Creamy layers of sweet peppermint cheesecake and rich mocha cheesecake in an Oreo cookie crust!
Peppermint is definitely one of those flavors that gets the short end of the stick. It’s rarely ever thought of from January through November, but once Starbucks releases their peppermint mochas, people are ALL about those peppermint vibes.
And since we’re on the topic of peppermint mochas, I might as well skip straight to the reason you clicked on this post in the first place…
How ADORBS are these Mini Peppermint Mocha Cheesecakes?! Really. Not to mention, they are absolutely exquisite. With a sweet and creamy layer of peppermint cheesecake, an indulgent layer of chocolate mocha cheesecake, and a crispy Oreo cookie crust, there’s no doubt that these darling little cheesecakes are perfect for your next holiday gathering.
It’s desserts like these that remind me why I need more peppermint in my life. For one thing, peppermint and chocolate are an absolute dream when paired together. And another thing, you get the added benefit of minty fresh breath when you’re finished devouring one of these pepperminty treats. Trust me, this WILL come in handy when you’re standing under the mistletoe this year…
For a while now, I’ve been looking for a good mini cheesecake pan. In the past, I’ve used cupcake pans, which are perfectly fine, but I just prefer the cutie-pa-tootie-ness of the “mini-ER” cheesecakes. Luckily, Amazon pulled through, and I found this lovely little pan (non-sponsored, btw). When it arrived, it didn’t take me long to come up with the perfect recipe to test it out on.
Now, if you don’t have one of these mini cheesecake pans, no need to fret. You can totally use a cupcake/muffin pan. Just make sure to line it with cupcake liners and keep them in the oven a little longer since the cheesecakes will be larger. Don’t worry, I’ll include the baking time for those in the recipe!
Ok, to start things off, you’re gonna make up the crust. Just throw some Oreos into a food processor, and pulse until finely ground. Toss the Oreo crumbs with some melted butter, and then firmly press about a tablespoon of the crust mixture into the bottom of each cavity of the mini cheesecake pan. If you’re using a cupcake pan, you’ll need about 2 Tablespoons. Place the crusts into a preheated 325ºF oven, and bake for 5 minutes.
As the crusts are baking, you can get started on the cheesecake batter. Start by beating some cream cheese, granulated sugar and cornstarch together until smooth and creamy. The cornstarch is basically extra insurance for your cheesecakes. Not only does a little cornstarch prevent cracking, but it also stabilizes the cheesecake by interacting with the egg proteins, preventing over-coagulation.
After sour cream and vanilla are mixed in, the eggs are added one at a time. Once the eggs are added, try to avoid over-mixing. You don’t want to incorporate too much air into the batter, which will cause the cheesecakes to rise and fall, leaving cracks on the surface of it.
Now that you’ve got the base of the cheesecake batter, divide it into two bowls. For the first bowl, you’ll add some melted semi-sweet chocolate and some instant espresso powder which has been dissolved in a little hot water. For the second bowl, you’ll stir in some melted white chocolate, peppermint extract, and a drop of red food coloring. I would recommend dipping a toothpick into the food coloring, and dipping it into the cheesecake batter. This will give you more control over how much food coloring is added. I made the mistake of trying to pour “a little” into my batter…big mistake. HUGE.
Spoon about a tablespoon of the mocha batter into the bottom of each mini cheesecake cavity, then smooth it out. Spoon a tablespoon of the peppermint batter on top of the mocha batter, then carefully smooth it out and try to avoid mixing the two batters. These bake in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until set.
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUPCAKE PAN: Spoon enough mocha batter into the bottom of each cupcake liner until it’s about halfway up. Spoon peppermint batter on top of the mocha batter until it’s about a centimeter from the top of the cupcake liner. Bake in the oven for 20-23 minutes, or until set.
Once baked and out of the oven, allow the cheesecakes to cool for an hour before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely. Place the cooled cheesecakes into the refrigerator for 2 hours before serving.
To make these cuties extra enticing, I topped each one with a generous swirl of whipped cream, some chocolate curls, and some finely-crushed peppermint candies. To make the chocolate curls, just take a chocolate bar, and use a vegetable peeler to shave some curls over each cheesecake.
Oh and one more thing…did I mention how freaking ADORABLE these mini cheesecakes are?!
Happy Holiday Baking, everybody!
Peppermint Mocha Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 17 Oreos
- 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
For the Cheesecake Batter
- 20 ounces cream cheese
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 eggs
- 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1 Tablespoon hot water
- 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon peppermint extract**
- Red food coloring
Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For Decorating:
- Chocolate curls
- Crushed peppermints
Instructions
Make the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 325ºF, and lightly grease a 12 cup mini cheesecake pan with nonstick spray.
- Crush the Oreos in a food processor until finely ground. Add the melted butter and mix until all the crumbs are moistened. Spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into each cavity, and use your fingers to firmly press the mixture into the bottom of each cavity. Bake crusts for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool slightly.
Make the Cheesecake Batter:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, and cornstarch together until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl several times with a rubber spatula. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beating until combined. With mixer on low speed beat in eggs, one at a time, just until blended. Divide the batter evenly between two medium bowls.
- Place the semi-sweet chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted.*** Stir melted chocolate into one of the bowls of cheesecake batter, until combined. In a small bowl, combine the espresso powder and hot water until dissolved. Stir mixture into chocolate cheesecake batter; set aside.
- Place the white chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until smooth and melted.*** Stir melted white chocolate into the second bowl of cheesecake batter, until combined. Add the peppermint extract and a drop of red food coloring.
- Spoon a tablespoon of the mocha cheesecake batter into each cavity of the pan, smoothing it into an even layer. Spoon a tablespoon of the peppermint cheesecake batter on top of the mocha batter, smoothing it out evenly. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until set. Allow to cool for one hour before removing from pan. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a star attachment (I used Wilton's 1M tip).
- Pipe whipped cream onto each mini cheesecake. Top with chocolate curls and crushed peppermint candies, if desired. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.