Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

These mini cheesecakes are perfect bite sized desserts for any get together! These were made for a Halloween party, so they were topped with my Royal Icing Spiders, but pair with some whipped cream and they will be great for any Holiday party - or just for the house! This recipe can either make one regular sized cheesecake, or about 2 dozen of these mini ones.

Ingredients

3- 8 oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup and 2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
Either a 9 inch graham cracker crust, or cinnamon graham crackers - ground up

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

If making the mini cheesecakes, place a small amount of your crushed cinnamon graham crackers into the bottom of the paper cups, and pack it down. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Blend in eggs 1 at a time. Remove about one cup of batter, and spread into the bottom of your pie crust, or your mini cups. Set aside.

Add pumpkin, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to remaining batter and stir gently until well blended. Pour over the batter that is already in your crust, or mini cups.

Bake your whole pie for about 35-40 minutes, or your mini ones for about 15 minutes. Allow to cool then refrigerate for 3 or more hours.