Description
Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes combine a rich chocolate cookie crust with a creamy peanut butter and cream cheese filling. These bite-sized desserts are perfect for any occasion and can be topped with a decadent peanut butter and chocolate drizzle for an extra indulgent treat.
Ingredients
Scale
Crust
- 12 chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
Topping (optional)
- 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare pan: Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners to prevent sticking and facilitate easy removal of cheesecakes.
- Make crust: In a small bowl, mix the crushed chocolate sandwich cookies with melted butter until the mixture is evenly combined. Press about 1 tablespoon of this mixture firmly into the bottom of each muffin liner to form the crust for the mini cheesecakes.
- Prepare filling: In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and creamy peanut butter until smooth and well combined. Gradually add granulated sugar and mix thoroughly. Beat in the egg, vanilla extract, sour cream, and heavy cream until the filling becomes smooth, creamy, and homogeneous.
- Assemble cheesecakes: Spoon the prepared peanut butter cream cheese filling evenly over the cookie crusts in the muffin pan, filling each about three-quarters full.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan into the preheated oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the centers are just set but still slightly jiggly when gently shaken.
- Cool and chill: Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and allow them to cool at room temperature. Once cooled, refrigerate the cheesecakes for at least 2 hours to set completely.
- Add topping (optional): If desired, melt the semi-sweet chocolate chips and additional peanut butter together until smooth. Drizzle this mixture over the chilled mini cheesecakes before serving for an extra layer of flavor and decoration.
Notes
- You can substitute the chocolate cookie crust with a graham cracker crust for a different flavor profile.
- For added texture and crunch, sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of the cheesecakes just before serving.
