These No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are easy to make and so delicious!
All year long, I look forward to pumpkin season – and pumpkin recipes – and this No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes recipe is one of the very best!
And ever since we posted this recipe a few years back, A Family Feast readers flock to this easy, creamy pumpkin cheesecake recipe every Fall. If you haven’t tried this recipe yet, you are in for a huge treat! (Scroll below to our recipe card to watch a video showing you how easy these No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are to make. )
How to make no-bake pumpkin cheesecake
Our No-Bake Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes are quick and super-easy recipe to make, and the creamy, sweet and spicy filling will satisfy any pumpkin cravings you might have. A mix of pumpkin puree, cream cheese, whipped topping (you can use Cool Whip or real whipped cream), cheesecake pudding mix, and spices are combined into a luscious mousse, then spooned over buttery graham cracker crumbs.
We make these no-bake mini pumpkin cheesecakes for just about every Fall party we attend, and we receive rave reviews every single time. Everyone loves this recipe! (I think you will too!)
P.S. We get asked a lot of questions about those cute little serving glasses in the photos above. Those are actually small glass votive candle holders and these are very similar to what we used. You could serve them in clear glass votive candle holders like this too. Or, if you are taking these mini desserts to another home, small plastic cups like this or even this are another great option. Then decorate with a dollop of whipped cream on top, and a cinnamon stick for garnish.
Happy Fall!
This post originally appeared on A Family Feast in August 2013.
You may like these other Pumpkin desserts:
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PinIngredients
For the crust
- 1 sleeve graham crackers (about 9 crackers)
- ½ stick (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
For the filling
- 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
- 3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 1-ounce package sugar free cheesecake-flavored instant pudding mix (or 1/3 of a non-sugar free instant pudding may be used)
- 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping*, plus extra for garnish if desired (*If you prefer, you can use 4 to 5 cups of real whipped cream)
Instructions
- Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse the crackers into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, sugar and brown sugar and pulse until combined.
- Spoon the crumbs into individual 9-ounce plastic cups (or other individual sized cups for serving). Place in the refrigerator to set while you are preparing the filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until light and creamy.
- Add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, and pudding mix and beat until completely mixed, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure that all ingredients are well combined.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk and mix again until well combined.
- Change your stand mixture attachment to the wire whisk. On slow speed, fold in the tub of Cool Whip until well combined.
- Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for about an hour to firm up.
- Using a large pastry bag with a large tip, or a spoon, top the graham cracker crust in each cup with the pumpkin mixture and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Garnish with additional whipped topping if desired.
Keywords: No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake
Any idea how many calories are in one serving? They sound absolutely divine!
No – sorry Betsy – I haven’t calculated the calories. But you might be able to find an online calculator to plug in the ingredients. Using light cream cheese, sugar-free jello and fat-free whipped topping would help cut down on some of the calories and still be delicious! Hope that helps!
These sound so delicious, but Cool Whip is SO bad for you…it’s basically plastic in a tub!
I have been making real whipped cream, and subbing, but it doesn’t always set up as nice. If anyone else tries something more real than cool whip that works, please let me know!!
http://www.organicauthority.com/health/skip-the-cool-whip-you-dont-want-to-know-what-its-made-of.html
Will do Courtney! Or if you try it yourself with real whipped cream – let us know too!
I use whipped cream all the time. To stabilize you use unflavored gelatin with a little water. Wilton has a recipe for stabilized whip cream as frosting. My late husband was a chef and used unflavored gelatin straight in his whipping cream – makes for very stable peaks of whip cream on a dessert.
Thanks so much Karen! Great suggestion!
Is it ok to use 100% Pure Pumpkin as the puree in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Alissa – Canned pumpkin is precooked so if you are using fresh pumpkin, you should cook it first before pureeing and adding to the recipe.
Any suggestions on substitutions for the pudding mix for those of us who think this looks amazing but don’t want to use artificial ingredients? I’ll also have to use real whipped cream instead of the whipped topping.
Hi Danielle – The pudding mix adds some flavor and makes the mixture thicker, but you can try leaving it out, or maybe adding some powdered sugar in its place as a stabilizer. The real whipped cream will also work fine – I’d suggest serving the dessert within a few hours of mixing the ingredients together since real whipped cream isn’t as ‘stable’ as Cool Whip. Let us know how it comes out! Martha
Hi! This sounds delish but I’m not a fan of Cool Whip, can it be omitted? Or can regular whipping cream be used? Thanks!! 🙂
Hi Carey – Yes – regular whipping cream should be fine! I’d plan to serve it within a few hours of mixing the ingredients together – real whipped cream isn’t as ‘stable’ as Cool Whip – but it will taste great with the real whipped cream!
Looks so cute, can’t wait to try it out!
Thanks Lucy!
Where do you find cheesecake flavored pudding? I’ve looked at the stores I go to and they do not have it.
I was able to find it at my local grocery store. If you can’t find cheesecake flavor, vanilla would also work!
Same here about the cheesecake pudding. I did find the pumpkin spice pudding they bring out now. Would that be to much?
Hi Jodi – To be safe – try using the pumpkin spice pudding without the additional pumpkin pie spices and taste it. If you’d like it to be a strong spice flavor, then add it in gradually. Hope that helps!
I made this over the weekend and it was soooooo good! Never too early for the pumpkin recipes! I opted for crushed ginger snaps instead of graham crackers and I enjoyed the extra spice! Thanks for sharing!
Great idea!!
Looks so yummy! Perfect for fall in the South–no need to heat up the oven.
Thanks Peggy!
