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These Marble Cheesecakes are the best holiday dessert – a mini cheesecake with cookie crust and chocolate vanilla swirl cheesecake. These are easy and perfect for dessert tables and parties. Plus – who does’t love cheesecake?
Marble Cheesecake Bites
Cheesecake is one of my favorite recipes to make around the holidays and it is always a hit. This recipe is even than my classic cheesecake because they’re mini cheesecakes baked in a muffin pan.
No water bath needed, no need to worry about cracking or anything – these are easy to make and so pretty with that marble swirl. They freeze well too so you can make them ahead of time!
Ingredients Needed
- Chocolate Graham Crackers: You can also substitute regular graham crackers or even Oreo cookies.
- Cream Cheese: Cream cheese will need to be softened to avoid lumps.
- Sour Cream: Creates a creamy cheesecake – make sure it’s room temperature.
- Egg: Room temperature is important to avoid lumps!
- Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate: Melted chocolate is what helps create the marble look.
How to make Mini Marble Cheesecake Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- Crush crackers to make a graham cracker crust. Stir together with butter and sugar. Press into the bottom of the muffin pan.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth then mix in sour cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until no lumps remain.
- Melt semi-sweet baking chocolate in a small bowl on high power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Place 1/4 cup of the cheesecake batter into the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
- Divide the remaining plain cheesecake batter evenly on top of the crusts (about 1 tablespoon per muffin cup). Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate cheesecake batter on the top and swirl with a toothpick to create the marbled look.
- Bake cheesecakes for about 18-21 minutes until the tops are puffed and slightly cracking.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that all your ingredients (cream cheese, egg, and sour cream) are at room temperature before you begin. This will combat lumps in your cheesecakes!
- Using a stand mixer is also really helpful when getting lumps out!
- Cool completely, then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before serving.
FAQs
Can you freeze these cheesecakes?
You can freeze them in an airtight container for up to 2 months!
Can I make these ahead of time?
Yes! These cheesecakes need to be chilled for a while anyways, so it would work in your favor!
Mini Marble Cheesecakes
Mini Marble Cheesecakes with a PEEPS marshmallow topper – these easy mini cheesecakes are marbled with chocolate. Top with a PEEP for Christmas!
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups chocolate graham crackers regular may be substituted, about 7-8 full graham cracker sheets
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 5 tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter melted
For the Cheesecakes:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ounce (28g) semi-sweet baking chocolate
- Chocolate or Marshmallow Whipped Cream or Cool Whip
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- Place graham crackers in a large ziploc bag. Seal the bag except for 1” and roll with a rolling pin to crush the graham crackers to a fine crumb. This can also be done in a food processor. Stir graham cracker crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Scoop 1-2 tablespoons of the crust mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup (for a total of 12). Press to compact.
- Beat cream cheese until smooth, about 30 seconds, using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer. Beat in sour cream, egg, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until no lumps remain. (It’s helpful if all ingredients are room temperature before starting!)
- Melt semi-sweet baking chocolate in a small bowl on high power in 30 second increments, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Place 1/4 cup of the cheesecake batter into the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
- Divide the remaining plain cheesecake batter evenly on top of the crusts (about 1 tablespoon per muffin cup). Scoop about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate cheesecake batter on the top and swirl with a toothpick to create the marbled look.
- Bake cheesecakes for about 18-21 minutes until the tops are puffed and slightly cracking. Cool completely, then chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- To serve: remove the cupcake liner and top with chocolate whipped cream and PEEPS® Marshmallow Snowmen or PEEPS® Marshmallow Trees!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- All ingredients need to be room temperature to avoid lumps.
- These can be made ahead up to 24 hours – to allow them to chill.
- Freeze for up to 2 months.
Recipe Nutrition
Serving: 1mini cheesecake | Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 128mg | Sugar: 18g
Nutritional information not guaranteed to be accurate
Other Cheesecake Recipes
Last Updated on November 21, 2023
Those swirls look so nice! Yummy!
How can you go wrong, over the years I have eaten so many of these.
I love these cheesecakes, and I love PEEPS! Such a fun and festive way to decorate these guys.
Good for you for decorating! With lots of travel in December, I never decorate because I’m gone for most of it is my excuse. I almost put up some outdoor lights over the weekend but that sounded like a lot of work so I passed…lol. I did make mini cheesecakes, though! I love your Peeps idea!
You’re right – Christmas is perfect for mini-food and party trays! These marble cheesecakes are perfect. My aunt makes mini cherry cheesecakes every year, and these would make such a nice accompaniment to those! I can’t believe you have Christmas gifts wrapped and under the tree already. So impressed. I don’t think I’ve even started my shopping yet. Eeeeek!!!
I’m a present psychic only because I am huge snoop. I have been known to peel the wrapping paper corner off just to sneak a peek inside. #truth These cheesecakes are adorable with those PEEPS marshmallows on top!
Decorations go up Thanksgiving weekend because we always cut our tree down that weekend too. It’s nice to enjoy them for several weeks.
I can keep gifts a secret, but I HATE surprise gifts for myself. As a kid I use to slice the tape of my gifts, unwrap, then carefully rewrap – that’s how much I hate to be surprised by gifts. I guess I’m afraid if I hate it, you will see it clearly on my face.
What a fun idea to add peeps to your hot chocolate! I’m going to try that out!
I always put my Christmas decorations up on Thanksgiving weekend. It’s such a fun tradition! And these mini cheesecakes are adorable. So fun to eat!
Kids cannot keep gift secrets. Yesterday, my son was quizzing me about how much I like truffles (he went on a covert CVS run with my parents for presents) and when I said I loved them, he said, “You don’t even know why I’m asking.” That’s right, kiddo. Way to be subtle.
I love mini cheesecakes. Could eat them all day and all year. You topped them so adorably!
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