Mini Chocolate-Chip Cheesecakes
Lately in the blogosphere there was chocolate temptation everywhere I looked.. so I started craving it as well. Combined with the fact that there was a pack of Low fat Cream cheese lying in our refrigerator, an idea for a cheesecake + chocolate temptation was formulated and soon I was browsing several cheesecake recipes. I finally narrowed it down to a few and made a few changes to suit our palate and pantry.
Ingredients:
Lowfat Cream Cheese - 1 pack (8oz), softened (brought to room temperature)
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Flour (All purpose) - 1/2 tbsp
Egg - 1
Semi-sweet Chocolate chips - 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup (as per taste)
For Crust:
Chocolate Graham Crackers - 1/2 cup, powdered (you could use Plain or Honey)
Margarine - 1/2 tbsp, melted
Method:
You could top with chocolate shavings but I just added raspberries that I froze.
The measurements below make 6-7 mini-cheesecakes and was extremely easy to whip up. It also tasted very good with a top layer or creaminess and a bottom layer of chocolatey goodness - perfect! This recipe is a very basic one so it lends itself to quite a few modifications and flavorings so the possibilities are endless.
MINI CHOCOLATE-CHIP CHEESECAKES
MINI CHOCOLATE-CHIP CHEESECAKES
Ingredients:Lowfat Cream Cheese - 1 pack (8oz), softened (brought to room temperature)
Sugar - 1/3 cup
Flour (All purpose) - 1/2 tbsp
Egg - 1
Semi-sweet Chocolate chips - 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup (as per taste)
For Crust:
Chocolate Graham Crackers - 1/2 cup, powdered (you could use Plain or Honey)
Margarine - 1/2 tbsp, melted
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line muffin tins with paper cups (no need to grease)
2) For the crust: Combine powdered graham crackers and melted margarine in a bowl (it will be powdery). Divide this mixture equally and press into base of paper cups. Refrigerate this while the filling is done.
3) For the filling: Beat softened cream cheese, sugar and flour till combined and fluffy. Add egg and beat again for a few minutes. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4) Fill the muffin cups to the top with cream cheese mixture and bake for 25-30 minutes. (Don't let the tops crack). Remove, cool completely and then refrigerate for about 4-5 hours before serving.
You could top with chocolate shavings but I just added raspberries that I froze.
Variations:
- Melt half of the chocolate chips and beat into the cream cheese mixture before stirring in the remaining half.
- Skip the chocolate, add a swirl of raspberry or strawberry puree, sweetened with some sugar if necessary, after pouring the cream cheese mixture into the muffin cups. Also substitute chocolate graham crackers with honey graham crackers.
- Make the crust with crushed Oreo cookies and add some chopped oreos to the creamcheese filling.
Looks gorgeuos!!!
ReplyDeleteIts like a Mexican wave. There are so many temptations here :). You made a low-fat one too. Looks lovely!
ReplyDeleteyummy laavanya...my mouth is watering..incidently i was thinking to make something with choc chip too :D
ReplyDeletethat looks so adorable Laavanya! very nice creation. hats off to you.
ReplyDeleteyup, it's easy to give in to choc temptations, like i'm doing now looking at that gorgeous yummy cake :)
ReplyDeleteI just love cheesecake...I dont know where we get it in India though....drooling over urs
ReplyDeleteWonderful Laavanya... I never experimented with cheesecakes... bookmarked urs!!! Yours looks Gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteVery tempting
ReplyDeleteLooks incredible lavanya, i have never made a cheesecake till now!!
ReplyDeleteu made it look so simple n easy
i absolutely love cheesecake and this is a different shape than i have normally seen :)
ReplyDeleteand i thought we were done with chocolate for now!!!! :D. looks so cute.
ReplyDeleteJust last night, my son asked for Cheese cake!:))
ReplyDeleteLooks yummy.
Lovely looking raspberry on the top!
ReplyDeleteCute little ones Lavs :-)
ReplyDeletegorgeous. i would like to try this with an oatmeal crust. thanks for the recipe.
ReplyDeleteWOW Lavanya, delicious, will make these for sure
ReplyDeleteOMG! I have to make this but I still have my pineapple pudding & banana bread(I eat that as a dessert with whipped cream).
