Mini Oreo Chocolate Mint Cheesecakes
Oreo Chocolate Mint Cheesecakes are mini desserts that have an Oreo crust with a mint cheesecake filling that's studded with Andes mints! Finish them off with tasty toppings and you have a treat that everyone will devour!
Servings: 12 cheesecakes
Equipment
- Muffin pan
- Standing mixer with paddle attachment
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rubber Spatula
- Whisk
Ingredients
Crust
- 16-18 Oreos (to make 1¼ cup crumbs)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted
Cheesecake
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ½ teaspoon mint extract
- 3 teaspoons green food coloring
- 20 Andes mints chopped (about ¾ cup)
Ganache
- ⅓ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Toppings
- Whipped Cream
- 12 Andes mints
- Oreo Crumbs
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and line a muffin tin with liners. Spray each liner with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
- Add 16 Oreos to a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form. Measure to make sure you have 1¼ cups of crumbs, crush more Oreos if needed.
- Transfer the crumbs to a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon of sugar and 4 tablespoons melted butter and stir until evenly combined.
- Add about 2 level tablespoons of the crust mixture into each of the 12 muffin liners and press down gently to create the cheesecake crust.
Cheesecake
- In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then add in ⅓ cup of sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.
- Beat in the egg, mint extract, and green food coloring at low speed until evenly mixed and colored.
- Fold in the chopped Andes mints just until they're evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture evenly on top of the cheesecake crusts. They will be a little more than ¾ full. Use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to smooth out the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes. Then, turn off the oven but leave the pan in the oven and prop the door open. Allow the cheesecakes to cool in the warm oven for an additional 10 minutes.
- Then remove them from the oven and let them sit in the pan on a wire rack at room temperature for about 30 minutes before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for at least 6 hours.
- Remove them from the pan and take off the muffin liners.
Ganache
- Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan on the stovetop just until the edges begin to bubble. Transfer the hot cream to a large measuring cup or bowl.
- Immediately add the chocolate chips to the hot cream. Cover and let sit for 3 to 5 minutes. Then whisk the mixture until smooth.
- Add about 1 Tablespoon of chocolate ganache to the top of each cheesecake and allow them to cool for about 5 minutes to set up.
- Top each with whipped cream, an Andes mint, and oreo crumbs before serving.
Notes
- You can add as much or as little mint extract as your heart desires. We found that half a teaspoon was plenty when you paired it with the chopped Andes mint but if you prefer even more mint, feel free to add another ½ teaspoon… I recommend just make it as the recipe is written then taste test the batter first before adding it to the muffin pan.
- You can use a can of reddi whip on these if you plan to serve them immediately but I would pipe/dollop on cool whip or make my own stabilized whipped cream if you are making them ahead of time and serving later…it lasts much longer.
- These should be stored in the fridge in an airtight container (for up to 1 week), or frozen for up to 2 months.
- I can’t find oreo crumbs - what else could I use for the crust? You could use chocolate graham cracker crumbs if you can find them. Or use 1 ¼ cup graham cracker crumbs mixed with 4 Tablespoons of butter and 3 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder. (I would also add an extra Tablespoon of sugar in this case.) Or you can use a food processor to crush about 20 whole oreos to make your own crumbs.
- Why do I need to allow the cheesecakes to cool in the oven? This helps the cheesecakes to maintain their height, and not crack.
- Are there any variations on this recipe that I could try? You could add chocolate chips or crumbled oreo cookies into the batter (before baking).
- Is it important for the cream cheese and egg to be room temperature? You will get the creamiest texture if you make sure that these ingredients are room temperature.