Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
Topped with chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped cream, these Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes are perfect for the chocoholic in your life!
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I’ve been making this chocolate cheesecake for about 15 years. It’s strange when you stop and think back about stuff like that, right? 15 years? I swear I got that recipe from a coworker just a couple years ago! While I did get the recipe from a coworker, it was way back when I worked in Atlanta – and that’s been about 15 years now. This recipe is almost old enough to drive a car!
As noted above, a coworker was kind enough to share this chocolate cheesecake recipe with me. Whenever we’d have work potlucks for holidays or other special occasions, I could always count on finding his chocolate cheesecake on the dessert table. It was his specialty dessert, and it was always one of the first items to disappear! (The key was going to the dessert table first so you could stake your claim to a slice of the chocolate cheesecake.)
After probably two years of begging, coaxing and cajoling, he finally shared his recipe with me. I think the fact that I was leaving the job helped cinch the deal. Whatever the reason, I got that prized recipe, and it’s become a staple in our house ever since!
Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
Mini Chocolate CheesecakesYears ago, I posted the recipe for the full chocolate cheesecake. It’s garnished with chocolate curls and fresh raspberries, and it’s nothing short of amazing! If you’re looking for a full-sized cheesecake, then I highly recommend that version. Recently, though, I hit the kitchen with the goal of turning that full-sized version into these Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes.
If you’ve never baked cheesecakes in a muffin tin, then stop everything and make some muffin tin cheesecakes today! While I do enjoy a traditional slice of cheesecake, muffin tin cheesecakes are so much easier to make. Not only do they bake in ~20 minutes (yes, 20 minutes!), but they just look fun when you serve up individual Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes.
These cheesecakes feature 4 layers of chocolatey goodness. There’s the Oreo crust (that might be my favorite part!), the actual chocolate cheesecake, a chocolate ganache and then the whole thing is finished off with some chocolate whipped cream. These Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes are perfect for the chocolate lovers in your life!
Since we are in the holiday season, I decided to garnish these cheesecakes with chopped Andes mints. They’re a fun and festive way to decorate these treats! Of course, the Andes mints are just garnish, so if you aren’t a chocolate + mint fan (ahem, I’m looking at my wife here), then you can certainly omit that garnish. A fresh raspberry or a bit of shaved chocolate would work just as well. No matter how you garnish them, I do hope you enjoy these chocolatey treats as much as we did! Happy baking!
Did you make a batch of these Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Oreo Crust
- 1 cup Oreo cookie crumbs ~12 cookies
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Cheesecake
- 4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chopped
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 additional large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
For the Chocolate Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- Andes mints for garnishing
Instructions
For the Oreo Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners; set aside.
- Using a small mixing bowl, add cookie crumbs and melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Divide crust mixture evenly into lined muffin tin. (Tip: Pack mixture down into liners using a small flat-bottomed glass.)
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
For the Cheesecake
- Using a microwave-safe bowl or a double-burner, melt the semi-sweet chocolate; set aside to let cool.
- Using a countertop mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth (~3 minutes).
- Add sugar and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Whisk the eggs and egg yolk together and add to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract and melted chocolate; mix until well combined. (Tip: Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the filling is fully mixed.)
- Pour batter evenly into muffin cups. (Note: Cups can be filled to top of the liners.)
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until centers of cheesecakes are just barely set. (Note: The center of each cheesecake should still be slightly loose. If the cheesecakes crack, it’s ok – they’re getting covered with ganache!)
- Let cheesecakes cool for 15 minutes and then transfer to freezer for 1 hour. (Note: I leave them in the pan for this step.)
For the Chocolate Ganache
- Using a microwave-safe bowl or a double-burner, melt the chocolate chips with the heavy whipping cream; stir until smooth.
- Pour ganache on top of each cheesecake. Place cheesecakes in refrigerator for 20 minutes to let the chocolate ganache set.
For the Chocolate Whipped Cream
- Using a medium mixing bowl, add the whipping cream, powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Use an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Transfer whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe whipped cream on top of each cheesecake. (Tip: I like to remove the paper wrappers at this stage as they come off easier while cheesecakes are still slightly frozen.)
