Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites

Published Oct. 23, 2024

Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites
Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
Total Time
2¼ hours
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Rating
4(27)
Comments
Read comments

Easy to bake and totally gluten-free, these pumpkin cheesecake bites are inspired by Japanese soufflé pancakes, which fold in whipped egg whites to create a fluffy, cloud-like texture. For best results, there are a few things to note when making these cheesecake bites: The ingredients you use should be room temperature, especially the cream cheese. (This helps them blend together smoothly and keeps you from having a lumpy cheesecake.) This recipe also asks for a water bath, which will help the cheesecakes bake evenly. The results will be well worth the effort.

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Ingredients

Yield:12 cheesecake bites
  • ¾cup sugar
  • 1(8-ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 3large eggs, yolks and whites separated, at room temperature
  • ¾cup canned pumpkin purée
  • teaspoons ground cinnamon, plus more for serving
  • ½teaspoon ground ginger
  • ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 1cup heavy whipping cream
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)

206 calories; 15 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 3 grams protein; 185 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, combine ½ cup of the sugar with the cream cheese, egg yolks, pumpkin purée, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until smooth; set aside.

  3. Step 3

    In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until very foamy, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ¼ cup sugar and beat until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the pumpkin mixture in 2 additions. (Be careful to not overmix, or the batter will deflate and the cheesecake bites will be less light and fluffy.)

  5. Step 5

    Boil 4 cups water.

  6. Step 6

    Divide the batter evenly in the cupcake pan (about ⅓ cup per cupcake liner). Place the cupcake pan on a rimmed baking sheet and transfer to the oven. Carefully pour the hot water into the baking sheet. Bake until the tops of the cheesecake bites are slightly puffed and have a lightly crunchy exterior, 40 to 45 minutes. (The tops will not be jiggly as they would for a traditional cheesecake.)

  7. Step 7

    Remove the pan from the oven and let cool at room temperature. Transfer the pan to the fridge and chill about 1 hour before serving. (The cheesecakes will deflate slightly as they cool.)

  8. Step 8

    When ready to eat, whip the heavy cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Dollop the whipped cream on the cheesecake bites and top with a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. The cheesecakes are best served the day they are made, but can be stored up to 2 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
27 user ratings
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Comments

Start by beating the cream cheese alone, then add the egg yolks and sugar and beat until smooth. Then add the pumpkin and the spices. It gets smooth in about half the time this way. Otherwise you're beating the mixture for like 20 minutes and still left with some cream cheese flecks.

I filled the cupcake liners about ¾ full (which was just a little shy of the 1/3 cup recommendation) and ended up with a lot of extra batter. The cheesecakes puffed up some in the oven, but did not even come close to overflowing, so I think you can fill these more than you would a normal cupcake and have less batter leftover.

Be very careful that the cream cheese is room temperature. If it isn’t you will get gross clumps in your cupcakes. My second try turned out delicious!

Can you bake this as a flat cake instead by any chance?

I filled the cupcake liners about ¾ full (which was just a little shy of the 1/3 cup recommendation) and ended up with a lot of extra batter. The cheesecakes puffed up some in the oven, but did not even come close to overflowing, so I think you can fill these more than you would a normal cupcake and have less batter leftover.

Be very careful that the cream cheese is room temperature. If it isn’t you will get gross clumps in your cupcakes. My second try turned out delicious!

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