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Cheesecake bites are nothing more than little chocolate-covered morsels of creamy cheesecake. No special equipment and no water bath needed, since chocolate covers any cracks. SO good!
my take
Nicole's Recipe Notes
These cheesecake bites aren't made in miniature muffin tins, since that seems harder—and makes larger bites that are harder to dip in chocolate. For small sized cheesecake pieces, I prefer to make a cheesecake in a square pan with the classic, creamy and perfect 8 ounces cream cheese-1/3 cup sugar-1 egg mixture, but add some cornstarch for stability. Then slice.
Most often, I go with a classic graham cracker cookie crust, but the combination of chocolate cookie made into a cookie crust and cheesecake is undeniably delicious. You can even go with no crust at all. Just bake the cake a wee bit longer to ensure that the cheesecake is stable enough to slice into bites.
Since these cheesecake bites are covered in chocolate, there is absolutely no need to stress about cracks in the cheesecake. The chocolate coating covers any mistakes.
Ingredient notes
Cheesecake bites are made with only a few ingredients: cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and vanilla for the filling, and melted butter and cookie crumbs for the base. If you want them topped in chocolate, you'll also need chopped chocolate and some coconut oil.
- Cream cheese – Make sure your cream cheese comes in blocks, not a tub where more air will have been added to it already, and that it's fully at room temperature, or it will clump and not combine properly.
- Granulated sugar – Sugar is a sweetener and also a tenderizer here. You can reduce the sugar by about 1/4 cup (50 g) without affecting taste or texture that much.
- Cornstarch – The starch helps to stabilize the cheesecake, which is especially important here since we're baking it into an 8-inch square and then slicing it into mini cheesecakes.
- Salt – Salt helps bring out the other flavors and balances the sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – A touch of vanilla adds some depth of flavor.
- Cookie crumbs – The cookie crust that's classic for cheesecake is made with your favorite type of crunchy cookies or sweet crackers, like graham crackers, that are crumbled into fine crumbs in a blender or food processor.
- Melted butter – We add melted butter to our finely ground cookie crumbs to help hold them together.
- Chopped chocolate – I like to use bittersweet chocolate here, but you can use whatever chocolate you like best. Since we're using it for dipping and want it to set, if you're careful in melting it so it doesn't seize, you can even use chocolate chips.
- Virgin coconut oil – Adding some coconut oil to the melted chocolate helps make dipping easier, and helps the chocolate coating set properly after dipping.
How to make cheesecake bites
Rather than making mini cheesecake bites in miniature muffin tins, I prefer to make a single square cheesecake in an 8-inch square pan and slice it into minis afterward. The preparation is much faster, and I prefer the smaller bites, too.
Make the cookie crust
Almost any sort of crunchy cookie can be ground into relatively fine crumbs that are just right for a graham cracker crust. Crunchy cookies are best because they have less moisture so the crust is crispy, not soft.
I take my gluten free graham crackers and ground them into fine graham cracker crumbs in my blender, in batches since I don't have a big blender. Then, I add melted butter to the finely ground crumbs, which creates moist, buttery cookie crumbles.
Finally, press the cookie butter mixture into the bottom of a prepared square baking pan and set the pan aside. Be sure your pan is lined with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper to help get the cheesecake out of the pan using the liner as handles.
Make the cheesecake filling
I have a basic formula for making a classic, never-fail, classic cheesecake, and it's always served me well. For this recipe, I essentially doubled it:
- 8 ounces block cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup (66 to 100 g) granulated sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
In this recipe, since the cake is sliced into 1-inch square bites, it must be quite firm without being overbaked. That's why we add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to help stabilize the cake.
The method for making the cheesecake filling is simple: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until light and fluffy. Then, add the egg and beat until smooth. If you over beat the egg, your cheesecake is much more likely to crack.
Recipe variations
No bake bites
If you don't have time, or you can't have the eggs that are essential to make cheesecake, you can make cheesecake bites with a base recipe of no bake cheesecake with gelatin. For some extra flavor, try adding a bit of fresh lemon juice to the no bake mixture.
That cheesecake sets in the refrigerator in 2 hours or less, and slices so clean. You could even make it crustless, and then cover the bites completely in chocolate.
Chocolate-dipped bites
These bites are creamy, sweet and delicious on their own. They're amazing party food just as they are, without any chocolate. But if you're game, you can really level them up with a simple chocolate coating.
Melt the chopped chocolate either in a double boiler, or in the microwave at low power in quick bursts, stirring in between. Add the coconut oil right after, and mix until it melts. Then, let the mixture sit for a few minutes to allow it to thicken a bit so it holds on the bites.
Unlike dipping something like gluten free “thin mints”, you don't have to immerse these cheesecake bites fully in melted chocolate. Instead, you'll simply hold the crust with your thumb and forefinger, invert the bite, and immerse just the cheesecake portion in melted chocolate.
Place the bites right side up on a piece of parchment, and let them set. That's all!
Ingredient substitutions
These mini cheesecake bites are made gluten free by using gluten free crunchy cookie crumbs. If you don't have to be gluten free, use whatever crunchy cookies you like and nothing else changes!
Egg free
If you need to avoid other allergens, like eggs, I recommend you use our no bake cheesecake recipe instead of this one for the filling. Otherwise, you must use eggs.