Can’t wait to make these for our next book club gathering. The ladies will really be impressed. Thanks for sharing this yummy recipe.
Thank you for stopping by Sheila – I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!
Really looks like great dessert. I am such a pumpkin fan, this will feed my craving! Quick and easy! Thanks for posting it. Deb @ Kneaded Creations
Thanks Debbie!
These are gorgeous! This has totally gotten me in the mood to bake for the Fall! Pinning to make. 🙂
Thank you so much Tina!
I can’t seem to find a cheesecake flavor jello with 1 oz package only the standard 3.4 oz. do you think it will still work out okay?
Hi! I would only add about 1/3rd of the bag… the full 3+ ounces would probably make the mousse too thick!
love this! i am absolutely have a brain freeze…is the pudding mix put in dry or do you make the pudding according to recipe and then mix it in?
Hi. It’s added dry!
This recipe looks wonderful. As I was reading the process it indicates 1/2 cup (4 Tablespoons) of butter. I believe there is a typo as 1/2 STICK of butter is 4 Tablespoons.
Thank you so much!! It is supposed to be 1/2 stick not 1/2 cup!! I will update ASAP!! Thank you for writing to us!!
I have a severe gluten allergy, and while I know there are gluten free graham crackers, they’re extremely expensive. Would you say that the filling, mousse-like stuff would be delish all on its own? Thanks!
Oh yes-absolutely! Or gluten free cookies would be another great option! We have a family member with gluten sensitivity so we understand… Thanks for visiting today!!
You could try finely chopped nuts for a crust. Or if you have any gluten free crackers or dry cereal, use that.
Thanks Judy!
These look and sound amazing – I pinned so I can find out how they taste! Thanks for the recipe! Julia
Thanks Julia!
Cant wait to try , sounds so good !
Thank you!
Not too early, I collect fall recipes anytime!
Thanks Nancy!
Oh! It’s never too early for pumpkin! This is delicious! I have already made several pumpkin baked goods too!
I agree!! Thanks for stopping by Kathy!
Martha,
I made this this yesterday for our cooking club. Everyone thought it was delicious. Instead of using graham crackers for the crust , I used ginger snaps.
Great idea Jane! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Oh! Snap! And I can do those gluten-free with gingersnap. I haven’t tried any of your recipes, I just found you, but I’m already drooling! I can’t wait to try these.
Thanks Carolyn – Hope you enjoy them – and yes – definitely works with other types of crumbs!
I just made this and I HAD to lick the bowl. I’m taking it to work and am going to serve it as a dip. Going to serve it in a bowl with cinnamon grahams and gingersnaps on the side. I’m sure it will go over quite well!
Great idea Carolyn – this would totally work as a dip!!
Everyone LOVED it! I left some at the house for dessert last night, and the family loved it, too. My husband ate it like a pudding and went for seconds. Thanks for sharing the recipe! This one goes into the files as “Excellent”.
So glad Carolyn! Thanks for writing to us!
I eat everything pumpkin year round. Yippee for pumpkin.
Thanks Barbara!
If I have frozen pumpkin guts and puree them is it the same as the canned stuff? Or would I need to cook that first?
The canned puree is definitely already cooked – so if using fresh pumpkin, you would want to cook it before using in this recipe.
Where did you get the cups you used for these?
The glasses you see in the photo were bought many years ago at Pier 1 Imports. But we’ve used clear plastic disposable drinking glasses found at the supermarket or a party store when bringing these to parties! Hope that helps!
try Dollar Tree . They have very pretty glasses usually for a dollar or look in the party ware section there.
Thanks Barbara!
can this be made in a way for dieters?
Hi Joyce – you can use fat free Cool Whip and sugar free pudding to cut some calories but you’d need to find an alternative for the sweetened condensed milk. Hope that helps.
they make a “fat free” sweetened condensed milk!
I didn’t know that! Thanks for letting us know!
You can also use coconut milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. The texture will be a little bit different if you do. I’ve found that using a bit less coconut milk works best (so in this case around 10~12oz instead of 14). Living in Korea, it’s very difficult to find sweetened condensed milk. But I’m going to have to try this recipe because I don’t have an oven and I miss my baked noms!
Great idea! Thank you!
Wondering if the cool whip should be frozen or already thawed in the fridge when I make the filling?
Hi Mitzi – softened in the fridge so it will mix easily with the other ingredients!
Thanks so much! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
I have a question in the recipe. This maybe stupid, but is the pudding for the cheesecake prepared or leave as dry.
Hi Jolaine – The pudding is put in the mix dry, not prepared. 🙂
Good question!
definition of Pumpkin puree?
Hi Carrie – It is sold (here in the US) in most supermarkets in the canned foods section or sometimes in the baking section around the fall/holidays. It is simply cooked and pureed pumpkin. You don’t want to buy the pumpkin pie puree which already has spices mixed it – just use the plain pumpkin puree. Hope that helps.
I think this sounds great and I think I will make it. But……………………………………why in the world would you use sugar free pudding? So not okay. I say if you are going to do it do it right. That stuff is so bad for you. Not that sugar is good, but when I bake I use all “real” everything. Thank you
Hi Judy – We used the sugar free pudding in part out of necessity because it was the only cheesecake-flavored pudding mix our local supermarket sold. As in any recipe, you should feel free to change the ingredients to suit your tastes and preferences. If you decide to make the recipe and use the non-sugar free pudding mix, it will make the consistency thicker because there is more powder than in the sugar free version so please plan for that. Thanks for visiting us today!
Baby food pumpkin should work also
Thanks Kim – great suggestion!