Description
These Santa Hat Mini Cheesecakes are a delightful and festive holiday treat featuring a graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and topped with whipped cream and fresh strawberries to resemble Santa hats. Perfect for Christmas gatherings, they are easy to make, single-serving desserts that bring a playful yet elegant touch to your holiday table.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 10 tablespoons salted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 (8 ounce) blocks cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whipped Cream Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
Decoration
- Whole strawberries, tops removed
Instructions
- Prepare Oven and Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners to ensure easy removal of the cheesecakes after baking.
- Make Crust Mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand, ensuring the crumbs are evenly coated.
- Form and Bake Crust: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into each lined muffin cup. Press the mixture evenly into the bottom using your fingertips to create a firm, uniform crust layer. Bake the crust in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove and let cool while preparing the filling.
- Lower Oven Temperature: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) to prepare for baking the cheesecake filling.
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar together on low speed until smooth and well combined. Gradually add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract, then continue beating for about 1 minute until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Fill Crusts with Filling: Spoon a generous teaspoon of the cheesecake batter into each muffin liner, filling it just to the top of the liner without overflowing.
- Bake Cheesecakes: Place the filled muffin pan in the oven and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center slightly jiggles. Remove from oven and allow the cheesecakes to cool completely.
- Whip Cream Topping: In a medium bowl, whip the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar together using a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Decorate Cheesecakes: Transfer the whipped cream to a piping bag. Pipe a dollop of whipped cream onto the center of each cooled cheesecake. Place a whole strawberry, cut side down, on top of the whipped cream gently pressing it down. Finish by piping a small dollop of whipped cream on the tip of each strawberry to complete the Santa hat look.
- Chill and Serve: Refrigerate the assembled mini cheesecakes until ready to serve for best texture and flavor.
Notes
- These Santa Hat Mini Cheesecakes are a festive, single-serving dessert perfect for holiday celebrations.
- Ensure cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature for smooth, creamy batter.
- Use mini cupcake liners to easily remove cheesecakes from the pan.
- Make in batches if you don’t have multiple mini muffin pans.
- Keep the cheesecakes refrigerated until serving to maintain freshness and toppings.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake
- Calories: 67 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 41 mg
- Fat: 5 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.2 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 19 mg
