Description
These Mini Christmas Cheesecakes feature a festive marbled red and green cream cheese batter on a buttery Oreo cookie crust, topped with whipped cream and colorful sprinkles. Perfect for holiday gatherings, these individual cheesecakes combine a rich, creamy texture with a delightful crunch from the cookie base.
Ingredients
Scale
Cheesecake Crust
- 100 g Oreo Cookies crushed with the filling
- 30 g butter melted
Cheesecake Batter
- 450 g cream cheese
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 60 g heavy cream
- 2 eggs
- Red & green food coloring
Topping & Garnish
- Whipped cream
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Set the oven temperature to 150°Celsius. Place cupcake casings into a cupcake tray to prepare for filling.
- Prepare the crust. Crush Oreo cookies with the filling into fine crumbs using a food processor or by pressing with a rolling pin inside a zip-lock bag. Transfer crumbs to a bowl and add melted butter. Mix until crumbs are fully moistened with butter.
- Form the crust bases. Spoon one tablespoon of the cookie crumb mixture into each cupcake casing. Use the side of a small rolling pin or a similar tool to press and pack the crumbs down firmly. Set aside.
- Make the batter. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth for about 30 to 60 seconds, scraping the bowl often.
- Add dry ingredients and flavorings. Add granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and lemon zest to the cream cheese and beat again for 20 seconds. Scrape the bowl to incorporate all ingredients evenly.
- Add eggs and vanilla extract. Add both eggs at once along with vanilla extract. Beat for about 10 seconds to combine, scrape the bowl, then continue beating for another 10 seconds until the batter is smooth and creamy. Avoid overbeating to prevent excess air incorporation.
- Fold in heavy cream. Gently fold the heavy cream into the batter until fully incorporated.
- Create colored batter portions. Transfer about one-third of the batter into two smaller bowls. Add green food coloring to one and red food coloring to the other; mix well to distribute the colors evenly.
- Fill cupcake casings. Alternate pouring plain, green, and red batter into the prepared casings. Use a skewer to swirl the batter in a circular motion to create a marbled effect, being careful not to pierce the crust.
- Bake the cheesecakes. Place a baking dish filled with water in the oven to maintain moisture. Bake the mini cheesecakes at 150°Celsius for 20 minutes.
- Rest in oven. After baking, leave the cheesecakes inside the oven for an additional 5 minutes with the oven turned off.
- Cool down. Remove the tray from the oven and let the cheesecakes cool at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Chill the cheesecakes. Transfer the cheesecakes to the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight until fully set.
- Remove casing and garnish. Carefully peel off the cupcake casings from each mini cheesecake. Top each with whipped cream and festive sprinkles just before serving.
- Store leftovers. Keep any leftover mini cheesecakes refrigerated.
Notes
- To make a full large cheesecake, pour the batter into a 7-inch round cake tin and bake for 55 to 60 minutes at 150°C.
- For a 9-inch round cheesecake, double the ingredients and bake for 65 to 70 minutes until the edges are firm and the center slightly wobbly.
- Use cream cheese at room temperature for easier mixing and a smoother batter.
- Do not overbeat the batter to prevent incorporating too much air which can cause cracking.
- Adding water to the oven helps create a moist baking environment that prevents cracking.
- Chilling the cheesecakes thoroughly improves texture and makes removing the casings easier.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
