Mini Peppermint Mocha Cheesecakes – celebrate the season with a festive bite sized holiday treat that is perfect for entertaining! Creamy peppermint cheesecake with a mocha crust is topped with decadent chocolate mocha ganache and crushed candy canes.
Happy December! With November come and gone, and now a few days into December I am really starting to feel the Christmas spirit all around me! More and more people have their Christmas trees and lights up, the stores have started playing the holiday music, and Christmas shopping is being done. I always find this time of year enjoyable, even through the cold.
The next couple weeks are going to be hectic with lots going on before we head to Arizona to visit Joel’s family for Christmas. It has been a few years, and I am really looking forward to seeing them as well as enjoying a bit of sunshine!
In the meantime, I have been busy prepping holiday recipes to share with you! Let’s get started with these mini peppermint mocha cheesecakes.
Mini Peppermint Mocha Cheesecakes
These mini cheesecakes are absolutely decadent! They are perfect if you are a fan of the seasonal peppermint mocha drinks, or even just peppermint and candy canes themselves!
We start with a mocha crust as the base of these mini cheesecakes, giving you that delicious hint of coffee. Then we have our creamy and luscious candy cane cheesecake which I could literally eat out of the bowl by the spoonful. To finish things off we have topped these with a rich mocha ganache and crushed candy canes to make them beautiful. Can you say yum?!
These bite sized desserts are so perfect for holiday entertaining and events – whether that be the office Christmas party, a potluck, sitting in front of the TV watching Hallmark Christmas movies, or handing out to carolers.
How to make Mini Peppermint Mocha Cheesecakes
There are a few steps involved in making these cheesecakes, and the result is an outstanding dessert that will impress anyone who tries one!
You begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and lining a muffin pan with paper liners. In a small bowl you will mix together chocolate graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and finely ground instant coffee. Press tablespoons of this mixture firmly into the lined muffin pan. I like to use the bottom of a glass spice container to really pack it down.
Next up we will prepare the cheesecake mix! We use crushed candy cane in this, which gives a bit more of that festive peppermint flavour we love! You can crush the candy cane by putting them in a ziplock back and use a rolling pin to crush them up. Or, what I like to do is put them in my smallest size blender/chopper and pulse until they are all crushed up!
Next up is the cheesecake mixture. In a large mixing bowl add the softened cream cheese, sugar, eggs, peppermint extract, crushed candy cane and red food colouring. Mix this all together until it is completely smooth. Be sure your cream cheese is fully softened so that it incorporates into this mixture smoothly. You then distribute the cheesecake mixture evenly over the mocha crust. Pop them into the oven and bake for 20-23 minutes until firm. The edges will be slightly golden.
When the cheesecakes have cooled you can prepare the mocha ganache. This is done by heating the cream in the microwave for 1 minute. Add chocolate chips to a bowl and pour the hot cream over top and allow to sit for 3 minutes. Add in the instant coffee and stir together until smooth. If chocolate is still firm and not fully melted you can microwave at 15 second intervals, stirring in between. Spoon the ganache over the cheesecakes, top with some crushed candy cane and dessert is ready!
Love Peppermint Mocha?
We just absolutely loved these peppermint mocha cheesecakes! They aren’t overly minty, and the coffee taste is not overwhelming either. With the rich creaminess of the cheesecake and ganache, they are a delightful dessert to enjoy over the holiday season. I hope you love them as much as we do!
If you love peppermint mocha you may also be a fan of these recipes:
If you make these mini peppermint mocha cheesecakes please let me know! You can leave a comment below, rate it, post on the Zest & Simmer Facebook page or share photos on Instagram with the hashtag #zestandsimmer. I am always thrilled to hear from you!
Mini Peppermint Mocha Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 1 tbsp instant coffee , finely ground
For the Cheesecake:
- 2 8 oz packages cream cheese , softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/4 cup crushed candy canes * (see notes)
- 5 drops red food colouring
For the Ganache Topping:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream (whipping cream)
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
- 1 tsp instant coffee , finely ground
- additional crushed candy cane , for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
For the Crust:
- In a small bowl mix together all ingredients for the crust. Press about 1 tbsp of the mixture firmly into each lined muffin cup. Be sure to press down firmly to pack it down, I like to use the bottom of a glass spice jar. Set aside.
For the Cheesecake:
- In a large mixing bowl, mix all the cheesecake ingredients together with an electric hand mixer or stand mixer until completely smooth.
- Distribute the cheesecake mixture evenly into the muffin cups over top the crust.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes, until cheesecake has firmed up and edges are slightly golden. Allow to cool before topping with ganache, about 25 minutes or longer.
For the Ganache Topping:
- Heat cream in a microwave safe cup for 1 minute.
- Add chocolate chips to a mixing bowl and pour the hot cream over top. Let sit for 3 minutes.
- Add instant coffee grounds and stir until the ganache is smooth. If chocolate chips have not filling melted you can heat in the microwave in 15 second intervals, stirring in between.
- Spoon ganache over cheesecakes. Sprinkle with additional crushed candy canes.
- Enjoy! Cheesecakes can be stored covered in the fridge for up to one week.
Notes
- You can crush the candy cane by putting them in a ziplock back and use a rolling pin to crush them up. Or, what I like to do is put them in my smallest size blender/chopper and pulse until they are all crushed up!
These little cheesecakes are so cute and festive! Pinning to make!
Thanks so much Colleen! Enjoy!
Very cute. I think mini cheesecakes are just perfect for the holidays.
Thanks so much Trish!
We actually prefer mini cheesecakes to a regular sized one! Especially when they look like this!! Peppermint mocha is such a great Christmas flavor!
Thank you so much Katherine! I find the mini ones to be so much fun and so cute!
Chocolate, coffee and mint…one of my all-time favorite flavor combinations! These little cheesecakes look perfect!
Thank you Lisa!!! Happy holidays 😁