Description
Santa Hat Mini Cheesecakes are a delightful and festive single-serving dessert perfect for holiday gatherings. These adorable treats feature a graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and a whipped cream topping adorned with a fresh strawberry, resembling a Santa hat. Easy to make in batches, they combine classic flavors with a charming presentation that will impress your guests.
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
Topping
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- Whole strawberries, tops removed
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare crust: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a mini muffin pan with mini cupcake liners to prepare for the crust.
- Make crust mixture: In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand, indicating they are fully combined.
- Press crust into pan: Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the crust mixture into each cupcake liner. Use your fingertips to press it down evenly and firmly to form the crust layer.
- Bake crust: Bake the crusts in the oven for 5 minutes to set them. Remove and allow to cool while you prepare the filling.
- Reduce oven temperature: Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) in preparation for baking the cheesecake filling.
- Prepare cheesecake batter: In a large bowl, blend the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar using a hand mixer on low speed until smooth and well combined.
- Add remaining filling ingredients: Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture and beat on low speed for about 1 minute until smooth and creamy.
- Fill muffin liners: Spoon a generous teaspoon of the cheesecake batter over each baked crust, filling the liners almost to the top.
- Bake cheesecakes: Bake the mini cheesecakes at 325°F for 15-17 minutes until set. Remove and let cool completely.
- Beat whipped cream: In a medium bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar together with a handheld mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Assemble Santa hats: 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 on top with the flat cut side down, gently pressing it into the cream.
- Finishing touch: Pipe a small dollop of whipped cream onto the tip of each strawberry to create the ‘pom-pom’ of the Santa hat.
- Chill and serve: Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes until ready to serve to allow flavors to meld and toppings to set.
Notes
- These mini cheesecakes are perfect for holiday parties and are easy to make in batches using multiple mini muffin tins or done in stages.
- Be sure to use room temperature ingredients for a smooth, creamy cheesecake batter.
- You can substitute regular strawberries with frozen ones that are fully thawed, but fresh strawberries provide the best presentation.
- Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days for best freshness.
- Allow the cheesecakes to come to room temperature briefly before eating for optimum flavor and texture.
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
