Another pumpkin post! I have never been a fan of cheesecake (I know, I know…), so last year I began creating my own recipe that even I would enjoy. What turns me away from  cheesecake is the dense texture and overly cream cheesy flavor, so in this new recipe I incorporated ricotta and greek yogurt to sub for some of the cream cheese. I don’t think it’s really any healthier, but the texture is light and fluffy. These are so easy to make.

Simply plop one gingersnap cookie in the bottom of each lined muffin tin, and your crust is done. I don’t often recommend against using Trader Joe’s brand, but since I learned the hard way, I have to: their cookies are just too small. I used Target’s gingersnaps and they were perfect for this recipe.

Just whip up the filling and pour into each cup. Bake, cool, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with cinnamon. These individual cheesecakes are bursting with the spicy sweet flavors of fall. Enjoy!

Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust

Prep Time: 12 hours (includes overnight chill) Cook Time: 24 min.

Ingredients:

For the Cheesecakes:

24 gingersnap cookies

1/2 cup whole milk ricotta cheese

8-oz. plain cream cheese, room temperature

2 tablespoons plain greek yogurt

1/2 can pumpkin purée

2 eggs

1/3 cup light brown sugar

1/3 cup granulated white sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ground cinnamon to sprinkle

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Using an electric mixer, whip the ricotta and cream cheese together until fluffy. Add the greek yogurt and pumpkin and continue to whip. Add the eggs and continue to whip. Finally, add the brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla, and pumpkin pie spice and blend until well incorporated. Set aside.

Line two muffin tins with paper liners. Place one gingersnap cookie in each muffin liner and press to the bottom. Top the cookie with the cheesecake filling, almost all the way to the top. Bake for 22-24 minutes or until inside of the filling jiggles a little, but when touched the batter gently bounces off your finger. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely before topping with whipped cream.

To make the whipped cream, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until stiff peaks form. Use a piping back or decorating tool to top each cheesecake. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon as desired.

Chill overnight and enjoy the next day. Makes 24 individual cheesecakes.

The Newlywed Chefs

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