Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups

Election week and November and the city holding its breath in a way that overlaps the COVID holding of breath so that everything feels dense and pressurized. I don't write about politics in this journal—not because I don't have opinions but because I do and they're mine and not for here—but I write about the atmosphere and the atmosphere this week was: everyone waiting for something. The floor had a specific quality. The patients knew what week it was. The nurses knew. We worked.

Nora is nine months and walking. She walked on Saturday—three steps across the kitchen mat to Sean, the same as Liam, the same kitchen, different child. She was not surprised. She knew exactly what she was doing and she did it and she bounced when it was over with the expression of a person who has completed a task she'd been planning.

Liam said "Nora walked!" and ran to tell me from the other room where I was with the laundry. "Nora walked, Mama! I saw it!" He wanted to be the one to tell me. He had the story. He told the story correctly. He has always been a reliable narrator of his sister's development.

Apple cider donuts on Tuesday because I needed something to make with my hands while watching the returns. I made two batches. We ate them at the kitchen table at ten PM. The news was still unclear. The donuts were not unclear. The donuts were excellent.

The donuts were the right call that night — something to make with your hands when the waiting gets to be too much — and these pumpkin cheesecake cups carry the same logic: fast, forgiving, and deeply autumnal in the way that November sometimes demands. You don’t need the oven on long, you don’t need to concentrate hard, and when you set them on the table at ten PM next to whatever the news is doing, they are exactly what they are. That’s the whole point.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 2 hrs 15 min (includes chilling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4 full crackers)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups whipped topping (such as Cool Whip), divided

Instructions

Make the crust. In a small bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand. Spoon about 1 tablespoon into the bottom of each of 8 small cups or ramekins and press gently to form an even layer.
Beat the cream cheese. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed for 1–2 minutes until completely smooth with no lumps.
Add pumpkin and spices. Add the pumpkin puree, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, pumpkin pie spice, and cinnamon. Beat on medium speed until fully combined and creamy, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Fold in whipped topping. Add 1 cup of the whipped topping to the pumpkin mixture and fold in gently with a rubber spatula until just incorporated. Do not overmix — you want to keep it light.
Fill the cups. Spoon or pipe the pumpkin cheesecake filling evenly over the graham cracker crusts in each cup, filling to just below the rim.
Chill. Cover the cups loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to overnight, until set.
Serve. Top each cup with a dollop of the remaining whipped topping just before serving. Dust lightly with cinnamon if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake Cups — Something Certain on an Uncertain Night