These pumpkin cheesecake cupcakes are the ideal fall treat! They taste exactly like a pumpkin spice latte with the fall flavors of apple and caramel, but in cake form! They're also topped with a delectable dulce de leche caramel.
- Soft and moist - Pumpkin spice flavor is abundant.
- Finished with a rich apple cheesecake frosting
- Ideal for autumn!
If you're looking for a delicious and festive fall dessert, look no further than our cheesecake cupcakes! They'd be ideal for a Halloween party or any other autumnal gathering. And I guarantee that everyone who tries them will love them.
⏲️ Bake Time: 5 minutes...
⬇️ Table of Contents
The Pumpkin
When it comes to baking with pumpkins, there are a few things you need to take into account. The first is the type of pumpkin you are using. Some pumpkins, like sugar pumpkins, are better for baking than others. The flesh will be too stringy and not as flavorful if you use a carving pumpkin.
Another thing to consider is the size of the pumpkin. If you are using a small pumpkin, you will need less than if you were using a large one. And finally, make sure to pick a ripe pumpkin. A ripe pumpkin will be soft to the touch and have a deep orange color.
For the pumpkin, you can use either a freshly roasted pumpkin or a canned pumpkin. Canned pumpkin is available all year round and is a very good option.
Roasting a whole pumpkin for Pumpkin cheesecake
If you are roasting a whole pumpkin for pumpkin cheesecake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds, and place it on a roasting cookie sheet facing down. Roast in a 375 oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until cooked. Pumpkins vary in size a lot, so watch your cooking time. The pumpkin will be very soft to the touch when done.
Once out of the oven, remove the roasted pumpkin from the rind and add it to a food processor. Add a pinch of sea salt, and then puree the pumpkin in a food processor until smooth. Place in refrigerator to set up, allowing the flavors to develop. This will make your Pumpin Apple Cheesecake more flavorful.
If you roast your own pumpkin, be sure to keep the seeds and make the most amazing roasted pumpkin seeds.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- Pumpkin Puree
- Cream Cheese
- Butter
- Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Dulce de Leche Caramel
- Sea Salt
Streusel Ingredients
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Instant Oats
- Sea Salt
- Cinnamon
- Butter
Crust Ingredients
- Graham Crackers
- Butter
- Cinnamon
- Sugar
Faqs
Can I Freeze The Cupcakes?
Pumpkin freezes well. Place them into an air-tight container.
It lasts around one month frozen. Yes, longer is ok, but the texture will change over time.
Substitutions
Replace the pumpkin puree with sweet potato puree using the same amount of 10 oz.
Can I Make The Filling In Advance
The filling stores well in the refrigerator for a few days before baking.
What If I Cannot Find Dulce de Leche Caramel
Making homemade caramel is simple.
Steps: In a dry pan, add 1 cup of sugar. Add ½ cup of heavy cream along with two tablespoons of butter. The caramel will tighten up as the sugar caramelizes.
Here's a link to a Caramel recipe
Recipes To Try
Pumpkin Roulade With Crystallized Ginger Buttercream
Crispy Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Chorizo Cornbread
📖 Recipe Card
Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
Filling Ingredients
- 10 oz Pumpkin Puree Purchase 15 oz can (use half)
- 16 oz Cream Cheese 2 packages
- 1 stick Butter 4 oz (room temperature)
- ⅔ cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tablespoon Dulce de Leche Caramel
- 1 teaspoon Sea Salt
Streusel Ingredients
- ⅓ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ⅓ cup Instant Oats
- ¼ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoon Butter
Crust Ingredients
- 12 Graham Crackers
- ½ stick Butter 2 oz
- ¼ teaspoon Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons Sugar
Instructions
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- Take 12 Graham Crackers and crush (Use a plastic bag to reduce mess) In a bowl, add 2 oz (half stick of butter at room temperature) and slice the butter before adding. Add ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon and two teaspoons of sugar.
- Take note of the finished texture. The mix still has medium-sized pieces of butter.
- Fill the bottoms with cupcake papers. Press the graham cracker crust down to the bottom of the cheesecakes in an even layer.
FILLING
- Cream together ⅔ cup of sugar, plus one stick of butter (4oz), add vanilla. Next, mix in room temperature cream cheese and combine.
- Once the cream cheese is smooth, add the pumpkin, caramel (warm), plus the sea salt, and mix well.
- Tip: warm up the caramel in the microwave for a few seconds to soften. Just hot enough to be able to pour.Mix in as the last filling ingredient.Non-sponsored brand suggestion: Le Lechera Dulce de Leche
- Add cheesecake filling on top of the graham cracker crust and pat the tops down.
STREUSEL
- Combine Ingredients:Instant Oats: ⅓ cupCinnamon: 1 ½ teaspoonSugar: ⅓ cupBrown Sugar: ¼ cupSea Salt: ¼ teaspoon
- Add the sliced apples to the top of each cheesecake Slice the quarter of an apple lengthwise into stripes. Use as much or as little as you like. Just be sure to add enough for texture and presentation.
- Add the streusel to the tops of each pumpkin cheesecake to cover.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Bake cheesecakes for 5 minutes. The reason to baking them is to set-up / firm-up the crusts by activating the butter in the graham cracker crust.
SERVING
- To set up the cheesecakes, place them in the refrigerator for an hour. The texture ends up amazing. A recipe worth making every year.
- Top each cheesecake cupcake with the Dulce de Leche Caramel and serve.
Video
Notes
- Working with room-temperature ingredients allows for each ingredient to combine for the best end result and texture.
- Adding roasted sweet potatoes as a substitute is an excellent choice.
- Make sure to only bake the cheesecake cupcakes until the graham cracker crust butter melts, 5 minutes.
- Be sure to cool down the cheesecake cupcake in the refrigerator before serving to improve the texture.
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