Small No

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Make the cheesecake base: Add softened cream cheese to the cooled marshmallow mixture and beat until the cream cheese is completely incorporated.
5. 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.
6. 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.

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

• Easy Cheesecake
• Cheesecake Bites
• Oreo Cheesecake Bites
• Unicorn No-bake Cheesecakes

Equipment

• 6-inch pie pan
• Handheld electric mixer

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

• ▢ Whipped cream
• ▢ Ground cinnamon

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

Roasted sweet potatoes are an easy and crowd-pleasing side dish that can be prepped in just minutes.

These roasted sweet potato cubes are one of my absolute favorite fall side dishes. They’re super simple to throw together and roast up beautifully with creamy insides and sweet and salty flavor that goes so well with almost any main dish.

Ingredient Notes

• Sweet potatoes: Sweet potatoes come in a variety of colors, and you can roast any of them, but I recommend going with the red/orange-skinned, orange-flesh varieties for their flavor and creamy texture. Lighter color, white-flesh varieties are also quite good if you prefer a firmer sweet potato. I don’t love purple sweet potatoes for roasting.
• Olive oil: Olive oil not only keeps the potatoes from sticking to the tray as they bake but adds flavor as well. Don’t skimp on it!
• Salt and pepper: Sweet potatoes are delicious when roasted with just salt and pepper, but you can use your favorite seasoning salt or blend if you prefer. Or experiment with flavors like chili powder, cumin, or paprika.

Yams vs Sweet Potatoes

And a quick note on yams vs sweet potatoes so you don’t get confused at the grocery store. For years in the US, we’ve been calling the “soft” variety of sweet potatoes yams as a way to differentiate them from “firm” sweet potatoes, which cook up firmer and waxier than the soft varieties. If you’re buying it in a large US supermarket, it’s probably a sweet potato, no matter what the label says. True yams are actually an entirely different type of tuber.

• True Yams: Native to Africa and Asia. They have a distinctive bark-like skin and are starchy and not very sweet. Not usually very common in US chain grocery stores.
• Sweet Potatoes: Smoother skin with tapered ends. Sweeter than true yams and come in a variety of colors from white to red to purple.

Long story short, when you go shopping for sweet potatoes, don’t worry if the thing you’re buying is labeled “yam.” As long as it looks like a sweet potato, that’s almost certainly what it is.

How to Cut Sweet Potatoes for Roasting

If you’ve never cut a sweet potato before, you might be a little surprised at how dense and difficult to cut through they can be compared to a regular potato. Using the proper cutting method will make your job a lot easier (and safer).

If your potatoes have very long skinny ends, with a sharp knife, cut them off before starting. Then cut a ½-inch piece off of one side of the sweet potato. Set the piece aside and turn the potato onto the cut side so you have a flat, stable surface for the potato to rest on and then cut it into ½-inch slices.

One at a time, cut each of the slices into ½-inch cubes, and you’re all set.

This also works for cutting them into fries or large chunks. Just adjust your cuts as necessary.

How to Roast Sweet Potatoes

1. Once you’ve cut your sweet potatoes into evenly sized chunks, transfer them to a large baking sheet and add oil. Toss them really well with the oil and then spread them out in a single layer over the baking sheet.
2. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and bake, shaking the pan every 10 minutes, until potatoes are tender.

How long does it take to roast sweet potatoes?

Depending on the size of your sweet potato chunks, roasting sweet potatoes at 425°F should take between 20 and 30 minutes.

What’s a good dipping sauce for sweet potatoes?

If you want to dip your potatoes in something I recommend making a quick batch of garlic aioli or Greek yogurt aioli . The tangy aioli is so good paired with sweet potatoes and takes only minutes to make.

What to Serve With Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serve the sweet potatoes as a side dish along with meaty mains like:

• Tri-tip
• Marinated Steak
• Roasted Chicken

Or use them instead of meat in tacos, burritos, and salads. One of my absolute favorite ways to serve roasted sweet potatoes is topped with my easy chili recipe and a little sour cream and shredded cheese.

You Might Also Enjoy

• Roasted Red Potatoes
• Smashed Potatoes
• Mashed Potatoes for Two
• Baked Parmesan Zucchini
• Microwave Sweet Potato

Ingredients

• ▢ 2 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ▢ Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 425°F.
• Place sweet potato cubes on a large rimmed baking sheet and drizzle them with olive oil.
• Mix the cubes until well-coated and spread them out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
• Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, shaking the tray every 10 minutes, until sweet potatoes reach your desired level of doneness.
• Add more salt and pepper to taste, serve and enjoy!

