My favorite dessert is mini cheesecakes. They are simple, cute, and the ultimate crowd pleaser. These mini chocolate cheesecakes, however, are the best of the best. These are the perfect rich and creamy cheesecake dessert that is way easier than making a full cheesecake.
What Are Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes?
Simply put? Mini cheesecakes are baked in a 12 cup muffin tin. They are crazy simple to make, but still make creamy little cheesecakes.
The biggest difference in baking mini cheesecakes is it takes 1/3 of the time to bake compared to a full cheesecake. For this recipe it only takes 20 minutes to bake! That is the same time it usually takes to make cupcakes.
GREAT NEWS!! No need for a water bath for these mini cheesecakes. You do need to let them cool slowly, but no water is needed.
You also don’t need to pre-bake the crust. Since the surface is a lot smaller than a full cheesecake, there is no risk for a soggy bottom!
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How To Make The Oreo Crust
First, set your oven to 325F. The lower baking temperature is perfect for cheesecakes because it helps to prevent cracking.
Then take a 12 cup muffin tin and fill it with muffin liners. I used traditonal white muffin liners. You can use whatever color you want because we take the liners off once the cheesecakes cool.
Next, crush the Oreos in a food processor/blender to get them into fine crumbs. I used the traditional Oreos for the recipe. Don’t use the double stuff because that will be too much moisture for the crust.
Then, mix the melted butter with the Oreo crumbs until it becomes thoroughly wet. Use a 1 TBSP and scoop into each muffin cup.
To compact the crust, use the bottom of a spice jar! I have little plastic ones from my grocery store that work perfectly to compact the crust. You can also use the back of a 1/8 cup. That’s it!
Making The CREAMIEST Chocolate Cheesecake
I actually have a chocolate cheesecake recipe that I made when my blog first came out. These mini cheesecakes are the prettier, smaller version of that. This might be the creamiest cheesecake you have ever tried!
What makes this cheesecake so creamy? The sour cream and heavy cream! The extra fat from the cream is what makes it super creamy.
First, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Pull it out 2 hours before you start baking. (Also, make sure the eggs, sour cream, and heavy cream are room temperature too!)
Use a mixer, and beat the cream cheesecake on medium-high for 1 minute until smooth. Then, add the sugar and cocoa powder and beat for another minute. The trick here is to scrape the bowl a lot during this process. This helps to get everything mixed together with no hidden cream cheese chunks.
Next, add the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla and beat again for another minute. Scrape that bowl! At this point it should be smooth and silky. If you notice any chunks, then mix some more.
Now, add the egg on low. Make sure to barely add any air at this point, so mix on low and stop mixing as soon as it’s combined.
How To Bake The Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
Now it is time to add the cheesecake batter to the Oreo crust. My best tip is to use a cookie scoop to easily add the batter!
Fill the cups about 1/2 way full, make sure to use every last drop of batter! Then, use the back of a spoon to smooth down the batter.
Now let’s bake those beauties! Bake them for 20-25 minutes. They will puff up a lot, but they are done baking when the edges are set and there is a very slight jiggle in the middle.
The next step is important, the cheesecakes will need to cool down slowly. Turn off the oven and crack open the oven door. Let them sit for 20 minutes. They will sink down, but that is normal.
Next, transfer them to a cooling rack and allow them to cool completely.
How Long Do These Cheesecakes Need To Cool?
I will make these mini cheesecakes a day before I need them. They will need to cool for at least 6 hours or overnight. I always let my cheesecakes cool overnight.
The importance of this is to let it set and cool down. Cheesecake will become a soupy mess when its warm or even when its only slightly cool.
It sounds annoying to wait, but it’s worth it!
Can These Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes Be Gluten Free?
YESSS! These can totally be gluten free. The only thing that has gluten is the Oreo cookies. Change them to these gluten free chocolate cookies. You may need to use a tiny bit more butter to make sure the crust is moist enough.
How To Make Simple Chocolate Ganache
Chocolate Ganache is actually very simple to make! To make this you need to heat the cream in a saucepan.
Heat the cream on medium-low until it is hot and steaming. Then, pour it into the bowl of chocolate chips. Let it sit for 1 minute 30 seconds. This allows the hot cream to melt the chocolate chips.
Then, stir with a rubber spatula and mix until it is all smooth and glossy.
Take the mini cheesecakes out of the fridge (they should be completely cool now) and take off the muffin liners. We will want to see the layers!
