This small no-bake marshmallow pumpkin cheesecake is a fun and easy mini dessert you can make without ever turning on your oven.
If you’re craving pumpkin cheesecake but don’t feel up to a big baking project or you have a half-eaten bag of marshmallows you should really use up, you need this recipe in your life.
It’s fun and simple to make and produces an adorable 6-inch cheesecake that is rich and creamy and so, so good.
Ingredient Notes
- Pumpkin puree: Not to be confused with canned pumpkin pie filling, pumpkin puree is just pure pureed pumpkin. You can usually find it in the baking aisle near the premade pie crusts and pie filling. The recipe won’t use up an entire can of pumpkin puree, so see my post What to Do With Leftover Pumpkin Puree for storage tips and recipe ideas for the leftovers.
- Marshmallows: Marshmallows provide most of the sweetness for this pie so they cannot be omitted. You’ll need 5 ounces of marshmallows, about half a standard-size bag.
- Cream cheese: Philadelphia cream cheese is my go-to cream cheese brand. Make sure your cream cheese is truly room temperature before you try to use it. Cream cheese that’s too cold will leave cream cheese lumps in the cheesecake.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream lightly sweetened and whipped into whipped cream helps lighten up the texture of the cheesecake. You can also replace the whipped cream and sugar with 1 cup of whipped topping. The recipe won’t use up an entire carton of heavy cream. For ideas on what to do with the leftovers, check out this post What to Do With Leftover Whipping Cream.
- Pumpkin spices: This recipe uses cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger, but if you have premade pumpkin pie spice in your cupboard, you can replace these spices with 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice.
How to Make a Marshmallow Pumpkin Cheesecake
- Melt the marshmallows: In a medium saucepan, combine marshmallows, canned pumpkin, spices, and salt. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly with a heat-proof rubber spatula, until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture uniform in color, about 6 minutes. Watch carefully to make sure none of the mixture is sticking to the edges of the pot and burning. Burnt bits will leave chewy dark streaks in your pie. Cool to room temperature, 45 minutes to an hour.
- Make the graham cracker crust: Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar and then press into a 6-inch pie tin in an even layer. Place in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
- Make whipped cream: In a separate medium bowl, combine heavy cream and sugar. Beat using a handheld electric mixer, starting on low and working up to high, until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Make the cheesecake base: Add softened cream cheese to the cooled marshmallow mixture and beat until the cream cheese is completely incorporated.
- Fold in the whipped cream and assemble the pie: Switch back to a rubber or silicone spatula and gently fold in the whipped cream, being careful not to deflate the cream too much as you go. Once there are no streaks remaining, spoon the filling into your prepared pie crust.
- Chill until set: The pie will need about 3 to 4 hours of chilling time before it’s ready to eat. Once it’s firmed up, you can decorate it with additional whipped cream and enjoy!
A note on extra filling: 6-inch pie pans vary somewhat in size. If you’re using a shallow pie dish, there may be quite a bit of extra filling. You can discard (or eat) the leftover filling.
You can also line a mini muffin pan with cupcake liners and fill them with the extra filling. Freeze and make little frozen cheesecake bites.
FAQ
I don’t have a 6-inch pie dish. What can I use instead?
Instead of a single small pie, make it into mini pies using a cupcake pan. Just be sure to line the cups with liners or you’ll have a tough time getting the mini pies out of the pan.
Can I make this ahead of time?
Yes. Make the marshmallow pumpkin cheesecake up to 48 hours in advance and store covered in the refrigerator (don’t decorate with whipped cream until just before serving as the whipped cream may begin to weep).
Or wrap tightly and store in a freezer bag and freeze the cheesecake for up to 2 months. This cheesecake freezes extremely well. Defrost in the refrigerator before serving.
Can I double this recipe?
Yes! If you’d like to double the recipe, use a regular 9-inch pie pan. No preparation changes are needed. To double the recipe ingredients, hover over the serving size in the recipe card below or click if you’re on mobile, and slide the slider.
More Fall Recipes
- Small Apple Cake
- Dutch Apple Pie
- Small-batch Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Pumpkin Streusel Muffins (Small-batch)
- Easy Kettle Corn
- The Best Pumpkin Pancakes
More Cheesecake Recipes
Small No-bake Marshmallow Pumpkin Cheesecake
Equipment
- 6-inch pie pan
Ingredients
- 5 ounces (3 cups minis or 19 regular) marshmallows
- ½ cup (122g) canned pumpkin
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon *
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup graham cracker crumbs 6 full graham cracker sheets
- 4 tablespoons (56g) butter melted, salted or unsalted is fine
- 2 tablespoons (25g) brown sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 3 ounces cream cheese softened
Optional Toppings
Instructions
Melt Marshmallows
- In a medium pot, combine marshmallows, canned pumpkin, spices, and salt.
- Heat over medium-low heat, stirring almost constantly, until marshmallows are completely melted and mixture uniform in color, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Scrape mixture into a medium bowl and allow to cool to room temperature, 45 minutes to an hour.
Make the Crust
- While your marshmallow filling cools, in a small bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Stir together until well-mixed and press crumbs into a 6-inch pie tin in an even layer. Place in the freezer until you’re ready to use it.
Assemble the Cheesecake
- Once marshmallow mixture has cooled, in a separate medium bowl, combine heavy cream and sugar. Beat using a handheld electric mixer, starting on low and working up to high, until stiff peaks form (when you lift the beaters straight out, they should leave peaks of whipped cream that stand straight up and don't flop over at the tip). Set aside.
- Add softened cream cheese to the cooled marshmallow mixture and beat until the cream cheese is completely incorporated.
- Switch to silicone spatula and gently fold the whipped cream into the pumpkin/cream cheese mixture, being careful not to deflate the cream too much as you go.
- Once there are no streaks remaining, spoon the filling into your prepared pie crust. There may be some extra filling that won’t fit. You can discard (or eat it).
- Smooth the top of the pie and refrigerate until firm, 3 to 4 hours.
- Decorate with additional whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired, and enjoy!
Notes
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