Mini Pumpkin Pies with Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping
These Mini Pumpkin Pies are fun and delicious twist on the traditional Thanksgiving favorite and are impossible to resist!
Servings: 24 Mini Pies
Calories: 96kcal
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cold butter, cubed
- 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
- nonstick cooking spray
For Pumpkin Filling:
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup pumpkin
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 Pinch each: cloves and allspice
For Cinnamon Cheesecake Topping:
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon 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, then 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 remaining filling ingredients (pumpkin through allspice) and mix until well combined.
Assemble pies:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray mini muffin pans (you'll need 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 ⅛-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 1 heaping teaspoon of pumpkin filling.
- 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 from dough scraps.
- 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 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
Prepare cheesecake topping:
- Place heavy cream in stand mixer bowl, then 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 ½ 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.
- Decorate each pie with a pastry leaf, if using.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
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
Calories: 96kcal
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