Take a 1/2 TBSP scoop and spoon the chocolate on top of each mini cheesecake. To smooth it down, use an icing spatula and smooth it to the edges.
Place these mini cheesecakes in the fridge while you start on the chocolate whipped cream.
The BEST Chocolate Whipped Cream
To make whipped cream, you will need a mixer with a whisk attachment. Place the metal bowl and the whisk attachment into the freezer for 10 minutes. A cold bowl and whisk make it so much easier to whip up cream.
Next, take your cold bowl and whisk and add the heavy cream, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix on low until things start to incorporate, then mix on high until stiff peaks form.
The whipped cream should be thick and sturdy enough to pipe. I used a Wilton 1M tip to pipe these swirls on top of the cheesecakes. If you have chocolate sprinkles, add those on top! They complete the top!
How To Store The Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
To store them, place them in an air tight container. I also stored them in those disposable aluminum tins you can find at the grocery store and covered it with aluminum foil. Either way, make sure it is covered.
Store them in the fridge, they will last for 4 days in the fridge.
Can These Cheesecakes Be Frozen?
Yes they can be frozen. Freeze the cheesecakes after they are cooled overnight and before you decorate them. Wrap them in cling wrap first (take off the liners first) then wrap tightly in aluminum foil. They will last for 30 days in the freezer.
To thaw them, leave it on the counter for 1 hour before you decorate them.
Other Cheesecake Recipes To Try
- Mini S’mores Cheesecakes
- Mini Cheesecakes With Chocolate Covered Strawberries
- Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars
- Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
Make sure to tag me on Instagram @stephaniesweettreats and leave me a review below if you made these mini cheesecakes. I hope you loved it! To get more ideas follow me on Pinterest.
Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Oreo Crust
- 1 1/2 cups Oreo crumbs about 1 full row plus 3 cookies of a regular Oreo pack.
- 3 TBSP Unsalted butter melted
Chocolate Cheesecake
- 8 oz Cream cheese full fat, room temperature
- 1/2 cup White granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup Sour cream room temperature
- 1/8 cup Heavy cream room temperature
- 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1 Large egg room temperature
Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup Semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup Heavy cream
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 cup Heavy cream cold
- 1/3 cup Powdered sugar
- 3 TBSP Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp Pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Oreo Crust
- Preheat oven to 325F. Prepare a 12 cup muffin tin with 12 muffin liners. Set aside.
- Use a food processor/blender and crush up the Oreos into fine crumbs. Pour the crumbs into a bowl. Add in the melted butter, and use a fork to mix them together. It should all be wet and thickened.
- Scoop 1 TBSP of crumbs into each muffin cup. Use a 1/8 measuring cup or the bottom of a spice jar to compact the crust down.
Chocolate Cheesecake
- Use a stand mixer or hand mixer, and beat the cream cheese on medium-high for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl. Add in the sugar and cocoa powder, and mix on low until it is incorporated, then turn to medium-high and beat for 1 minute. Scrape the bowl.
- Add in the sour cream, heavy cream, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute until smooth with no chunks. Add the egg and mix on low. Halfway through the egg being mixed, stop the mixing and scrape the bowl. Then, mix again until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop (1 1/2 TBSP) and scoop the batter on top of the Oreo crust. Use a spoon to smooth the batter down.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until it is puffy and the edges are set. Turn off the oven and crack the door. Let the cheesecakes sit for 20 minutes. Then, transfer to a cooling rack. Allow to cool completely. Cover and store in the fridge for 6 hours to overnight.
Chocolate Ganache
- In a small bowl, pour in the chocolate chips. Set aside. In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream on medium-low until steaming and hot. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips
- Let the heavy cream sit for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Then, stir with a rubber spatula until smooth and glossy.
- Use a 1/2 TBSP and scoop the chocolate on top of each cheesecake. Use an icing spatula to smooth the chocolate to the edges. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 10 minutes for the chocolate to set.
Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Store a metal bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. A cold bowl makes it easy to whip up the whipped cream.
- Pour the heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Mix on low until it starts incorporate. Then, switch to high and beat until stiff peaks form. This should take 2-5 minutes.
- Pipe the whipped cream into swirls on top of the cheesecakes. I used the wilton 1M tip. Sprinkle with chocolate sprinkles if you have them.
- Cover and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Eileen Rutherford
These are amazing!