, using a 2-inch cutter or drinking glass. (I used a champagne glass.) Gather scraps and re-roll dough to get enough circles, if needed.
- Gently press circles into muffin pan, making sure dough touches sides of pan and reaches to the top of the pan.
- Fill each crust with pumpkin filling (about a heaping teaspoon each).
- Place muffin pans in preheated oven and bake until pumpkin filling is set and tops have started to brown, about 25 minutes.
- Remove pies from oven and allow to cool completely before adding topping.
Make Mini Leaves (optional):
- While pies are baking, use a sharp knife to cut out mini leaves about ¾-inch long.
- Place the leaves on a baking sheet coated with nonstick spray.
- Use the back of your knife to press a line down the center of each leaf.
- On either side of this line add a few lines for the leaf veins.
- Brush the tops of the leaves with a little oil.
- Refrigerate leaves until pies are done, then place in oven and bake for 5 - 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Prepare Cheesecake Topping:
- Place heavy cream in stand mixer bowl.
- Use whisk attachment to whip cream until stiff peaks form.
- Scrape whipped cream in a small bowl and set aside.
- Add cream cheese to mixer bowl (no need to clean) and use the paddle attachment to beat cream until completely smooth.
- Add powdered sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon to cream cheese. Mix until completely combined.
- Use a spatula to gently fold 1/2 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Fold the remaining whipped cream into the cream cheese.
Finish Pies:
- Fill a pastry bag with the cinnamon cream cheese mixture.
- Top each pie with a swirl of cheesecake and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
- Finish each pie with a pastry leaf, if using.
Recipe Notes:
- - If you don't have a food processor, you can prepare the crust by hand. Add the butter to the flour using a fork or your hands. Then stir in water until dough begin the form.
- - The cheesecake mixture can also be prepared with a hand mixer or by hand, if you do not have a stand mixer.
(Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.)
If you like my Mini Pumpkin Pies with Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping, you’ll enjoy these recipes, too!
Hi, I’m Ginnie, and I blog over at Hello Little Home! I’m a married New Yorker with a creative streak, and I love to write about some of my favorite things: food, DIY, fashion, interior design, travel, and more.
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Linda @ Veganosity says
These are beautiful Ginnie! I love the idea of the cheesecake topping in place of whipped cream. Very clever!
Gennie Leeming says
Thanks, Linda! I’m so glad you like them:)