These mini cranberry orange cheesecakes are perfect for the holidays. This simple and delicious recipe is sure to be a crowd favorite!
The holidays wouldn’t be the same without some cheesecake! If you’ve been following along for some time, you’ve probably gathered that I LOVE cheesecake– it’s one of my favorite desserts to make & eat. It can be dressed up, or down, made in just about any pan, and can take on just about any flavor imaginable. Today I wanted to share my latest creation: mini cranberry orange cheesecakes. They’ve got a cookie crumb base, thick zesty filling, and a tart and tangy cranberry swirl.
For the base I used Cooper Street Orange Cranberry Cookies (biscotti). All you need to do is pop them in the food processor, then mix them with melted butter and a bit of granulated sugar. You could also use graham crackers, biscoff cookies or shortbread, however, you won’t get the same unique flavor.
Make sure your refrigerated items are at room temperature for the filling. The cream cheese, Greek yogurt and egg should all be out for about an hour to prevent clumps from forming.
Line a standard size muffin tin with paper liners (the recipe makes about 16), or double the recipe for a full-size (9-inch) cheesecake. I thought these mini cheesecakes would be perfect for holiday parties because they’re individual servings. Plus they’re really easy to make and don’t require a special pan!
Bake them for 20-25 minutes, then let them “cool” in the oven with the door slightly cracked for 5 minutes. Remove them, let them cool for a bit longer at room temperature, then chill them in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Serve them with the liners on or off, either way works!
We loved these festive and flavorful mini cheesecakes. They were a great way to end the day after spreading some holiday joy. We chose to use our Stonyfield “cow card” (appropriately named by our three year old) to help give meals to children in need at our favorite chicken place. ???? The cheesecakes were just the cherry cranberry on top!
Wishing you a happy & healthy 2017! Stay tuned for a picture-packed reader round-up + a top 10 post!
Mini Cranberry Orange Cheesecakes Recipe
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 1 cup cranberry orange biscotti crumbs - (OR graham cracker crumbs, OR gingersnap crumbs, OR shortbread crumbs)
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
For the Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese - room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt - OR sour cream
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 orange - zested
- 1 egg - room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
For the Cranberry Swirl
- 1 cup fresh cranberries - OR frozen cranberries
- 1 orange - juiced
- 2 tbsp cold water - +½ tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard size muffin tins with 16 paper cupcake liners; set aside.
- To prepare the crust, combine the crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Press 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each liner. Place in the oven and bake for 6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, to prepare the cheesecake layer, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat together the cream cheese, yogurt or sour cream, sugar and zest until smooth and creamy. Add the egg and vanilla extract, mix just until combined.
- To prepare the cranberry puree, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine the cranberries and orange juice. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, then in a small bowl whisk together the cold water and the cornstarch. Pour into the saucepan, whisk to combine. Allow to simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour through a mesh sieve. Discard the skin and seeds.
- Fill each liner ¾ full (a little more is ok) with the cheesecake mixture. Swirl in ¾ teaspoon of the cranberry puree with a toothpick. Place the muffin tin in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the cheesecakes are set. Turn the oven off, crack the door and allow the cheesecakes to cool for 5 minutes in the oven, then remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes at room temperature. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour before serving.
NOTES
Nutrition
I’m partnering with Cooper Street Cookies and Stonyfield to bring you today’s recipe. I received this product for review, all opinions are my own. Thank you for helping me work with brands I love!
Hi Natalie – I found your blog while specifically looking for a cranberry orange cheesecake recipe. BONUS that you’ve already made the mini version for me, as that’s how I roll, too. I’m making these next week for Thanksgiving, and while I realize that this post is a few years old now & you might not see the comment, I thought it worth a shot to ask anyway – any idea if I could make these a day or two ahead? I’m trying to get as much done in the day or so before Thanksgiving as possible, for obvious reasons. Would love if you had any insight. If not, I’ll figure it out. Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
I am glad you found my site!! Yes, you totally can. I haven’t made them too far in advance, but two days should be ok. Just keep them covered & in the fridge 🙂 Enjoy!!
hey girl these look oh so yummy!