Description
Delight in these festive Mini Christmas Cheesecakes featuring a crunchy Oreo cookie crust, creamy batter with colorful marbled red and green hues, topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. Perfect for holiday gatherings and easy to make ahead with a chilling time that ensures rich, smooth texture.
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 (as needed)
Topping & Garnish
- Whipped cream (to taste)
- Sprinkles (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven and Prepare Pan: Preheat oven to 150°C. Place cupcake casings into a cupcake tray, ready for filling.
- Make the Crust: Crush Oreo cookies including the filling into fine crumbs using a food processor or rolling pin in a zip lock bag. Mix crumbs with melted butter until fully moistened.
- Form the Crust Base: Spoon one tablespoon of crumb mixture into each cupcake casing. Press down firmly using the side of a small rolling pin to form a solid base. Set aside.
- Beat Cream Cheese: In a bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth for 30 to 60 seconds, scraping the bowl often to ensure even texture.
- Add Dry Ingredients and Flavor: Add sugar, flour, and lemon zest; beat for 20 seconds until combined well.
- Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla: Add both eggs and vanilla extract at once; beat for 10 seconds, scrape bowl, then beat another 10 seconds until smooth and creamy. Avoid overbeating to prevent excess air.
- Fold in Heavy Cream: Gently fold the heavy cream into the batter for richness without deflating.
- Color the Batter: Divide about one third of the batter into two small bowls. Add green food coloring to one and red to the other, mixing thoroughly.
- Assemble the Batter: Alternate spooning plain, green, and red batters into the crust-lined casings. Use a skewer to swirl and create a marbled effect without touching the crust.
- Bake With Moisture: Bake at 150°C for 20 minutes. Place a water-filled baking dish in the oven to maintain moist baking conditions.
- Rest in Oven: Leave cheesecakes in the oven after baking for an additional 5 minutes for gentle cooling.
- Cool Completely: Remove from oven; cool at room temperature for 15 minutes before refrigerating.
- Chill Thoroughly: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight to set perfectly.
- Remove Wrappers and Garnish: Carefully peel off cupcake casings. Top cheesecakes with whipped cream and sprinkles before serving.
- Store Leftovers: Keep any leftover cheesecakes refrigerated to maintain freshness.
Notes
- To make a full large cheesecake, use the same batter and pour into a 7-inch round cake tin; bake for 55 to 60 minutes.
- For a 9-inch round cheesecake, double the recipe and bake for 65 to 70 minutes until the edges are firm and the center remains slightly wobbly.
- A water bath or moist baking environment helps prevent cracking and results in a creamier texture.
- Do not overbeat the batter to avoid incorporating too much air, which can cause cracks during baking.
- Use fresh cream cheese and eggs at room temperature for best results.
- Refrigerate fully before removing cupcake liners to avoid breaking.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 90 mg
