Cranberry and White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes
These delicious White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes are perfect for holiday entertaining. They have a cookie crumb crust, an easy to make cranberry jam layer, and the creamiest cheesecake that's lightly flavored with white chocolate. Baked in mini canning jars, they look great on the table and transport easily. You will LOVE these!
Friends! I've made us the cutest mini cheesecakes!
I've also broken my long-standing rule. But hey, if you can't break rules, what's the point of them, right?
I normally have a self-imposed ban on anything Christmas-y before Halloween. And yes, I know that my favorite spooky holiday is coming up in a few days. I just got a little over excited about these mini cheesecakes and I couldn't wait to share them with you.
I hope you'll forgive me so we can dig into them together. Trust me, you really really want to!
VIDEO: White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes:
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Those adorable mini cheesecakes are also the best freaking cheesecake you'll ever eat. ← I know that's a HUGE statement, but it's true. They're a baked cheesecake (my fav kind) but they're so light and creamy that they're reminiscent of a no-bake cheesecake.
Baked cheesecakes are normally rich and firm. No-bake cheesecake is usually light and airy. These mini cheesecakes are the best of both worlds.
So how do we do that? I'm glad you asked …
How to make mini cheesecakes
→ The first thing we do is take a brick of Philly cream cheese out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature.
→ White chocolate. You're going to melt some white baking chocolate in a little cream or milk. This gives the cheesecakes a gentle white chocolate flavor that is just. so. good.
→ Sugar. Not a lot, but just enough to sweeten things up. Hey, this is dessert and we need a little sweetness here!
→ Sour cream. This brings gives the cheesecakes a light and extra creamy texture. I also think the flavor works great with white chocolate.
→ Eggs. This is what thickens the cheesecake and makes it hold its shape. Also, the emulsifiers in the egg yolk add creaminess. If you've ever made your own mayonnaise, you'll know the kind of creaminess egg yolks creates.
Steps to make mini cheesecakes
There are a few steps in making this recipe, but I promise you each one of them is SUPER EASY.
The cranberry jam. Don't be intimidated, this is only cranberries boiled with some sugar. As easy as pie, as they say. You could sub some store-bought cranberry jam or even chunky cranberry sauce if you wanted.
The cookie crumb crust. If you can mix together some Graham cracker cookie crumbs with some melted butter and a little sugar, you can make this.
The cheesecake batter. If you have a bowl and electric beaters (or a stand mixer), you can make this. All you're going to do here is melt some white chocolate and mix it with the cream cheese and four other household staple ingredients. You'll layer little canning jars with the cookie crumb crust, the cranberry jam, top with the cheesecake batter, and then bake it in your oven. So easy!
The sugared cranberries and rosemary. If you want to decorate your mini cheesecakes for Christmas, these ‘snowy' toppings couldn't be any easier to make. Simply dip them in sugar water then into sugar. The sugar will stick and look like snow. I promise I won't tell your guests how easy they are to make!
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Delicious Christmas Baking Recipes:
- Mom's Nanaimo Bar Recipe
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Butter Cookies
- Melt in Your Mouth Shortbread Cookies
- Cranberry and White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes
Cranberry White Chocolate Mini Cheesecakes
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Ingredients
Cranberry Jam
- 2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- ¾ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Cookie Crumb Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker cookie crumbs, gluten-free, if needed
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons sugar
White Chocolate Cheesecake
- 3 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup half & half cream
- 12 ounces PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese, (1 ½ packages)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
The Sugared Cranberries and Rosemary
- ½ cup sugar, divided
- ¼ cup water
- 36 cranberries
- A few sprigs of rosemary
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Place twelve ½ cup canning jars in a baking dish or roasting pan.
- Add the cranberries, sugar, water, and vanilla to a small pot over high heat. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to medium. Continue to simmer for 10 mins then remove from the heat.2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries, ¾ cup sugar, ¼ cup water, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and sugar. Divide between the canning jars and press them down lightly to create the crust.1 cup graham cracker cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons sugar
- When the cranberry jam is no longer hot (warm is ok) divide it between the jars on top of the cookie crumb base.
- Place the white chocolate and the half & half cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let the chocolate melt then whisk to combine.3 ounces white chocolate, ¼ cup half & half cream
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, the sugar, sour cream, eggs, vanilla, and melted white chocolate with electric beaters until the batter is smooth, about 5 minutes. Divide the batter between the canning jars, leaving a ¼ inch gap at the top. Carefully pour water into the pan so that it reaches halfway up the sides of the canning jars.12 ounces PHILADELPHIA® Cream Cheese, ⅓ cup sugar, ½ cup sour cream, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until the cheesecakes are slightly puffed and the tops are dry and matte looking. Turn off the oven and open the oven door halfway. Let the oven cool with the cheesecakes inside for a half-hour. Garnish with sugared cranberries and rosemary
- In a small pan, heat ¼ cup of the sugar and the water until the sugar melts. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside to cool. Place the remaining ¼ cup of sugar in a small bowl.¼ cup water, ½ cup sugar
- When the sugar water is cool, dip the rosemary in it then shake off the excess. Then, dip the rosemary in the sugar. Set the rosemary on a parchment-lined plate. Repeat with the cranberries, shaking them in the sugar to coat them. Let them dry completely before using them to decorate the mini cheesecakes.36 cranberries, A few sprigs of rosemary
If I were to make a no bake cheesecake, would I be able to add this cranberry jam to it…., Or does the cranberry jam have to be baked more?
Since the cranberry jam is already cooked you can definitely use it in other ways. It would be tasty on no bake cheesecake!
Can you substitute raspberries?
You may need to add pectin (or another thickener) if you use raspberries. Cranberries are naturally high in pectin, which is why they thicken into jam without having to add any.
These made the perfect ending to our Christmas Eve dinner—everyone loved them! Any idea if I can freeze the leftover cheesecakes? Thanks!
Yes, cheesecake freezes very well!
Where do you find the mini jars ?
Looking forward to making them
We use ½ cup mason jars – the little ones used for canning jam. 🙂