Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Truffles

These one-bite Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Truffles taste just like a slice of classic cheesecake with the perfect amount of pumpkin spice flavour. After all, a cheesecake should always taste like a cheesecake first, followed by a hint of flavouring from an additional topping or ingredient. These are absolutely delicious!

Creamy soft, with familiar pumpkin spice flavour, Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Truffles will melt in your mouth. They are the perfect one-bite confection to kick off the holiday baking season – even though these are a no-bake recipe! Yes, that’s right, Dear Reader! I’m kicking of another holiday baking series, just like I have for the past few Christmases! Welcome to Lord Byron’s 12 Truffles of Christmas!!!

If you have been reading my blog for while – well, at least anytime around Christmas for the past three years – you must have run into at least one of my Christmas baking countdowns. This particular countdown is all about truffles. For 12 consecutive days, I will share a holiday-based truffle recipe with you. That means on Saturday and Sunday too! I usually publish new recipes three times a week, so I hope you’re up for this!

You really don’t want to miss one of these recipes, so if you have not yet subscribed to Lord Byron’s Kitchen, I encourage you to do so. That way, a new recipe will be emailed to you every day. You won’t have to bother to come looking for it! Like in previous holiday baking countdowns, I like to mix up the recipes in the series so that there is something for everyone. There will be truffles with chocolate, some with candy, and some with booze too. Are you ready!!??

MORE CHRISTMAS CONFECTIONS!

Maybe you don’t care much for truffles. Or, maybe you’re impatient and can’t wait to see what tomorrow’s recipe will be! If either one of those applies to you, I have a remedy. Last year, I published a series called Lord Byron’s 12 Biscotti of Christmas. The year before that, I published a series called Lord Byron’s 12 Bundt Cakes of Christmas. You can click on the image below and see the entire series on one page! Don’t worry, you won’t lose this page. It will open up a new webpage so that you can easily get back to these truffles!

PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES

Every chance I get, I like to make little treats like these Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Truffles. At Christmastime, I love to make little one-bite cookies, especially if they freeze well! Because the last few days leading up to Christmas are so busy, I don’t have much time to bake. Baking cookies ahead of time and freezing them allows me to actually enjoy Christmas with my little family rather than in the kitchen!

In addition to that, because of this blog, I do bake a lot! I mean a lot!!! So, I have to be able to freeze the cookies for a few weeks to a month or so. Then, usually around the 23rd of December, I’ll take them all out of the freezer and pack them up into bags and/or boxes. John.e and I will drop them off to our neighbours. In most cases, it’s just John.e that does the footwork, but if he drives from door to door, I’ll tag along. I’m also that person who will make sure there are bags of cookies on the front porch for delivery drivers! You see, in case you haven’t figured it out, I absolutely love Christmas!

As for these truffles, luckily, for the home-based baker, like me, cream cheese is such a versatile ingredient and allows for so many recipes that are no-bake. (Hmmmm… think about that for a minute – a home-based baker who loves no-bake baking?)  As much as I love my personal time in the kitchen with my appliances and gadgets, once in a while, a no-bake option is just the thing I need to feed the desire to make something delightfully tasty. That’s exactly what these are!

PUMPKIN SPICE AND CHRISTMAS

Some might argue that pumpkin spice is suited better to Thanksgiving rather than Christmas. Well, that might be so, but I’m publishing this recipe on November 1st, so technically, I’ve made the cut! It’s a little late for us in Canada who celebrate Thanksgiving in early October though. But, those of us who love pumpkin spice love to indulge in it no matter what time of year it is!

Some might argue that pumpkin spice season starts a little to early. We can blame Starbucks for that! My daughter, who dislikes summer very much, says that the arrival of pumpkin spice lattes at Starbucks means that she can start living her life. Ha! I think Starbucks introduced their pumpkin spice line in early September this year. At least that’s when I remember all of the anti-pumpkin spice memes popping up on social media.