Dairy free
If you're avoiding dairy, you can try using a vegan cream cheese like Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese. I have tried using Violife's vegan cream cheese and it did not work at all, so I recommend against that brand for cheesecake.
Corn free
You can make these bites without cornstarch, though, if corn is a problem. Just use arrowroot in its place. Potato starch might also work, and it's worth trying superfine rice flour, too.
Coconut free
In place of virgin coconut oil, you can use vegetable shortening to help set the chocolate mixture.
Mini Cheesecake Bites Recipe
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 ½ cups (225 g) crunchy cookie crumbs , (gluten free if necessary; I used my “Nabisco” GF Honey-Maid Graham Crackers)
- 5 tablespoons (70 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
For the filling
- 16 ounces (16 ounces) packaged block cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons (18 g) cornstarch, (or try arrowroot or potato starch)
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
For the chocolate coating
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) virgin coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with nonstick aluminum foil or parchment paper that overhangs the sides of the pan on at least 2 opposite sides. Set the pan aside.
Prepare the crust.
- In a medium-size bowl, place the cookie crumbs and the melted butter, and mix until all the crumbs are moistened.
- Place the cookie crumb mixture in the prepared pan and press firmly into an even layer on the bottom of the pan and very slightly up the sides. Set the pan aside.
Prepare the filling.
- In a medium-sized bowl, place the cream cheese and beat with a hand mixer (or the paddle attachment in a stand mixer) until light and fluffy.
- Add the sugar, salt, and cornstarch, and beat to combine well. The mixture should appear whipped.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat until just combined and smooth (do not overbeat). The mixture should be pourable.
- Pour the filling on top of the prepared crust, and spread it into an even layer. Bang the bottom of the pan on the kitchen counter a few times to release trapped air bubbles.
Bake.
- Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until just set (about 30 minutes). The filling is set when it does not jiggle more than a tiny bit in the center when the pan is shaken gently back and forth.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 20 minutes.
Chill the cheesecake.
- Cover the cooled pan of cheesecake tightly with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer until very firm (about 2 hours).
Slice into bites
- Remove the cheesecake from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, and lift the remove from the pan.
- Using a sharp knife, slice into 64 1-inch squares, cleaning the knife frequently to ensure clean edges.
Make the coating.
- Place the chopped chocolate and coconut oil in a large, deep bowl with high sides. Melt over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally, in 30-second increments at 60% power.
- Allow the chocolate to sit at room temperature until it begins to thicken a bit.
Dip the bites.
- Holding each bite by the crust with your fingertips, dip it into the chocolate coating at least halfway up the sides.
- Place, crust side down, on a piece of parchment paper. Allow the bites to sit until the chocolate is set.
- Store any leftovers in a sealed container in the refrigerator or the freezer for longer storage.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Storing mini cheesecake bites
These mini cheesecakes, like all cheesecake, should be refrigerated in an airtight container, so it doesn't spoil. Cheesecake also has the best texture when it's served still chilled.
Can you freeze them?
Yes, you can freeze mini cheesecake bites in a tightly sealed container, and they should last about a month. Whether refrigerated or frozen, if you've dipped them in the chocolate coating, chilling the bites may cause the chocolate to bloom or develop a harmless white cast, but it won't affect the taste.
FAQs
The secret to prevent cracking is to bake the cake at no more than 325°F/163°C. Baking low and slow ensures an even, and stable, rise.
If you're really worried (no stress!), once the filling is set, turn off the oven and prop open the door. Let the cake sit in there for about 10 minutes, or until the oven temperature reaches about 200°F on your oven thermometer.
That would probably work well! You can use this recipe for baked cheesecake cookie cups as a guide for how long to bake them as a mini cheesecake recipe.
I'm afraid that won't work. Cream cheese is much thicker and stable than even Greek yogurt.
You can use light block cream cheese to make the cheesecake, but you'll have to cut them into larger bites because the result will be softer and less stable. Rather than dipping them in chocolate, I'd drizzle the chocolate on top.
I so very much appreciate your expertise in formulating recipes that actually work! Everything I have tried has great flavor and texture. A few have failed due to the number of substitutions my diet requires. Your suggestions for dietary restrictions are so very helpful. You have expanded my choices 10 fold.
I’m so happy to hear that you seem to have such a sense of possibility, Debbie, and that you find my substitution suggestions useful. I really appreciate your understanding that, as you make more and more substitutions, sometimes the recipe just can’t hold up. Thank you so much for sharing your experience, and for the kind words. They mean so much to me!
Can you add pumpkin to the cheesecake filling? I’d like to make these for Thanksgiving or during autumn season. Thank you
I don’t recommend just adding pumpkin to the recipe, no, Seton. Please see this recipe for gluten free pumpkin cheesecake and use that filling recipe instead.
My husband not only can’t have gluten but he also has to be really strict about fat! Does the cooking time change if this is baked without a crust? (I also won’t be adding the chocolate, we’ll use fruit.
Thank you, Nicole
Hi, Katie, if you skip the crust, you shouldn’t have to modify the baking time by much (although it may bake a little quicker), but you should definitely line the inside bottom of the pan with parchment and cover the outside with foil or the cheesecake may leak through the pan.
I made these to share at work, and they were perfect! Cute and delicious. Sometimes you just need a bite (or two or three) of cheesecake. Ha.