Little Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Bites

Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a mini muffin pan with mini paper cupcake liners. Set aside.

Break the graham cracker sheets into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the graham crackers a few times until you have semi-fine crumbs. You should end up with about 3/4 cup of crumbs (74 grams). Add the sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of Kosher salt. Pulse the mixture until the graham crackers are finely ground and you have a thick dough.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the graham cracker mixture into each mini cupcake liner. Use a greased pastry tamper or spoon to press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the cups. Bake for 4-5 minutes, until the crusts are toasty and light golden-brown. Let the crusts cool completely.

Reduce the oven to 325°F (163°C).

Pour the butter and brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and brown sugar together until the mixture is sandy. Add the cream cheese and beat until the cream cheese is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Add the sour cream, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Then, add the egg and mix well. Pour the pumpkin into the cream cheese mixture and stir just until the filling comes together. Do not over-mix or the filling will come out dense and crumbly.

Use a #60 cookie scoop (1 tablespoon) to evenly divide the pumpkin filling between the cooled crusts. Use a small butter knife or spoon to smooth the filling over the crusts.

Place the mini cheesecake pan on the middle rack of the oven. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 12-15, just until the edges of the cheesecakes are set but the centers are still a tad under-done. If the filling is runny, bake the cheesecakes for another 1-2 minutes.

Once the cheesecakes are baked, turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Let the mini cheesecakes cool for 20-30 minutes in the oven. Let the cheesecakes cool at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Then, carefully transfer the mini cheesecakes to a sheet pan. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours, until the filling is completely set.

Right before serving, top each cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy!