Dense, creamy cheesecakes with a gingersnap crust, flavored with pumpkin and cinnamon and finished with a dollop of whipped cream. Plus they’re miniature, which is always cute. The dessert of the season? Duh.
It’s fall, y’all.
Fall is my favorite season. Here’s why.
1. I love the browning leaves that crunch under the weight of each step.
2. I love waking up to that beautiful golden and pastel pink sunrise.
3. I love seeing piles and piles of pumpkins as I drive by that little shop on the side of the road.
4. I love having an excuse to make apple pie- those warm fall smells of cinnamon and nutmeg.
5. I love the crisp, chilly wind that turns my nose into the likes of Rudolph.
6. But most of all I love pulling out my boots after their long summer hibernation. I am such a fall girl.
In light of the season (or should I say in dark- since the days get shorter and shorter), I made mini pumpkin gingersnap cheesecakes. Our local grocery store has a large pile of squashes and pumpkins.
My personal favorite is a Hokkaido squash which is perfect for making puree- I love to use it for baking and soups. It is sweet, very flavorful and vibrant in its fresh orange color. Colors! It’s all about the color. Last year I made pumpkin scones [1] using the homemade pumpkin puree. Check out my post on how to make pumpkin puree [2].
This year I thought it was only fit to do a pumpkin cheesecake. In this case, mini gingersnap pumpkin cheesecakes.
I’ve never been a huge fan of pumpkin pie, but pumpkin cheesecake on the other hand? Get me a foam finger. It’s pumpkin at a new level.
There aren’t any tips or tricks to make this recipe because it’s fairly straightforward and simple. I will say that using gingersnap cookies is essential as gingersnaps offer a strong spice-filled flavor that pairs perfectly with the subtly spiced cheesecake batter, but I know that many people pair an Oreo cookie crust with pumpkin cheesecake.
In addition, whipped cream is optional, but necessary as it’s lightness cuts through the rich, tangy cheesecake texture. It’s also very delicately flavored so it works beautifully with the cinnamon flavors.
Of course, it will be difficult to omit the pumpkin because it’s the star of the show. There is so much you can do with pumpkin, that it’s impossible not to love.
When I’m hungry before bed, I can’t sleep. I can only think of dessert. So this one night, I thought all things fall-flavored. And I came up with a list of some 30-something dessert ideas using pumpkin during the fall. Talk about not sleeping.
Pumpkin has a rich texture, a slightly sweet- even smoky flavor (if you roast the pumpkin). It isn’t overpowering in any way. I’d say it simply enhances flavor, especially in desserts- and adds a bit of color too. The marriage of pumpkin and cheesecake is brilliant.
Might we call this the dessert of the season? I think yes.
URLs in this post:
[1] pumpkin scones: https://www.hotchocolatehits.com/2013/10/pumpkin-scones-better-than-starbucks.html
[2] how to make pumpkin puree: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2016/11/baking-101-pumpkin-puree.html/
[3] Print Recipe: https://hotchocolatehits.com/wprm_print/23122
[4] Pin Recipe: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/bookmarklet/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2F2014%2F10%2Fmini-gingersnap-pumpkin-cheesecakes.html%2F&media=https%3A%2F%2Fhotchocolatehits.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F10%2FScreenshot-2023-08-03-at-12.31.14.png&description=Mini+Gingersnap+Pumpkin+Cheesecakes&is_video=false
[5] Rate Recipe: #commentform
[6] Adapted from Todd Wilbur : http://www.food.com/recipe/the-cheesecake-factory-pumpkin-cheesecake-by-todd-wilbur-46780
[7] pumpkin pancakes: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2021/10/fluffy-whole-wheat-pumpkin-pancakes.html/
[8] pumpkin doughnuts recipe: https://hotchocolatehits.com/2018/03/baked-pumpkin-doughnuts.html/