Whether you hate it or love it, there’s no denying that pumpkin spice has become synonymous with fall, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. You can either drink it at Starbucks, wash your hands with it at Bath & Body Works, or inhale it at Yankee Candle! Pumpkin spice is everywhere and personally, I love it! But, I love it even more when it is combined with cream cheese, and graham crumbs!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

• Cream Cheese – When baking with cream cheese it is always best to use brick style rather than whipped or cream cheese in a tub.  The brick style is firmer and more condensed.  Cream cheese adds texture and flavour to baked items. Even though these truffles are no-bake, the brick style cream cheese still works best. The firmness ensures a firmer truffle which is easier to roll into balls.
• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar.  It is used in frostings quite often.  When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness. The sweetness is why we use it in this recipe. It helps to offset the sourness of the cream cheese.
• Pumpkin Spice – This is a blend of ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves.  Depending on the brand, allspice is sometimes absent, but I think the flavour is better with it. I have a homemade version that I use for everything. You can find it here.
• Vanilla Extract – You might want to use pumpkin spice extract, but I found that it was too overpowering. The vanilla extract is a nice compliment to the warming spices of the pumpkin spice blend. 
• Graham Crumbs – Easily found in the baking section of any grocery store, these are crushed graham crackers.  You can use whole crackers and crush them yourself using a food processor.
• Cocoa Powder – Optional

MORE CHRISTMAS RECIPES!

Did you know that I’ve been posting a 24 Cookies of Christmas series for a few years now? There are over 100 Christmas cookie recipes that you can find right here at Lord Byron’s Kitchen! To make it easier to find, I have created a page for each series. Just click on the image below and you’ll find the full series for that volume all one page!

HOW TO MAKE PUMPKIN SPICE CHEESECAKE TRUFFLES:

Even though these truffles are super easy to make, they do require a little bit of patience. I’m speaking of course about the time it takes for the truffle mixture to set up in the fridge before they can be rolled into balls. The mixture, however, is super easy.

Place the softened cream cheese into a large mixing bowl and use a handheld mixer to smooth the texture of the cream cheese. Beat until there are no lumps. Add the vanilla extract, confectioner’s sugar, and pumpkin spice. Beat together until well incorporated. Next, stir in the graham crumbs until well combined. Cover and refrigerate mixture for 1 hour to firm up.

When firm, measure out a heaping teaspoon of the mixture. Roll into balls and then roll into more graham crumbs or into the optional cocoa powder. You will note that in the photos, I rolled half of the truffles in graham crumbs and half in cocoa powder. In the past, I’ve also rolled them into crushed pecans. That’s a great option too!

TIPS & TRICKS: Because brands can differ slightly, and because not everyone measures exactly like everyone else, there might be some differences when it comes to the thickness of the truffle mixture. If it’s too soft to roll into balls after refrigerating for a full hour, stir through a scant 1/4 cup of graham crumbs to thicken.

GRAHAM CRUMBS AND CRACKERS

If you already have graham crackers on hand, there’s no need to buy graham crumbs. Using your hands, break the crackers into smaller pieces, adding them to the bowl of a food processor as you go. Pulse the crackers a few times until the mixture resembles sand. Don’t turn on the processor and walk away! Just a few pulses will do it. You want crumbs not puree!

STORING, PACKAGING, AND FREEZING

When it comes to truffles of any kind, they taste best at room temperature, but they don’t hold up well to being left out on your countertop. Store them in a food-safe container in your fridge. When you want one, two, or half a dozen, take them out of the container and place them in a single layer on a plate. Let them sit at room temperature for 5 minutes and they’re ready!

If you plan to freeze these truffles, again, pile them into a food-safe, freezer-friendly container. You’ll want to ensure a very tight fitting lid too. (I use these quite often when freezing baked goods.) I like to place a sheet of plastic wrap over the top of the container before pushing the lid on. This helps to create a better seal. The goal is to keep all of that freshness locked in! You can freeze these for up to three months.

If you decide to roll your truffles in different toppings, like I did, you will want to keep them separate when packaging. Otherwise, the graham crumbs will get mussed up with cocoa powder. In some cases, when thawing a truffle, condensation will occur which might make the truffle look a little less pretty. If this happens, let the truffle thaw and re-roll them one by one in the cocoa or the crumbs. Enjoy!