Cranberry Swirl Mini Cheesecakes
What types of desserts are part of your Thanksgiving traditions? Classics like Pumpkin, Apple & Pecan Pie? A dessert buffet with a mish mash of all types of sweets? All of the above? I personally like to have a healthy mix of classics and some new and fun desserts. A Pumpkin dessert of some kind is a must, a classic Pecan Pie for my brother-in-law, and Salted Caramel Apple Pie as well. Beyond that, I like to change it up every year with at least one thing unexpected and a bit different.
I love a creamy and rich cheesecake and these are exactly that. Add in a swirl of seasonal cranberry and it may be my new favorite holiday dessert. These are crazy good, like so good that I cannot be trusted around them.
Confession: I never bake cheesecake in a water bath even when directions say to. What can I say? Sometimes I skip steps and that one always seems to get the cut. I can’t say it made a difference in the past, but I went for it with these babies and oh my goodness. Holy creamy, dreamy gooey cheesecake! The texture of these was like no other- so wonderful.
The cranberry swirl adds a nice tart touch which makes these the perfect holiday mouthful. I love a diverse dessert spread and this would be a lovely addition don’t you think? And an important question: Are there any desserts/dishes you’d like to see here on the blog before Thanksgiving? Let me know and I will try to get one made for you.
Cranberry Swirl Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons sugar
For the Cranberry Swirl:
- 1/2 cup of fresh or frozen cranberries
- 1/8 cup granulated white sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 tsp lemon zest
For the Filling:
- 16 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line cupcake pans with paper liners- set aside.
For the cranberry sauce:
- Combine the cranberries, sugar, water & lemon zest in a small saucepan and cook on medium-high heat until boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium low and gently cook the filling, stirring frequntly to prevent burning, until it becomes thick. Allow to cool while you prep the rest.
For the crust:
- In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, butter and sugar. Stir together until well-combined and moistened. Spoon a tablespoon of the crust into each liner and press down with your fingers. Bake for 5 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
For the cheesecake:
- Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer until fluffy. Blend in the sugar until smooth. Mix in the salt and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- To assemble, fill each cupcake liner 3/4 of the way with cheesecake filling. Dot about a teaspoon of the cranberry sauce on top of cheesecake filling. Use a toothpick or a wooden skewer to lightly swirl and create a marbled effect.
- Place the cupcake pan into a roasting pan filled with water- hitting about halfway up the side of the cupcake tin.* Bake until the filling is set, about 22 minutes.
- Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Once cool- cover with plastic wrap and chill completely in the tins.
Notes
*I used the water bath, but if you choose to skip it I still think these will be delicious, just possibly not as creamy and maybe a bit sunken. I used 2 6-cupcake tins and baked them in 2 batches... Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Unsaturated Fat: 0g
These look sooo delicious and cute! Plus, the colors are so bright and festive, they would look great on my Christmas dessert table. I’d love to see a traditional savory recipe!
xo, Elisa
I have great recipes in the archives for stuffing and garlic mashed potatoes! I have a couple more savory dishes coming too!
I love the idea of mini cheesecakes! I’m definitely going to have to try these.
These look so yummy Audra! I would love to see a savory/healthy addition to the traditional Thanksgiving spread.
Thanks Kathryn! I have a Sweet Potato dish coming soon that you may like :) (Though its not too too healthy I’m afraid…)
What a cute recipe! Love these delicious mini cheesecakes – perfect for entertaining!
These are so cute, and look so delicious!! I’m a huge fan of cranberry, and I bet the tartness is so great with the dreamy creamy cheesecake. Pinned!
I love how the tart cranberry cuts the decadent cheesecake! I never use a water bath either, but hey maybe I should if it gives such creamy results!
Hi, in the cranberry sauce the amount of water is not indicated, could you clear that up? I’m really looking foward to try these! Tks
I fixed it- thanks for letting me know!
wow! beautiful! can’t wait to try :D thanks
but what’s a water bath?
A water bath is when you take your cupcake tin and actually submerge it an inch or two in some boiling water! It creates steam and ensures the cheesecakes don’t sink!
I have made these delicious minis three times! They are amazing! Everyone begs for the recipe.
Does this recipe make 12 or 24 minis?
It makes 12 cupcake-sized cheesecakes :)
Can this recipe be doubled, or tripled?
Definitely- If you want to double the recipe you could make it in a Springform pan
can i substitute the cranberries for strawberries or blueberries? if so, how much should i use?
Yes I think so but I have never tried it that way, I would use the same amount but a bit less sugar since cranberries are much less tart!
would you recommend 1 teaspoon instead?
These look so cute. I was just wondering if they are freezable?
I haven’t frozen this recipe but you could certainly try. I woudl let them thaw in the fridge.
Has anyone ever tried using the 1 lb. tub of Philadelphia cheesecake no bake filling for this recipe? I’m curious before trying it myself.
I made these for Thanksgiving last week. One of our family members can’t have gluten so I put a store bought gluten free gingersnap in the bottom of each cupcake paper instead of making the graham cracker crust. The ginger flavor was nice with the cranberry and cheesecake. I’ll definitely make these again for Christmas. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!