I know I’m supposed to be making Christmas cookies right now, but these vegan mini chocolate cheesecakes may be my new favorite holiday dessert. Only seven ingredients, the dark chocolate filling stays rich and creamy while the Oreo crust adds a nice crunch. They’re perfectly sweet with a with a hint of freshness from the peppermint. I’m drooling just thinking about them. The best part is that they’re mini so it’s totally acceptable to eat like five, right?
A few notes—
- To make this cheesecake super creamy, this recipe calls for tofu in the filling. I’ve found that firm tofu works the best. If you can’t find firm, extra firm will work too, your cheesecakes might just be a little firmer.
- I recommend using chocolate anywhere from 60-70 percent cocoa, if you use something else, you might want to adjust the amount of sugar to your liking.
- I’ve made this recipe with and without muffin wrappers. Both have worked, if you don’t use wrappers make sure your muffin tin is super nonstick and well greased. It’s also helpful to allow the cheesecakes to come to room temperature after they’ve chilled before you try to remove them.
- The chocolate topping is totally optional, I think these cheesecakes are delicious on their own, it just gives the crushed peppermint something to stick to.
- I like to use a 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract, the taste is subtle so if you want something a little stronger, up it to 1 tsp, maybe even 1 1/2.
Vegan Chocolate Peppermint Cheesecakes
Course: Dessert, VeganDifficulty: Easy12
mini cheesecakes20
minutes20
minutes1
hourThese mini vegan cheesecakes are the perfect dessert for the holidays, with a rich, creamy chocolate filling made from tofu, vegan cream cheese and peppermint extract as well as a crispy Oreo crust to add bit of crunch. Made with simple ingredients, these mini cheesecakes are easy to make
Ingredients
25 Oreo Cookies
5 tbsp vegan butter
7 oz dairy free bittersweet chocolate
7 oz firm tofu, drained
7 oz vegan cream cheese (I like Violife)
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2-1 tsp peppermint extract
Crushed candy cane or peppermint (for garnish)
For the chocolate topping(optional)
4 oz dairy free chocolate
2 tbsp vegan butter, melted
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 300 F. To make the crust, combine Oreos (no need to remove the filling) and vegan butter in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse into very fine crumbs, about 1-2 minutes.
- Line a standard muffin tin with wrappers and firmly press 1-2 tbsp of the Oreo mixture into each. Set aside until ready to use
- To make the filling, wrap the tofu in a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out any extra moisture. Wipe out the food processor and add tofu, cream cheese, sugar, and peppermint extract. Blend until very smooth—at least 2 min.
- To melt the chocolate, fill a pot with a few inches of water and place over it a heat proof bowl with the chocolate. Heat until melted, stirring frequently.
- To prevent the chocolate from solidifying and making the cheesecake grainy, add about a cup of the filling into the bowl with the chocolate and heat until everything has melded together into a smooth mixture. Return everything to the food processor, blending for an additional minute.
- Fill each wrapper about 3/4 of the way and gently tap the muffin tin on the counter to get rid of any air bubbles. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until the filling has set, it’s ok if the center is still a little jiggly. Allow to cool at room temp and then refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Once they’ve chilled, try to remove the wrappers. If they don’t come out easily, you may need to let the cheesecakes sit out of the fridge for a while before you remove the wrapper.
- *optional* To make the chocolate topping, melt chocolate and vegan butter in the microwave, stirring on 30 second intervals. Once they’ve cooled spread on top of each cheesecake and top with crushed peppermint.
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