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Five pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes topped with piped cream on a green plate over a woven mat
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Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes

Individual pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes with a gingersnap base and a whipped-cream swirl. No water bath and no slicing required.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword easy pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

For the Gingersnap Base

  • 1 ⅓ cups gingersnap crumbs about 20 cookies
  • 4 tablespoons butter melted
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar

For the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

  • 16 oz cream cheese room temperature
  • ⅔ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 pinch salt

For the Topping

  • whipped cream for swirling
  • pumpkin pie spice for dusting

Instructions

Make the Gingersnap Base

  • Heat the oven to 325F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
  • Stir the gingersnap crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar together until the mixture looks like wet sand. Press about 1 tablespoon into each liner and bake for 5 minutes.

Make the Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling

  • Beat the cream cheese and sugar until completely smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
  • Mix in the pumpkin puree, sour cream, vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and salt until just combined.
  • Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, stopping as soon as each disappears. Do not overmix.

Fill and Bake

  • Divide the filling among the liners, filling each nearly to the top.
  • Bake at 325F for 18 to 23 minutes, until the centers are set with just a slight jiggle. They settle flat as they cool.

Cool, Chill, and Top

  • Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then chill at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
  • Just before serving, add a small swirl of whipped cream to each and dust with pumpkin pie spice.

Notes

  • Room temperature matters: soften the cream cheese for an hour to avoid lumps.
  • Don't overbake: pull them while the centers still jiggle slightly, they finish setting as they chill.
  • Make ahead: bake and chill up to 2 days ahead, then top with whipped cream the day you serve.
  • Mini option: use a mini muffin tin for two dozen bite-size cupcakes, baking about 12 minutes.