So Autumn is FINALLY here and my inner basic is just screaming for something pumpkin flavored. However, since I am a broke college student, cannot afford the Cheesecake Factory's pumpkin cheesecake, and am too lazy to bake my own, I have found a simple alternative!

These pumpkin cheesecake cups are easy to make, cost effective and allow you to eat much more than what you could afford to buy at a restaurant. 

There are a lot of ingredients to this recipe, but could all probably be found after scouring your roommate's cupboards. So once you've collected all the ingredients, it's time to let your inner basic go wild!

Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

  • Prep Time:10 mins
  • Cook Time:10 mins
  • Total Time:20 mins
  • Servings:20
  • Easy

    Ingredients

  • 40 small gingersnap crackers crushed
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • 1½ cup heavy cream divided
  • 8 oz. cream cheese
  • 1 cup brown sugar packed
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 14 oz canned pumpkin puree chilled
  • Caramel sauce
  • Crushed cookie crumbs
  • White chocolate shavings
  • Cups for serving
Ryl Johann Dorado
  • Step 1

    Form the crust by combining the gingersnap crumbs and melted butter in a bowl. Mix it up and set it aside.

    Gif by Joshua Song
  • Step 2

    In a new bowl, combine the heavy cream, white sugar, and vanilla. Use a hand mixer to whip the ingredients together until you get stiff peaks. (When you pull the hand mixer out, is the whipped cream pointy? If it is, nice. If not, keep on whipping.)

    Gif by Joshua Song
  • Step 3

    In another new bowl, whip the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, pumpkin puree, and salt. Whip all ingredients together until it’s one smooth orange color.

    Gif by Joshua Song
  • Step 4

    Add in ¾ of your whipped cream and fold into the rest of mixture with a rubber spatula until smooth.

    Gif by Joshua Song
  • Step 5

    In each of your glasses, layer the ingredients with crust, a drizzle of caramel sauce, pumpkin filling, then whipped cream. Repeat this step until each glass is filled up.

    Gif by Joshua Song
  • Step 6

    Top each glass with a piped swirl of the remaining ¼ of your whipped cream, a drizzle of caramel, crushed cookie crumbs, and white chocolate shavings.

    Gif by Joshua Song

Adapted from Lil Luna