Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Cheesecake is such a decadent dessert that people love but rarely make. I feel safe assuming it could be the time involved in preparing it. There's no reason to shy away though, these mini chocolate cheesecakes are portion controlled (only makes seven) and you could have them prepared in less than a half hour in most cases. I love the versatility that these provide because you can make them how you want them.

I had thought about putting candied pecans on top but since I didn't have any and didn't have time to make any I used chocolate chips instead :). One of my favorite characteristics of cheesecake is the creamy texture. Making sure that the cream cheese is at room temperature or close to it is so important to achieving the correct texture. I've been known to unwrap the 8 ounces of cream cheese and put it on a plate and pop it into the microwave for 20-25 seconds to soften it up to speed up the process.

I put Oreos on the bottom of these cute little cups of chocolate goodness and the great thing about using Oreos is that you can use any flavor you want! I wouldn't think that the color would make a difference (like the pastel Spring ones I remember seeing one time) because the filling pretty much melts into the cookies. But, using a peanut butter or mint flavored Oreo may be an awesome addition. I also don't think double stuffed would be good either, just because it would take up more space which means less cheesecake filling, unless that's what you want of course. Another fun idea would be to use white chocolate instead of semi-sweet, then use the vanilla Oreos. That would be a nice twist that could be topped with some fresh fruit for summer. Happy Baking!

Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Makes 7 standard muffin pan sized cheesecakes

Ingredients:

- 1 package light cream cheese, room temperature

- ¼ cup light brown sugar

- 1 whole egg

- ¼ cup chocolate, melted

- 1 tablespoon coffee

- 7 oreos

- chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place a cupcake liner in 7 cavities of a muffin pan. Place one Oreo in each cupcake liner, set pan aside.

2. In the bowl of a mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the brown sugar and egg, then mix on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in the chocolate and coffee until smooth. Evenly divide the batter between the 7 cupcake liners. Sprinkle with chocolate chips.

3. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set in the middle. If they crack a little it is okay, they should settle and the cracks will come together again.

4. Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then place the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for at least two hours to let them set up completely. 

Printable recipe

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