Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes
The perfect holiday cheesecake recipe. Mini eggnog flavored cheesecakes with a chocolate crust, topped off with fresh sweetened whipped cream and strawberry Santa hats. An adorable addition to any holiday party.
It’s officially December. How did that happen? Did you get that memo? I think mine got lost in the mail or maybe sent to spam… or tossed in the recycling bin. I’m kind of in shock about it. We’ve obviously been prepping for this for months, given that stores like Target thrusted it at us even well before Halloween! I’ll admit, I had my usual ‘oh come on‘! annoyance over it but at the same time I kind of got the teensiest bit giddy over it all too.
So, I don’t totally mind that it’s already December. I’m excited in a way. It’s something new to think about but I swear it’s already screaming by and it’s only just begun. Woooah settle down there, right? But no, seriously. I mean just think, it was seriously just 1999. Or something like that. And here it is, December… the Eve of 2014. I can’t even. I don’t want to think about it.
So okay, our tree is up and we’ve already been having Christmas movie marathons. Is your tree up yet? I swear that’s what my Instagram feed was full of this weekend – lots and lots of people setting up their trees and other holiday decorations. And holiday baking music is in full effect … much to the Mr’s dismay. He isn’t exactly a fan of the same songs over and over just with slight variations by different people. I can totally get into it though. The kids are of course excited about Christmas and Santa so it seemed fitting to kick off a month of sweet tooth adventures with an adorable and totally festive treat. Right?! No tiptoeing in. It’s time to jump in and get cozy!
You know how completely obsessed I am with mini things, especially mini cheesecakes. If you hadn’t noticed, it’s time to catch up. Go ahead, take a peak (HERE) and see what you’ve been missing. Who could resist a super cute Santa hat cheesecake? It’d be the hit of your holiday party with both adults and kids! Take it a step further and give it a dusting of sugar for the ultimate touch. I really wanted to call these “snow dusted Santa hat cheesecakes” but I thought that was a bit long so… mini Santa hat cheesecakes it is.
Creamy mini eggnog cheesecakes sit on top of chocolate crusts. Homemade sweetened whipped cream and fresh strawberries create the perfect Santa hat, with a finishing touch of powdered sugar for the snow. These are an absolute must make this holiday season!
Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Crust:
- 10 Chocolate sandwich cookies, see note
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 Tbsp granulated sugar
Filling:
- 12 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 C granulated sugar
- 1/2 C eggnog
- 1 Tbsp all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
Whipped cream:
- 1/2 C heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 12 Strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini cheesecake pan.
- In a food processor, blend cookies until only fine crumbs remain. Combine crumbs with butter and sugar. Divide between prepared cheesecake cavities, adding 1 small cookie scoop of crust mixture to each cavity. Press down firmly to create an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer beat together cream cheese and granulated sugar until fluffy and smooth. With mixer running on low, slowly add eggnog, flour, vanilla and salt. Gradually increase speed, mixing until no lumps remain. Finally, add egg, mixing until combined and no streaks remain.
- Divide batter between cheesecake pan cavities using a medium scoop. Add roughly 1 and 1/4 medium scoop or a heaping scoop to each cavity. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until cheesecakes are set.
- Allow cheesecakes to sit in pan on a wire rack until they are room temperature. Transfer cheesecakes to refrigerator to chill overnight or until chilled through.
- In a medium bowl, beat together heavy cream and powdered sugar until stiff peaks form. Cover and chill until ready to use.
- Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan, removing the pan disc from the crust. Top off with whipped cream and strawberries. Sprinkle with optional powdered for a snow dusted look.
Notes
More holiday recipes to try:
Eggnog cranberry swirl cheesecake bars
Apple cranberry crumb pie
Mini eggnog cheesecakes
Peanut brittle
Gingerbread Kiss cookies
White chocolate peppermint bark cheesecake
Gingerbread cheesecake
Snowflake peppermint bark
***GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED***
I’m always taunting you with mini cheesecakes so I thought it’d be fun to do a giveaway for my absolute favorite mini cheesecake pan. All opinions are my own and I haven’t been endorsed in the slightest way to show you this. I just really truly love it. It makes for some seriously fun and cute desserts and I want you to have one too! If you make cheesecakes, you know how important having a removable bottom is, right? This pan has 12 cavities with removable bottoms! And the entire pan is non-stick, which as you know, helps a lot with baking finicky desserts at times.
So…
Giveaway details:
Courtesy of Baked by Rachel (aka me!), one reader will win one mini cheesecake pan. Giveaway will run from December 2, 2013 – December 7, 2013. Winner must be at least 18 years old and a US resident. Winner will be randomly selected and emailed. Winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Main entry must be completed or extra entries will not count.
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Santa Hat Cheesecakes pinned on my “fun foods for kids” board on Pinterest
I’m going to make the Santa Hat cheesecakes – my kid swill LOVE them! Great idea!!
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First think I would make would be the Santa Hat cheesecakes, even if it is after Christmas, a little Christmas would still be fun.
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I love the mini eggnog cheesecakes with the strawberry top. Ill make them even if I dont win the pan, they are so cute!!!!
Aww thank you Beth! :) And good luck!
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I would love to try the Mini Oreo cheescake recipe with a strawberry santa hat.
I think these santa hat ones are my favorite!
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Your recipes are fabulous! My fiance loves eating and I absolutely love making mini red velvet and apple pie (with brown sugar and homemade whipped cream *YUM*) cheesecakes. They aren’t so “mini” at my house because we just use a cupcake pan. Not to worry – we have included a mini cheesecake pan on our registry. Thanks for all you do :D
So glad to hear that you enjoy them! :) And very smart planning adding the pan to your registry!
I would like to try the eggnog cranberry swirl cheesecake bars.
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I’m most excited about this cheesecake recipe. Little Santa hats are adorable and will be perfect for my holiday party!
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Rachel, for those of us who don’t have the mini cheesecake pans do you think it would be possible to make these directly on top of the chocolate cookie, sans cream filling, or do you think the cookie would burn? Oh – and I just found you on FB and Pinterest. Three times the fun. Hurray.
I’d recommend making them in a regular muffin pan with liner. They’ll be a little larger around and also shorter but that’s the best alternative when you don’t have a mini cheesecake pan.
The mini eggnog cheesecakes!!!
The Eggnog Cranberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars are calling my name big time, but these Santa Hats are too cute! Putting them on the list too!
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Pinned on to my cheesecakes board…
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I want to try the Mini eggnog cheesecakes!
I would love to try these Mini Santa Hat Cheesecakes!
I follow on Facebook…the mini red velvet cheesecakes are just adorable and look delicious! Can’t wait to try them…
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i follow on facebook and now on pinterest. i wanna try all of them but i really like the santa hats. cheesecake is such .a favorite in my house…then add eggnog… yep. :^)
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santa hat is my fav!!!
This cheesecake recipe is going to the top of my list. We have a Christmas eve brunch and I am going to make these! THanks for offering the chance to win. I’ve wanted one of those pans for ages.
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Those are so adorable!! Great use of the mini cheesecake pan.
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santa hat cheesecake