Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes

Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes are a creamy baked dessert that combines molasses, ginger, cinnamon, and a crisp cookie crust, perfect for holiday sharing. Each one fits into a paper liner so the tray looks festive without the slicing and plating of a full size cheese cake.

Makes 12 muffins in a standard muffin tin Pre-bake the crusts for five minutes, leave the mixer on low speed after you add the eggs, and remove the cakes when their little centers still quiver softly. A 4-hour chill and slow cooling finishes the texture without a water bath.

Why These Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes Are So Good

The story of the crust and filling is one of warm spice without sounding one-note. The finely crushed gingersnaps give the cheesecake a crisp bite and caramelized edges, and the molasses adds a deeper gingerbread character. A little sour cream cuts the edge off the richness, and keeps the chilled center creamy, rather than heavy.

The secret here is regular unsulphured molasses; Color and flavor the filling with two tablespoons, but don’t add so much liquid that the tiny cakes have trouble setting. Blackstrap molasses is much more bitter and can overpower the dairy, so use only in recipes written to accommodate its intensity.

The individual cakes bake fast enough that a water bath is not necessary. The more gentle protection is low speed mixing, moderate oven heat and slow cool down. That mix helps to cut down on trapped air and sudden contraction, two frequent culprits in puffed, sunken, or cracked cheesecakes.

Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes

Twelve creamy baked gingerbread cheesecakes with crisp gingersnap crusts, molasses, warm spices, and optional whipped cream.

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 27 minutes mins

Additional time 4 hours hrs 45 minutes mins

Total Time 5 hours hrs 42 minutes mins

Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 328

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Gingersnap Crust

• 1 1/2 cups finely crushed gingersnap cookie crumbs
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar packed
• 1/8 teaspoon fine salt

Gingerbread Cheesecake Filling

• 16 ounces full-fat block cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
• 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons regular unsulphured molasses
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature

Optional Garnish

• 3/4 cup sweetened whipped cream optional
• 1/3 cup crushed gingersnap cookies optional

Equipment

• standard 12-cup muffin pan
• 12 paper cupcake liners
• mixing bowls
• electric hand mixer or stand mixer
• rubber spatula
• measuring cups and spoons
• small cookie scoop or 1/4-cup measure
• wire cooling rack

Method

 

1. Heat the oven to 325°F. Mix fine gingersnap crumbs with melted butter, brown sugar, and salt, then press the mixture firmly into 12 lined muffin cups.
2. Bake the crusts for 5 minutes, just until fragrant and set at the edges. Leave them in the pan to cool while preparing the filling.
3. Beat softened cream cheese on medium-low until smooth. Add brown sugar, blend briefly, and scrape the bowl before mixing in sour cream, molasses, vanilla, spices, and salt.
4. Mix in the room-temperature eggs one at a time on low speed, stopping as soon as each disappears. Finish with a rubber spatula so the batter stays smooth without becoming foamy.
5. Divide the batter among the crusts and tap the pan lightly. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges look set and only a coin-sized center wobbles softly.
6. Turn off the oven and crack the door for 10 minutes. Cool the pan on a rack for 45 minutes, then refrigerate at least 4 hours before garnishing and serving.

Notes

• Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days. For the neatest topping, keep the cheesecakes plain and garnish shortly before serving.
• Freeze fully chilled, ungarnished cheesecakes in an airtight container for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before topping.
• Do not reheat. Serve chilled or let stand at cool room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Ingredient Notes

• Gingersnap cookies: Process them into fine, even crumbs. Larger pieces create weak spots, while fine crumbs absorb the butter evenly and make a gingersnap crust cheesecake that unwraps cleanly.
• Block cream cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese sold in blocks, not whipped or spreadable cream cheese. Let it soften until a fingertip leaves an easy dent so it becomes smooth before the eggs go in.
• Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream adds a gentle tang and relaxes the texture. Bring it to room temperature so it blends without requiring long, high-speed mixing.
• Unsulphured molasses: Choose regular light or dark molasses for rounded caramel flavor. Avoid blackstrap, which can taste harsh in a small, dairy-rich filling.
• Warm spices: Ginger leads, cinnamon supplies warmth, and small amounts of cloves and nutmeg add depth. Measuring the strong spices carefully keeps the filling fragrant rather than medicinal.
• Room-temperature eggs: Eggs lose their chill more quickly in a bowl of warm water. They blend into the batter with less mixing, helping the baked gingerbread cheesecake bites keep a smooth, dense-creamy center.

How to Make Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes

The doneness cue matters more than the exact baking time. Look for a matte, stable ring around the outside and a glossy center about the size of a coin that moves as one soft piece. If the whole surface ripples, bake for another two minutes. If nothing moves, the cheesecakes may become firm and dry after chilling. For an optional temperature check, King Arthur Baking’s mini-cheesecake guide recommends an internal temperature of 150°F to 155°F, along with set edges and a slight center jiggle.

Leave the cakes in their liners while they cool and chill. The paper supports the delicate edges before the egg-set filling is fully cold. Once chilled, the liners should peel away with a neat boundary between the caramel-colored filling and the crisp cookie base. Add a modest whipped-cream swirl and crumbs only when the holiday mini cheesecakes are ready for the tray.

Save This Make-Ahead Christmas Dessert

Save this baked mini cheesecake recipe for Christmas, a cookie exchange, or any winter gathering that calls for a make-ahead individual dessert.