This Easy Carnitas Recipe makes amazing carnitas: rich, tender shredded pork with crispy, crunchy edges, perfect for tacos, burritos, or just eating by the forkful. The post includes step-by-step instructions and everything you ever wanted to know about making carnitas.

Okay, you all know that I love every recipe I share here, but there are some that I get extra excited about sharing. My Oven-roasted Tri-tip was one (and it has been incredibly pop

ular). My Freezer Meatballs were another (these have not been popular at all, people, go fall in love with them!!), and today I have another recipe I’m really excited about: carnitas!!!

Have you ever made carnitas? Have you ever eaten carnitas? Because, friend, They. Are. So. Good.

What are carnitas?

Carnitas translates literally as “little meats.” It’s a Mexican dish made by braising pork until it yields fall-apart tender meat which is then cooked over high heat to make the outside crispy and delicious.

The result is fantastically rich shredded pork that manages to be both tender and have all sorts of crispy, crunchy bits. It’s the type of meal you’re going to want to share, not just because it tastes great (and makes a ton), but because it makes you look like a genius cook.

You bring these carnitas to one potluck or serve them at one party, and I guarantee you will have people asking you for the recipe and talking wistfully about them months later.

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil: Traditional carnitas recipes use lard as their cooking fat, but we’ll use vegetable or canola oil today.
• Pork shoulder roast: The best cut of meat for carnitas is pork shoulder AKA pork butt AKA Boston butt because it is well-marbled with fat and cooks up incredibly tender with a long braise.
• Large onion: A yellow, white, or red onion all work here.
• Lime juice: Just a bit of lime juice gives the pork a slightly tangy flavor.
• Garlic and spices: Garlic and a mix of chili powder, oregano, and cumin help to flavor the pork as it braises.
• Chicken broth: Using chicken broth as our braising liquid instead of water also helps boost the flavor of the pork as it cooks.

A Note on Bone-in vs Boneless Pork Shoulder Roasts: You’ll probably find both bone-in and boneless pork shoulder roasts at your grocery store. Either one works just fine for carnitas, but if you have a choice between the two at a comparable price, go with the boneless roast. The bone-in roasts have a Y-shaped bone that is a bit of a pain to get out cleanly.

If you do end up with a bone-in roast, the good thing is that they are so large and inexpensive that you don’t have to worry too much about getting every single last piece of meat off the bone. Just use a sharp knife ( a boning knife if you own one) and slice the meat away from the bone as best you can until you are able to remove it. Don’t stress too much about it. Here’s a good video of someone doing a much nicer job of removing the bone than I usually manage.

Preparing Pork Shoulder for Carnitas

As mentioned, pork shoulder is a pretty fatty piece of meat. Before cooking, you’ll want to remove the large fat cap (the thick layer of fat on one side of your roast) and cut away any silver skin (the thin, silvery blue membrane that sticks closely to the meat). Don’t worry about the smaller bits of fat marbled throughout the meat. Any fat that remains after braising can be picked out while shredding.

Then you just cut your roast into large chunks about the size of a lady’s fist, and you’re ready to start cooking.

PS: Don’t worry if your chunks don’t look pretty or are not completely even in size. You’re going to shred that pork so no one is ever going to know.

How to Make Carnitas

There are three stages to making carnitas. Stages two and three are pretty hands-off, but step one will require your full attention, so make sure you have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you begin.

1. Salt and brown the meat. Depending on how large your roast and Dutch oven are ( this is the Dutch oven I always use for carnitas), you might need to do this in batches. You’ll want to brown all sides of your meat, so don’t crowd the pan too much, and this may take up to 15 minutes.
2. Long, slow cooking time. After your meat is browned, you’ll add the onions, garlic, spices, lime juice, and enough chicken broth to mostly cover the meat. That all simmers covered for about two and a half hours, until your meat is tender enough to pull apart with a fork.
3. Make it crispy. This is my favorite part. Now that your meat is nice and tender, you get to make it crispy too. You shred the meat, transfer it to a sheet pan, and let it crisp up in the oven at a high temp for 30 minutes, occasionally adding a little cooking liquid to keep it from drying out. As soon as you’ve got enough crispy edges for your liking, it’s done and you get to eat!