ReplyDeleteSo this is what you were talking about,huh?
Looks great & I like the first pic.
This has been bookmarked, my friend!:-)
I luv cheese cakes and this would be a real treat. Hope I can take some time to try these
ReplyDeletenice one laavanya! cheese is just so divine! I'd go with the raspberries variation instead of chocolate with cheese:)
ReplyDeleteFantastic !! I have drooled all over my keyboard.
ReplyDeleteThank you Pushpa.
ReplyDeleteTrue Suganya.. this chocolate temptation is infectious. Thanks.
Thanks Rajitha. Waiting for your choc. treat.
Sharmi.. that's very kind of you.
Richa.. looking is okay and even eating one is okay. Stopping with that is the issue with me :)
Bhags, I remember seeing one version that Nandita created using thick yogurt.
Cinnamon.. I hope you try it. It was a breeze to make.
Thank you TimePass
Padmaja, it really is easy. Give it a shot.
Nags, I made them in mini muffin cups to exercise some kind of portion control :)
Lakshmi, are we ever done with chocolate?? :) Thanks.
Asha, Maybe you ought to make this to indulge him.
Thanks Padma & Sirisha.. :)
Bee, that's a great idea to have an oats crust. Since Graham crackers are slightly better than other cookies, I didn't think too much about changing the crust. Will remember oats for next time.
Bindiya, I sure do hope you try them.. Let me know.
TBC, Yes this is what I was referring to. Once your other lovely desserts are over, you can give this a try. Thanks.
Rina, it's super easy to make. Hope you try.
Thank you Manasi. I love the idea of raspberry puree.
Thank you so much Pooja.
Wow, this looks wonderful. Also, is it my imagination or does it also seem kinda low in fat ;)
ReplyDeleteLavanya,
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome, I love cheesecakes.this is a must try.Pic looks good too
How lovely.
ReplyDeleteYou are a temptress :)
ReplyDeleteMake me crazy.....my dear....Send some pieces!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt looks so cute Laavanya. Very nice. Viji
ReplyDeleteThough i dont prefer to have cakes, this looks very cute and feel like starring at the picture.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great combo. I adore mint anything. Great pictures.
ReplyDeleteThat is a gorgeous cake Laavanya! Looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteLooking lovely laavanya! I just love all the petit cakes posted in all the blogs. I feel I am so lazy to make these ! I better search or buy new muffins before I get a complex!:D
ReplyDeleteThank you Dhana. It is a shade better when compared to store bought ones. I calculated them to be about 200 cals (approx) per cheesecake.
ReplyDeleteSreelu.. Thanks. I hope you try it.
Gini, Cynthia, Kajal, Viji, Nirmala and Sig - Thank you! :)
Seec, how come you don't like cakes? This doesn't taste so much like a cake though.
Latha maami, when compared to so many of the fundoo recipes you make this is extremely easy. Just beat, mix, pour and bake. :)
Lovely! chocolate and cheesecake both my favorites...so this makes this makes these mini cheesecakes absolutely Divine!!! :)
ReplyDeletelittle cute cheesecakse!
ReplyDeleteYou've a great blog and I was very impressed with this cheesecake. I tried it tonight and I didn't seem to have enough filling to fill 12 cups. I used a regular muffin pan. Should I've used a mini-muffin pan?
ReplyDeleteHi Uma, Thank you so much for your comments and for trying out this recipe. You will notice that I've mentioned that this makes 6-7 mini cheesecakes when you use the std. size muffin pan (2nd para)... not 12. Hope this helps. Please let me know if there are any other qns.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteWill this work if i use either flax seed or ener-g egg substitute? I want to pour the mix in store bought small pie crusts. will that be ok too? Also, could you tell me how much of fruit puree should be used when making variations ? I am thinking strawberry and mango. I would love to make this soon.
Thanks,
Anusha
To be honest I have not tried cheesecake with any egg substitutes so I wouldn't be able to tell you if it would or not work - sorry.
ReplyDeleteAs for using storebought pie-crusts, you do get mini graham cracker crusts... that are available on the same section.. those would be a better fit for cheesecake than piecrusts.
For the amount of fruit puree, I would recommend about half cup of fruit puree for every 8oz of cream cheese. Hope that helps.