Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes | Easy Holiday Dessert
I honestly can’t think of a better flavor combination than a creamy, sweet cheesecake and a tart cranberry topping. It is the perfect balance. Add a buttery graham cracker crust, and you’ve got a delicious, bite-sized dessert. Arrange a platter of these mini cranberry cheesecakes on your Christmas buffet table, and they’ll be a huge hit!
One of my favorite tips for making the holidays easier is to embrace make-ahead recipes. Anything you can do the day before is one less thing you have to do on the big day, and these work beautifully. Sometimes I wait to add cranberry sauce until just before serving, but you can totally do the crust and the cheesecake filling, which is the most time-consuming part.
And if you’re still planning your holiday menus, my smoky spiced carrots are a delicious twist, these sausage balls are the perfect holiday appetizer, and if your family loves shrimp like mine, simple shrimp salad can literally be made in 10 minutes!
I make extra cranberry sauce at the holidays just so I can make these mini cranberry cheesecakes. Since my family usually devours them before I even get one, I make a second batch to enjoy with leftovers after the holidays. Plus, they’re pretty and look gorgeous on your holiday table!
Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes
Tart cranberry sauce, sweet and creamy cheesecake, and buttery graham cracker crumbs. It’s a perfect balance of flavors and textures. These may look fancy, but you’ll be surprised at how easy they are to make. I typically make these with leftover cranberry sauce, but if I don’t have any, I take some help from the store and jazz up a can of whole berry sauce. You can find that recipe below!
INgredient Notes
- For the graham cracker crumbs, you can purchase them premade, but it’s more affordable to make your own. You can use a food processor or add them to a Ziploc bag and take your frustration out 🙂
- The cheesecake filling is a simple, standard combination of cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and an egg. To lower the sugar, use your favorite sugar substitute. This is what I think works best, dissolves completely, and tastes the closest to real sugar
- I typically use leftover cranberry sauce, but here’s a quick recipe.
- Place a small saucepan over medium heat.
- Add two teaspoons of cornstarch and 1/4 cup of orange juice.
- Whisk quickly to incorporate the cornstarch.
- Add 16 ounces of whole cranberry sauce.
- Bring to a simmer and cook for one minute, stirring constantly.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool completely.
Cranberry Cheesecakes – Step-By-Step
If you’re working with leftover cranberry sauce, there’s not much to do other than run a fork through it to loosen it up. If making your own or using my quickie recipe above, be sure it’s completely cooled before adding it to the top of the cheesecake.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and prepare the muffin pan.
- Prepare the graham cracker crust by combining graham cracker crumbs and butter.
- Press the crust mixture down into each muffin tin cup.
- Prepare the cheesecake filling and add it to the muffin tin.
- Swirl some of the cranberry sauce into the top of each cheesecake and bake.
- Cool completely before topping with more cranberry sauce. (a small mint leaf is pretty, too!)
The MOST important tip for this recipe is to let the cheesecakes cool completely before topping them with the remaining cranberry sauce. Any residual heat can melt the cranberry sauce and make it slide off.
Recipe Notes
- Starting with room-temperature cream cheese is crucial to achieving a smooth, lump-free texture. I suggest taking it out of the refrigerator an hour before starting the recipe.
- To make filling the muffin tins easier (and more accurate), use a large cookie scoop.
- The cheesecakes set up as they cool. You must let them cool completely before removing them from the pan.
- You can make these the day before to save some time on Thanksgiving or Christmas Day. Wait to add the additional cranberry topping until an hour before serving.
- The easiest way to change this recipe is to swap the topping. Instead of cranberry sauce, apple or cherry pie filling works beautifully here. Lemon curd is delish!
- To reduce sugar, swap regular powdered sugar for your favorite sugar substitute. I use this brand often, and it works well as a one-to-one replacement.
- Refrigerate in a covered container for up to four days. I do not recommend freezing.
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Mini Cranberry Cheesecakes | Easy Holiday Dessert
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups cranberry sauce (leftover or see recipe below)
Crust
- 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 ounces softened cream cheese
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Place the muffin liners in 9 cups of the muffin pan.
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter.
- Mix well, ensuring all the butter is absorbed.
- Divide the crumb mixture between the lined cups, pressing gently to flatten.
- In a medium-sized bowl, whip the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add the egg and vanilla, then mix until smooth.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture equally between the lined muffin cups.
- Drop a tablespoon of the cranberry mixture onto each one.
- Using the tip of a knife, swirl the cranberry sauce into the cream cheese filling.
- Bake for 20 minutes on the center rack.
- Allow to cool completely in the pan before removing.
- Top with additional cranberry sauce and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.
