Need a quick & delicious dessert for your upcoming Fall parties? Well, these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse tarts are perfect! There is very little baking involved and they can be made the day ahead!
I was attending the annual birthday party for my boyfriend and his friends, and I needed a quick and tasty dessert recipe. I used the base of my usual party favorite (Cheesecake Cups)and added pumpkin and a few other fall flavors and boom....... these Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse tarts were born!
As usual, after testing a recipe, I posted a picture on Instagram saying the recipe would be coming soon. Then I planned a second round of recipe testing before sharing the recipe with you all on the blog.
For the second round of testing, just to make sure the recipe was absolutely perfect, I baked the tarts for a double celebration - happy hour to congratulate a co-worker who had recently been promoted (Congrats Brie!) and a friend's birthday (Happy Birthday Amber!). I followed the same basic recipe as the first test round, but made a few changes which elevated the tarts to the next level and made them blog worthy!
The flavors are the essence of the holidays all rolled into one; pumpkin, cinnamon, crisp-buttery crust and light & fluffy cheesecake. Honestly what could be more perfect? The birthday girl said she needed of bathtub full of the stuff and another co-worker called them PUMPKINLICIOUS!.
I hope you give this sweet treat a try for your holiday parties!
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake Tarts
Makes 24-36 minis (or 12-16 regular size)
Makes 24-36 minis (or 12-16 regular size)
Ingredients:
1 box premade pie crust (if you want to make homemade, here is the link)
1 1/3 cups heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 cup powder sugar
8oz cream cheese, soften
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract (optional)
3/4 cup Solid Pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons orange juice
Directions
Preheat oven to 350
Lightly spray the back side of a mini cupcake pan lightly with cooking spray.
Roll pie crust out on a floured surface. Use rolling pin to straighten edges but do not over roll. Cut into 2 1/2" circles. Place circles on a flipped over mini pie tray. Make two indention's into each cup
Bake for 11-13 minute till light brown.. Remove from oven and place on cooling tray. They should slide right off.
As crust is cooling, whip cream until it forms soft peals (approx 2-3 minutes)
Add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Mix until peaks are stiff. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate.
Place the cream cheese, vanilla and maple extracts in the same bowl (no need to clean out) that was used to whip the cream and mix until creamy.
Add remaining ingredients and mix until well combined.
Filling will be nice and smooth. (I know you'll want to eat with a spoon right there and then!)
Fold in Whipped cream.
Add mixture to piping bag and fill each of the individual tarts.
Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Enjoy!
Fun stuff!
1. I took the leftover pie crust and made little cookie hearts. Just cut pie dough into shapes, brush with butter and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon. bake at 350f or 10 minutes
2. You will have some leftover mousse. I just made little mousse cups. Just as good without the calories of the crust :-)!
