Mini cranberry cheesecakes are the perfect holiday dessert! These are a delicious balance of tart, sweet, and creamy!
I absolutely love cranberries, so I’m always looking for ways to use them other than cranberry sauce. And, since mini desserts are perfect for gatherings, I came up with these adorable little treats that will look gorgeous on your holiday table!
One of my favorite flavor combinations is tart and sweet, which is exactly what my mini cranberry cheesecakes deliver. The creamy, sweet cheesecake balances the tart and tangy cranberries perfectly. That, combined with a buttery crust, make these a perfect little bite of deliciousness!
How to make mini cranberry cheesecakes:
- Make the cranberry sauce.
- Mix the crust ingredients, press into the liners, and bake.
- Whip the cheesecake mixture and spoon on top of the crusts.
- Bake until the cheesecake is just set.
- Let completely cool.
Another thing that I love about mini desserts is that there is usually no slicing and serving involved – just arrange them on a platter and watch them disappear. For an extra-special presentation, add mint leaves to the top of each cheesecake.
As fancy as these look, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easy they are to make! Be sure to come back and let me know how yours turn out. This will be on my holiday menu for years to come!
Variations for cranberry cheesecakes:
- To lower the carbs, use your favorite sugar substitute in place of sugar.
- Replace the cranberry swirl with blueberry, strawberry, or even chocolate.
- Use a mini muffin pan to make them even smaller!
Serve this with:
- Beef Barbacoa (like Chipotle)
- Copycat Chick-fil-A Nuggets
- 5 Ingredient Beer Bread
- Homemade Magic Shell
- Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Frosting
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Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Cranberry Swirl
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 16 oz whole berry cranberry sauce
Crust
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz softened Cream Cheese
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 350.
- Whisk together the cornstarch and orange juice in a small pan over medium heat.
- Add in cranberry sauce, stir, and bring mixture to a boil for one minute.
- Allow this mixture to cool.
- Place paper liners in 9 cups of muffin pan.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix well.
- Divide between the lined cups, pressing gently to flatten the bottom.
- Whip together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Add in the egg and the vanilla and mix until blended.
- Divide and spoon into the lined cups to about 2/3 full.
- Put a tablespoon of cranberry mixture into each and gently swirl with a knife.
- Bake for 20 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely in pan before removing.
- Top with additional cranberry sauce and refrigerate at least 1 hour.
