Sometimes I get annoyed when mini desserts force their portion control ideals on to me, but there is one exception to that rule. Having my own personal access to an entire regular-sized cheesecake ends in catastrophe more times than not. “Evening out” a loaf of banana bread until I’ve accidentally consumed a second or third piece is one thing (child’s play, if you will). Slicing off an extra sliver or two of cookie pie every time I walk by it doesn’t do me much harm in the end. But every time I go for a leeeetle extra slice of the cheesecake sitting in my fridge, after scarfing the first one down far too quickly I’m sure, I inherently consume at least 3-4 more tablespoons of cream cheese and sugar. Picture those quantities in your head for a second. That is a lot of cream cheese and sugar, especially for your second “piece” of the night.
What happens afterwards, you ask? I sit there in pain, holding my stomach in my hands like the pregnant woman I am not, and wonder, despairingly, why I had to go for the extra slice of cheesecake. This happens every. single. time. It’s so delicious, but it’s so rich and creamy. It’s just one of those (very rare) things that I believe you maybe should just have a single slice, and see how you’re feeling before washing it down with an extra one. If you’re someone who fails to get a massive stomachache from eating half a bar of cream cheese for dessert, I genuinely applaud you. But for the rest of us, that’s where mini cheesecake comes in handy.
These Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes are the most perfectly portion-sized bites of creamy, classic cheesecake, covered with chocolate ganache and drizzled with the good stuff. The cheesecake sits on a graham cracker base, but feel free to swap the graham cracker crumbs with Oreo crumbs, which I’m definitely going to do next time. Though I usually avoid making any “mini” kind of anything because I can handle my dessert, these Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes are a wonderful exception. (And let’s be honest, no one will ever stop me or you from having another one when the gastrointestinal conditions are feeling right😉)
Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs about 8 crackers
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 3 tbsp butter melted
For the Cheesecake:
- 2 8 oz bars of cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
For the Topping:
- 8 oz semi-sweet or dark chocolate
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup peanut butter melted
Instructions
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Preheat the Oven to 325° F and prepare a 12-cupcake pan by spraying with cooking spray; then set aside.
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Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and melted butter in a small bowl. Divide the crumb mixture evenly among the 12 cups in the prepared pan. Press the crumbs down to form the crust (I used the bottom of a small glass to press it down).
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To make the cheesecake, beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer, until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low until just blended. Pour the mixture evenly across the 12 cupcake cups with the graham cracker crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the centers of the cheesecakes look just set.
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While the cheesecakes are cooling, make the ganache. Heat heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl or on the stove until hot. Remove from heat and add the chocolate, stirring until the chocolate melts and the mixture begins to come together smoothly. Let the ganache thicken for a few minutes, before spreading over the tops of the cheesecakes.
Finally, melt the peanut butter in a microwave safe dish for about 30 seconds. Stir, and heat for 10-second increments until all the way melted. Drizzle the peanut butter over each mini cheesecake. Cool the cheesecakes in the fridge for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!