For the last installment of my 2013 Holiday Prep Series I thought I would share how I make the Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake in a Jar that I baked for Thanksgiving along with the Mini Apple Pie in a Jar that I shared in November.  I finished these just today to serve at our family Christmas Eve supper tonight!  The mini cheesecakes are delicious, festive, and too cute!

I found the pumpkin cheesecake recipe on my new favorite food blog, Our Best Bites, and altered it just slightly to make the mini variation in jars.  One recipe makes between 12 to 16 8-ounce jars.  I use Kerr 8oz Wide Mouth Mason Jars that I found at my local Ace Hardware.  You can also use any 1 cup or 8-ounce capacity oven-safe bowls or ramekins.  I like to use the jars, because the lids come in handy to give to guests to take home and to store.

You can find the Our Best Bites original Pumpkin Cheesecake with Pecan-Gingersnap Crust recipe here and their Caramelized Nuts recipe here.

The recipe itself is pretty simple, although it is a multi-step process.   Keep in mind that you must plan to bake these cheesecakes at least one day ahead of when you’d like to serve them since they must set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours.  I found they keep very well for at least a week (even with the whipped topping) stored in the fridge with the lids on.

For a print out version of the recipes, click here for the Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake and here for the Caramelized Nuts.

If you’d like to see me make these cheesecakes from start to finish, check out this video:

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday spent with loved ones.  I will see you once again in the new year! 

*I am not affiliated with any of the brands or websites mentioned in this post or video.  All opinions are my own.*