High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

High protein mini pumpkin cheesecakes baked in a muffin tin with 9 grams of protein each. No springform pan, no water bath, and the whole batter goes in a blender.

I counted five pieces of equipment in the first pumpkin cheesecake recipe I tried. Springform pan, water bath, food processor, stand mixer, and kitchen torch. Mine goes in a blender.

High protein mini pumpkin cheesecakes are individual pumpkin cheesecakes baked in a muffin tin over a graham cracker crust, made with cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and vanilla protein powder in place of a full block of cream cheese. Each one has 9 grams of protein at 150 calories, and the filling blends in about 2 minutes.

I put these up in August 2023, and they’ve been my Thanksgiving move every year since. Eight of them, one muffin tin, and nobody standing over a cheesecake with a hot knife trying to cut even slices.

For the rest of my pumpkin lineup, there’s my Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats, Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins, and Pumpkin Spice Energy Balls.

Why You’ll Love These

• No springform pan, no water bath, no stand mixer. A blender and a muffin tin.
• 9 grams of protein each, from cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and protein powder doing the work a block of cream cheese usually does alone.
• They’re portioned before you serve them. No slicing, no plates, no forks.

Ingredients You’ll Need

(Amounts are in the recipe card below. These are my notes on why each one is in there.)

For the graham cracker crust:

• Graham cracker crumbs: pre-crushed or blended from whole crackers. Gluten free grahams work with no other changes.
• Melted butter: binds the crumbs so the crust holds when you peel the liner off. Vegan butter works.

For the filling:

• Cottage cheese: the biggest protein contributor, and it blends smooth enough that you’d never guess it’s in there.
• Plain Greek yogurt: adds tang and keeps the texture dense instead of fluffy. Plain only, since flavored carries a lot of added sugar and takes over the pumpkin.
• Cream cheese: only 2 tablespoons, but it’s what makes these read as cheesecake instead of baked pudding.
• Pumpkin puree: check that pumpkin is the only ingredient on the can. Pumpkin pie filling is pre-sweetened and will throw the batch off.
• Vanilla protein powder: I use PEScience Gourmet Vanilla, a whey and casein blend, and code BAILEY takes money off. They run a Pumpkin Pie flavor in September and October too.
• Maple syrup, egg, and pumpkin pie spice: the syrup sweetens, the egg sets the filling, the spice does the pumpkin pie flavor. A little baking powder keeps them from going dense.

For topping: whipped cream and an extra dusting of pumpkin pie spice right before serving.

How to Make High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line 8 cups of a muffin tin.
2. Blend the graham crackers into fine crumbs, mix in the melted butter, and press about a tablespoon into each liner. Pack it down firmly with the back of a spoon.
3. Add every filling ingredient to the blender and blend until completely smooth. Scrape the sides once and blend again. Any cottage cheese lumps left now will still be there after baking.
4. Divide the filling over the crusts and bake 30 to 40 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers barely move when you shake the pan.
5. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight to set. Top with whipped cream and more pumpkin pie spice before serving.

Tips for Mini Cheesecakes That Set Properly

• Blend longer than feels necessary. Cottage cheese needs a solid 60 to 90 seconds to go smooth, and this is the step that decides whether these taste like cheesecake or like baked cottage cheese.
• Don’t fill the liners to the top. They puff while baking and settle as they cool, and overfilled liners spill over the edges.
• The overnight chill is not optional. Cheesecake sets in the fridge, not the oven. Pulled early they’ll taste right but fall apart when you peel the liner.

How to Serve Them

Whipped cream and a dusting of pumpkin pie spice is my default. Chopped pecans add crunch, a drizzle of caramel makes them look like something you bought, and Greek yogurt whipped with maple syrup keeps the protein up if you’d rather skip the Cool Whip. Peel the liner off before plating.

​How to Store Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes

Once cooled, cover them or move them to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days. Keep them away from anything strong smelling, since cheesecake picks up odors from whatever’s sharing the shelf.

To freeze, wrap each one individually and freeze up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. The crust softens a little, which nobody has ever noticed at my table.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are these no bake mini cheesecakes?

No. These are baked. The recipe uses a whole egg to set the filling, so they need 30 to 40 minutes at 350°F and then an overnight chill.

What’s the difference between pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie filling?

Pumpkin puree is 100% cooked pumpkin with nothing added. Pumpkin pie filling is already sweetened and spiced with a lot of added sugar. Use the puree and check the can lists pumpkin as the only ingredient.

How do you keep mini cheesecakes from cracking or sinking?

Don’t overmix once the egg goes in, and don’t overbake. Pull them while the centers still have a slight wobble, since they keep setting as they cool. Cooling at room temperature before the fridge also helps, because a sharp temperature drop is what causes most cracks.

Can you freeze mini pumpkin cheesecakes?

Yes. Wrap them individually and freeze up to 3 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge. Add the whipped cream after thawing, never before.

More High Protein Recipes You’ll Like

• Healthy High Protein Biscoff Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Overnight Oats
• Gluten Free High Protein Carrot Cake Baked Oats
• Edible Cottage Cheese Cookie Dough
• Superfood Protein Breakfast Cookies

If you make these, leave a star rating and a comment below and tell me how they went. And if you post them, tag me @basicswithbails or use #basicswithbails.