Description
These Mini Christmas Cheesecakes are the perfect bite-sized treats for your holiday gatherings, combining creamy cheesecake with a festive twist. Easy to make and beautifully decorated, they are sure to delight your guests!
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs (or crushed ginger snap cookies or shortbread biscuits)
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
- Pinch of ground cinnamon (optional)
- Pinch of ground nutmeg (optional)
- Zest of orange or lemon (optional)
- 1 teaspoon non-alcoholic rum extract (optional)
- Red or green food coloring (optional)
- Whipped cream (for topping)
- Fresh cranberries (for topping)
- Crushed candy canes (for topping)
- Melted white or dark chocolate (for topping)
- Cranberry sauce (for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, combine 1 ½ cups of finely crushed graham cracker crumbs with ¼ cup of melted unsalted butter. Mix thoroughly until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each lined muffin cup and press down firmly.
- In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat two 8-ounce packages of room temperature full-fat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
- Gradually add ⅔ cup of granulated sugar to the cream cheese, beating on low speed until just combined and smooth. Then, beat in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.
- Add 2 large room temperature eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Divide the cheesecake batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Carefully transfer the muffin tin to your preheated oven. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until the edges are set but the centers still have a slight jiggle.
- Once baked, remove the muffin tin from the oven and let the mini cheesecakes cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Once they've reached room temperature, transfer the whole pan to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, or ideally, overnight.
- Once thoroughly chilled, gently lift the cheesecakes out of the muffin tin by their liners. Top each cheesecake with a dollop of whipped cream, a few fresh cranberries, a sprinkle of crushed candy canes, or any other festive toppings.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 22 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheesecake
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg
Keywords: Ensure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature for a smooth batter. Don't overmix after adding the eggs to prevent cracks. Chill the cheesecakes for at least 4 hours for the best texture.