Made with a delicious, rich cheesecake filling, these festive tarts make a fabulous holiday dessert!
I have to confess. I’ve never made cheesecake before. Considering how delectable and creamy cheesecake is, I suppose I always assumed it must be hard to make. Not only is it a breeze to make, this recipe is actually relatively foolproof! Just a few simple ingredients (many of which you probably already have), a few minutes of prep and voila!
I made these as an accompaniment to our traditional apple and pumpkin pies at Thanksgiving and they were a huge hit! For starters, my family and guests were convinced they were store-bought because they looked so darn pretty (and professionally made). And, when they tasted them, they marveled at how scrumptious they were!
What I love about these tasty bites, aside from how yummy and pretty they are, is that they’re the perfect (no guilt) bite-sized portion!
Recipe compliments of Keebler
Ingredients
- I cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 egg white, slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 36 fresh raspberries
- sifted powdered sugar (optional)
Instructions
- in a small bowl, toss together graham cracker crumbs, egg white and butter. Press crumb mixture on the bottoms and halfway up the sides of twelve 2-inch mini cheesecake pan cups or on the bottoms of twelve 2 1/2 inch muffin pan cups lined with bake cups.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 4 to 6 minutes or until crumbs begin to brown.
- Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar on medium speed with electric mixer until fluffy. Add milk, flour and vanilla. Beat until combined. Add egg and egg yolk. Beat until combined.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture onto warm crusts. (Cups will be nearly full.) Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool in pan on wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cheesecakes from pan. Cool for 45 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours.
- Top cheesecakes with raspberries. Sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar right before serving (if desired).
NOTES:
- Feel free to top cheesecakes with your favorite fresh fruit or fruit pie filling.
- When I made the cheesecakes, I made them in a traditional non-stick muffin pan and did not use baking cups. I also did not use Pam (or any other non-stick cooking spray) in the muffin pans and the cheesecakes came out beautifully without sticking to the pan.