In an effort to change things up and exercise portion control, this year we’re celebrating Thanksgiving with individual mason jar Pumpkin Cheesecakes.  While I’m only half joking about the portion control, I just knew I wanted to do a dessert in these darling mini mason jars when I first spied them.  And these cheesecakes are the perfect Holiday treat for them, light, fluffy and bursting with seasonal flavours.

Now before you convince yourself that making mini cheesecakes is going to be too much work, I assure it’s not.  It’s the same process as a regular cheesecake, with just a few extra minutes required to fill the jars individually. Since mason jars lend themselves to a rustic feel, no skill or perfection required!  And let’s be honest, individual servings instantly make a dessert appear so much fancier than it is 😉 However, if you don’t have mini mason jars, I’ve included steps to make a regular 9-inch cake as well, I wouldn’t want you to miss out!

Ingredients

2 cups crushed gingersnap cookies
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
8 mini mason jars

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray 8 mini mason jars with non-stick cooking spray, making sure to get the bottoms so the crust doesn’t stick.

In a medium bowl, mix together the crushed gingersnap cookies and butter. Press 2 tablespoons into the bottom and about 1/2 inch up the sides of each jar.  If making a regular cheesecake, press the gingersnap-butter mixture about 1 inch up the sides of a 9 inch springform pan and bake the crust for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Set aside to cool. No need to bake the crust in the mason jars.

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla just until smooth. Mix in eggs one at a time, blending well after each one, add the pumpkin, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix until incorporated.

Fill each mason jar about 2/3 full with the filling. For a regular cheesecake, spread the filling onto the crust.

Fill a large pan half up with warm water, add the mason jars and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are set.  For the regular cheesecake, bake for 55 minutes, or again until set.

Allow to cool, then chill for at least 4 hours before serving with whipped cream, pecans and ground cherries!