- Before serving, garnish tops of cheesecakes with Andes mints.
Looking for more chocolate dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Will be making this soon for the crust can i use vegan butter / for the cheesecake can i use vegan cream cheese / coconut cream / for the ganache and whipped cream can i use coconut cream i never had mini chocolate cheesecake bites before perfect for my birthday next year on 19 September and after office snacks love your recipes as always brightens up my day everyday after work will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
and perfect timing as i have oreos with me now as my sister gave me the oreos cant wait to make this for me
Ah, Oreos make a great crust for pies and cheesecakes, Ramya! Of course, you have to resist eating them all first. Haha! I do think you can use vegan butter in this recipe, but I don’t know how the coconut cream will work when you try to whip it. I’ve just never experimented with that! Even without the whipped cream on top, these cheesecakes will be delicious, though! 🙂
These must be good! You’ve been making them for quite the time!! I can certainly see why! What is it about mini desserts? They’re just so darn cute. And cheesecake? YUM! I just love love love a cup of coffee with cheesecake (the hot coffee, creamy cheesecake, so good), and wishing I had one of these right about now. I would totally want to eat more than one though. 😉
These (or at least some version of these) have been a holiday staple in our house, Dawn! I can’t remember a Christmas season without this chocolate cheesecake – yum!! I did have fun playing around with this mini version this year. There’s just something about mini desserts! 🙂
I’ve definitely made cheesecakes using a muffin pan, and I think that’s a great holiday option because individual desserts always look stunning and elegant, don’t they? I love the addition of mint chocolate, as a great festive flavour. And it’s so versatile too (Thinking of candy cane ganache, Eggnog caramel drizzle or Irish cream chocolate sauce.)
Mini cheesecakes really are an elegant dessert to serve – even if it’s just serving to your immediate family members. 🙂 An eggnog caramel drizzle sounds pretty fantastic – I might need you to invent that. I’ll supply the cheesecakes. You supply the drizzle. Deal?
These mini cheesecakes are gorgeous David! Love the muffin tin idea and that short bake time! You honestly had me at chocolate whipped cream. But add that oreo crust and Andes mints…I need to make these mini cheesecakes ASAP. I can see why these don’t last long, yum!
I could seriously have sat down and eaten that chocolate whipped cream with a spoon, Shannon – if only it was socially acceptable to eat whipped cream for dinner. Haha! These mini cheesecakes really are a fun holiday treat! Cheers!
i like that idea of putting them in a muffin tin. and i loooove the look of that chocolate icing.
Oh, that chocolate ganache really is dreamy, Sherry! I know you’re staying away from sweets these days, so I guess I’ll just have to eat yours for you. 🙂
Chocolate cheesecake!!! Yes, please!!! I love the mini sized too. Perfect for serving on a buffet and automatic portion control….unless you eat more than one! 🙂
Haha – portion control? What’s that? 🙂 Just kidding, of course! I do love the way these mini cheesecakes look – perfect for serving to family or friends. (Or you can just hide them for yourself!) Thanks, Kathy!
This checks two boxes of irresistibility for me: chocolate mint and cheesecake. And individually sized FTW. Love these, David!
I’m thinking you should just go ahead and start with a double batch of these, Marissa! 🙂
Ohhh that is same as me, I have been making cheesecakes for more than 15 years too but not chocolate, mostly fruity ones. Definitely want to try this one, looks amazing
I do enjoy fruity cheesecakes, but during the holidays, this chocolate one is irresistible! 🙂
Woohoo for snagging that cheesecake recipe- cos we get to enjoy it too now! I usually avoid cheesecake but THIS looks and sounds too good to pass on! And- I simply love that these are perfectly portioned! No more debating about what size a slice of cheesecake should really be! Thanks for this one, my friend! Hoping y’all had a fabulous thanksgiving!
Haha – I’m not sure how my former coworker would feel about me sharing his recipe with the interwebs! Oh well, it’s out there now! 🙂 This chocolate cheesecake just screams holidays to me. Thanks, Shashi!