Print

Mini Christmas Tree Cheesecakes Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.5 from 118 reviews

These Mini Christmas Tree Cheesecakes offer a festive and delightful dessert that’s perfect for holiday celebrations. Featuring a buttery graham cracker crust, a creamy and smooth cheesecake filling, topped with a vibrant cranberry compote and piped coconut whipped cream shaped like Christmas trees, this recipe brings together traditional holiday flavors with a light and airy presentation. Ideal for sharing at parties, these cheesecakes combine a luscious texture with seasonal fruitiness for a joyful treat.

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 200g Graham cracker crumbs (or digestive biscuits or gluten-free alternatives)
  • 50g sugar (adjustable to taste)
  • 75g unsalted butter, melted (or margarine)

For the Filling

  • 500g cream cheese (low-fat cream cheese for a lighter option)
  • 200g sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
  • 30g cornstarch (optional, recommended for consistency)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract (or almond extract)
  • 3 eggs (or flaxseed eggs or silken tofu for a vegan alternative)

For the Topping

  • 200g fresh cranberries (or raspberries or strawberries)
  • 50g icing sugar (or sugar alternatives)
  • 200ml whipped coconut cream (dairy-free alternative)
  • 1 tsp lemon juice (or lime juice)
  • Orange zest (optional, for added citrus flavor)

Instructions

  1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 165 °C (325 °F) to prepare for baking the crust and cheesecake.
  2. Prepare Crust: In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until evenly combined. Press the mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of 12 muffin tins to form the crust layer.
  3. Par-Bake Crust: Bake the crusts in the preheated oven for 5 minutes to set the base before adding the filling. Remove and allow to cool slightly.
  4. Make Cheesecake Filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar together in a separate bowl until the mixture is creamy and smooth. This ensures a velvety texture for your cheesecakes.
  5. Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the cream cheese mixture, mixing gently after each addition to maintain a smooth consistency without over-beating.
  6. Assemble Cheesecakes: Spoon the cheesecake filling evenly over the cooled crusts in the muffin tins.
  7. Bain-Marie Setup: Place the muffin tin inside a larger baking dish and fill this dish with hot water halfway up the sides of the muffin tin to create a water bath. This helps the cheesecakes bake evenly without cracking.
  8. Bake Cheesecakes: Bake the mini cheesecakes in the oven for approximately 18-22 minutes until just set but still slightly jiggly in the center.
  9. Cool Cheesecakes: Remove from the oven and let the cheesecakes cool at room temperature for one hour. Then refrigerate them for at least 3 hours to fully set and chill.
  10. Prepare Cranberry Topping: Cook the fresh cranberries with sugar and a little water until they thicken into a compote-like consistency. Allow to cool.
  11. Whip Cream: Whip the coconut cream with the powdered (icing) sugar and vanilla extract until soft peaks form, creating a fluffy topping.
  12. Decorate: Spoon the cooled cranberry topping onto each cheesecake, then pipe the whipped cream into festive Christmas tree shapes. Garnish with optional orange zest for extra citrus flavor if desired.

Notes

  • You can substitute graham cracker crumbs with digestive biscuits or gluten-free alternatives to accommodate dietary needs.
  • Low-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt are lighter options that won’t compromise flavor.
  • Cornstarch is optional but helps improve the firmness and texture of the cheesecake filling.
  • For a vegan version, replace eggs with flaxseed eggs or silken tofu and use coconut cream instead of dairy cream.
  • Use fresh or frozen cranberries for the topping; adjust sugar to taste depending on berry tartness.
  • Water bath (bain-marie) is essential to prevent cracking and ensure smooth cheesecakes.
  • The orange zest adds a refreshing citrus note that complements the cranberry topping beautifully but can be omitted if desired.

Find it online: https://forkvista.com/mini-christmas-tree-cheesecakes-recipe/