Holidays
Holiday Mini Cheesecake Recipe
Prep
20 minutes
Cook
30 minutes
Yield
12 cheesecakes
This easy mini cheesecake recipe topped with cinnamon almonds and warm apples is the perfect easy holiday recipe.
This mini cheesecake recipe is going to blow your mind. They are creamy and rich, with an easy puff pastry base and a warming apple and cinnamon topping. These mini cheesecakes take the hard work out of making cheesecake but still deliver. They’re the perfect bite-size dessert for any potluck or holiday dinner.
Why you’ll love this mini cheesecake recipe:
- Easy: Making cheesecake can be time-consuming but this recipe makes it easy and you’ll have it done in under an hour
- Impressive: These look beautiful and will wow your guests this holiday season
- Versatile: Switch up the toppings for different fruit vs. apples, and add any garnishes you love
Ingredient Notes:
Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt is an awesome substitute for more unhealthy thickening ingredients in both sweet and savory recipes. It gives that creamy consistency but adds protein vs. sugar or unhealthy fats.
Cinnamon Almonds: For this recipe, I topped these mini cheesecakes with Sante Nuts Cinnamon Almonds. This adds a pop of comforting cinnamon flavor with a delicious crunch. These almonds have hints of citrus and brandy and remind me of coffee cake or cinnamon buns.
How to make mini cheesecakes:
- Pre heat oven to 375F and spray the muffin tin with non stick cooking spray or grease with butter.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet until you can roughly measure twelve squares (about 2-2 1/2 inches by 2-2 1/2 inches) and cut into 12 squares.
- Gently press one square of dough into each muffin tin and poke the bottom of each with the tines of a fork.
- Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- While the puff pastry is baking, start the apples. Add the butter to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced apples and chili flakes to the pan and cook on medium low for about 5-10 minutes to soften. When the apples are almost done, add the cinnamon almonds and cook a few more minutes. Set aside when done.
- While the puff pastry is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, yogurt together until smooth. Slowly add the icing sugar and mix until smooth.
- Once puff pastry is cooled, assemble the cheesecakes: spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto each cooked puff pastry square; top with a tablespoon of cooled apple mixture (sort of gently press it into the cream cheese); finally, drizzle the desserts with olive oil and garnish with fresh rosemary just before serving.
Expert Tips & FAQ:
Want to prep these ahead of time? Make the apples, cool and store in the fridge. You can make the cream cheese filling ahead of time and store in the fridge. The puff pastry can be baked and fully cooled, then simply stored at room temp until ready to use. When you’re ready to assemble, be sure to remove the apples and cream cheese mixture from the fridge at least 30 minutes before using to have it come to room temperature.
Other fruit to use: If you don’t love apples, try using pear instead.
Other recipes you’ll love:
- Chocolate Dipped Peanut Butter Cup Stuffed Oreos
- One Bowl Easy Honey Cake
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake
- Strawberry Crumble
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Holiday Mini Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 sheet or square puff pastry, defrosted
- butter or cooking oil spray
- 250 g softened cream cheese
- 1/3 cup plain greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup icing sugar
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 apple, diced
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Sante Nuts Cinnamon Almonds
- 1/4-1/2 tsp chili flakes
- for garnish: olive oil & fresh rosemary
Instructions
- Pre heat oven to 375F and spray the muffin tin with non stick cooking spray or grease with butter.
- Roll out the puff pastry sheet until you can roughly measure twelve squares (about 2-2 1/2 inches by 2-2 1/2 inches) and cut into 12 squares.
- Gently press one square of dough into each muffin tin and poke the bottom of each with the tines of a fork.
- Bake for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
- While the puff pastry is baking, start the apples. Add the butter to a frying pan over medium heat. Add the diced apples and chili flakes to the pan and cook on medium low for about 5-10 minutes to soften. When the apples are almost done, add the cinnamon almonds and cook a few more minutes. Set aside when done.
- While the puff pastry is cooling, make the cheesecake filling. In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, whip the cream cheese, yogurt together until smooth. Slowly add the icing sugar and mix until smooth.
- Once puff pastry is cooled, assemble the cheesecakes: spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture onto each cooked puff pastry square; top with a tablespoon of cooled apple mixture (sort of gently press it into the cream cheese); finally, drizzle the desserts with olive oil and garnish with fresh rosemary just before serving.