What to serve with pork carnitas?

Carnitas are super versatile. You can serve them in Carnitas Tacos , tostadas, or make sliders with them. Adding them to nachos , a salad, or made into Carnitas Enchiladas is also highly recommended.

For sides, as with something like Beef Stroganoff or Braised Short Ribs , Carnitas are so rich that you probably want to stick to sides that aren’t too heavy. Something like Cilantro Rice , Skillet Mexican Zucchini , Mexican Coleslaw , Corn and Black Bean Salad or Mexican Street Corn Salad would be perfect. And when in doubt, you can never go wrong with simple universal sides like Green Beans or Steamed Broccoli .

What to do with leftover carnitas?

Store leftover carnitas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Drizzle with a couple extra tablespoons of the cooking liquid to help keep them moist before storing. Reheat in the microwave. Second-day carnitas are fantastic in quesadillas, burritos , and burrito bowls .

And not going to lie, it’s also pretty satisfying to stand in the refrigerator and eat cold carnitas leftovers plain the day after a party (they get better on day two!).

Can I freeze carnitas?

Yes! Because carnitas are a real time commitment and the cut of meat you need comes as a pretty large roast, even if you’re part of a small household and not cooking for guests, I still recommend making the full-size carnitas recipe rather than trying to cut it down because carnitas freeze really well.

Just freeze meal-sized batches with a few spoonfuls of the cooking liquid in freezer-safe plastic bags. When you’re ready for more carnitas, defrost in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave until warm or spread on a baking sheet and bake, loosely covered with foil at 350°F until heated through (usually 10-15 minutes).

Remove the foil and broil on high for just a minute or two until the edges are crisp. (Heads up: If you’ve just cleaned your oven, you might want to skip this step. The carnitas pop and sizzle quite a bit as they broil.)

What kind of meat are carnitas?

Pork! Carnitas are made from nice, marbled (with fat) chunks of pork shoulder, which when braised over a long period of time become incredibly tender.

The nice thing about pork shoulder is that it’s readily available, and it’s usually very cheap. Here is Southern California, I often see it as low .99/ pound. So for parties, feeding a crowd, or even stocking your freezer with leftovers, this is a very low-cost meal option.

You Might Also Enjoy

• Homemade Carne Asada
• Barbacoa Beef
• Chicken Enchiladas
• Salsa Chicken
• Awesome Steak Fajitas

Carnitas Recipe Notes

If you’re making carnitas for an event, make sure to give yourself enough time to cook them. Between prepping the meat (especially if it’s bone-in), browning, the long, low simmer, and crisping time, carnitas always take longer than you expect, so allow yourself that time.

Ingredients

Special Equipment

• ▢ Large Dutch oven

Carnitas

• ▢ 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• ▢ 4-6 pound pork shoulder roast boneless or bone-in, trimmed of fat cap and cut into fist-sized chunks
• ▢ Salt and pepper
• ▢ 1 large onion diced
• ▢ 1 clove garlic crushed
• ▢ 3 tablespoons lime juice
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chili powder
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• ▢ 6-8 cups ( 3-4 14.5 ounce cans) chicken broth

Instructions

• Pre-measure all your ingredients, dice your onion, and prep your garlic. Once you get started cooking, things move fast.
• Generously salt and pepper pork chunks on all sides.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, brown meat on all sides, in batches if necessary. This will take 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add onion, garlic, lime juice, chili powder, oregano, cumin, and enough chicken broth so the meat is mostly covered. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until meat is tender and can be easily pulled apart with a fork.
• Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with foil for easier cleanup. Use a large slotted spoon to transfer meat to a cutting board (reserve the broth) and use two forks to shred the meat. Transfer shredded meat to the baking sheet and spread it in an even layer over the surface. Drizzle 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid over the meat, sprinkle with salt, and bake for 10 minutes.
• Drizzle a little more broth over the meat, cook 10 minutes more, and repeat for a total of 30 minutes, until edges are crispy and browned.
• Serve and enjoy.

Notes

Recipe Adapted From AllRecipes

Small No-bake Marshmallow Pumpkin Cheesecake

Equipment

• 6-inch pie pan
• Handheld electric mixer

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

• Whipped cream
• Ground cinnamon

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

Nutrition