Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

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These mini chocolate cheesecakes are easy to make and so good! They have a smooth, creamy, chocolate-loaded filling that sits on top of a classic Oreo crust. Each cheesecake is topped with rich chocolate ganache and fluffy chocolate whipped cream. Heaven!

Why You’ll Love These Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Mini chocolate cheesecake is a dessert that you’ll come back to over and over again. Here are some of the reasons I’m convinced you’ll fall in love at first bite.

• Chocolate flavor. I went all out here and used both cocoa powder and melted chocolate in the batter for the cheesecake filling. The result is amazing chocolate flavor that you wouldn’t get if you just used one or the other. Delicious!
• So creamy. The filling for these chocolate cheesecakes is so rich and creamy. They are truly like the perfect creamy cheesecake in a small package.
• Convenient. These mini cheesecakes are super cute, easy to transport, and awesome for sharing. Perfect for feeding a crowd with very little hassle. They’re also much easier (and less time-consuming) to make than a standard cheesecake. You don’t need a water bath and they bake and cool in a fraction of the time.

What You’ll Need

Grab a grocery cart and load it up with everything you need to make these mini chocolate cheesecakes. Here’s an ingredient list for you. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

Crust

• Oreo cookie crumbs – You want to use the cookies and the filling here. If you’d like to use graham crackers instead, add a bit more butter to the mix to hold it together, like in my vanilla mini cheesecakes.
• Butter – You can use salted or unsalted butter.

Cheesecake filling

• Cream cheese – Start with room-temperature cream cheese. If it is too cold, you’ll end up with a lumpy filling. Also be sure to use full-fat brick-style cream cheese. Reduced fat and tub-style cream cheese are both softer and don’t give you the same result.
• Sugar – To offset the tang of the cream cheese.
• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – Dutch-processed cocoa powder would also work. It will give you a darker, richer chocolate flavor.
• Sour cream – Ideally, the sour cream should be at room temperature. If it is too cold, it won’t mix smoothly and easily into the filling.
• Vanilla extract – The vanilla extract offsets some of the bitter flavor you can sometimes get with chocolate.
• Large eggs – Start with room temperature eggs. Cold eggs will have a harder time incorporating into the filling. Also be sure to use large eggs, not medium or extra large.
• Semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate – You could use a baking bar or chocolate chips.

Chocolate ganache

• Semi-sweet chocolate chips – Milk chocolate or dark chocolate chips would also work, but give a slightly different consistency.
• Heavy whipping cream

Whipped cream

• Heavy whipping cream – Start with cold heavy cream. If it is too warm if won’t whip up and hold volume properly.
• Powdered sugar
• Natural unsweetened cocoa powder – You could use Dutch processed cocoa powder instead for a richer chocolate flavor and darker color.
• Vanilla extract
• Mini chocolate bars – The chocolate bars are for the topping. You can omit them if you’d like but I think they add a nice visual appeal.

How to Make Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Here’s a brief overview of how to make mini chocolate cheesecake. You will find more thorough instructions if you scroll to the recipe card below.

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
• Make the crust. Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter, divide it between the cupcake liners, and press it into the bottoms. Bake for 5 minutes and then set aside.
• Adjust temperature. Reduce oven to 300°F.

• Make the filling. On low speed, mix together the cream cheese, sugar, and cocoa. Next, mix in the sour cream and vanilla, followed by the eggs, one at a time. Finally, stir in the melted chocolate.

• Bake. Divide the filling between the cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes.
• Cool gradually. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecakes inside for 10 minutes. Crack the door and leave the cheesecakes inside for 15 minutes. Pop them in the fridge to cool completely and then remove them from the pan.

• Make the ganache. Heat the heavy whipping cream until Just boiling and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let the mixture sit for a couple of minutes and then whisk until smooth. Add a little chocolate ganache to the top of each cheesecake.

• Make the whipped cream. Whip the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla on high speed until stiff peaks form.
• Decorate. Pipe the whipped cream onto each cheesecake and top with a mini chocolate bar.
• Chill. Refrigerate the cheesecakes until ready to serve.

Tips for Success

Want to be sure these turn out perfectly? Take a moment to read through these simple tips and tricks. They will help you achieve the best mini chocolate cheesecakes ever.

• Room temperature ingredients. You’ll want to start with room-temperature eggs and dairy for the cheesecake filling. If the cream cheese is too cold, the filling will turn out lumpy. If the sour cream and eggs are cold, they won’t mix smoothly and easily into the filling which can lead to over-mixing.
• Mix on low speed and not too much. For the filling, mix everything on low speed and don’t over-mix. This helps keep air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks in the cheesecakes.
• Scrape down the sides of the bowl. In order to make sure everything makes it into the filling, be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently as you add and mix in ingredients.
• Cool gradually. Allowing the cheesecakes to cool in the oven with the door cracked gives them the time they need to finish cooking and also helps to prevent cracks.
• No peeking. Try to resist the temptation to open the oven and check in on the cheesecakes at any point during the baking and gradual cooling process. Opening the oven lets cold air in that will disrupt the baking process, give you sunken, cracked cheesecakes.
• Cold heavy cream. Start with cold heavy cream. Warm heavy cream won’t whip up and hold volume properly. You’ll find yourself with a flat watery whipped cream.

Serving Suggestions

These mini chocolate cheesecakes are the perfect canvas for a variety of different topping. I went with a little chocolate ganache and chocolate whipped cream but you could easily change things up. Here are a few suggestions.

• Vanilla Whipped Cream
• Strawberry Whipped Cream
• Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting
• Raspberry Sauce
• Fresh fruit
• Salted Caramel Sauce

How to Tell When Mini Cheesecakes are Done Baking?

The mini cheesecakes are done baking when they are set on the edges and the centers are just set, but still jiggly. They shouldn’t look too liquid-y. At this point, you are ready to start the cooling process, while they also finish cooking and setting in the middle.

Proper Storage

Arrange the cheesecakes in a single layer in an airtight container. You can store them in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. If you decide to freeze them, allow them to thaw in the fridge before diving in.

More Mini Cheesecake Recipes

Craving cheesecake but don’t have the time to make a full-sized one? Mini cheesecakes are the perfect solution. Here are some of my other faves.

• Mini Mint Chocolate Oreo Cheesecakes
• Mini Cheesecakes
• Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
• Mini S’mores Cheesecakes
• Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
• No Bake Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes

Watch How to Make Them

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