These individual mini gingerbread cheesecakes are so fun for the holidays! With a gingersnap crust, a creamy filling and just the right amount of spice, they are hard to resist. Especially when garnished with mini gingerbread men. Vegetarian.

Note: This recipe is NOT dairy free. It was published before Cook Nourish Bliss transitioned to dairy free recipes and remains popular with long time readers. You can try using substitutions to make it dairy free, however I have not tested this myself and can’t say how it will turn out.

Last year for Christmas, I made cupcake-sized cheesecakes that got rave reviews from many of my family members.

I had a feeling that there would be a mutiny if I didn’t make some again this year, but I thought it would be fun to switch up the flavor.  

I still have yet to decide what version I’ll make for Christmas day (there are too many great choices), but these gingerbread cheesecakes are definitely in the running.  

Over the years I’ve learned that bite-sized versions of desserts seem to be best for our holiday gatherings.  For whatever reason, full-sized cakes are always left almost completely untouched.  

However, cookies, cupcakes or anything else you can easily grab are gobbled up in no time. 

These cheesecakes have just the right combination of creamy cheesecake goodness and that wonderful gingerbread flavor.  They have a hint of spice, but nothing too overpowering.  

While these were good plain, a dollop of fresh whipped cream made them even better.  I used my recipe for homemade cinnamon whipped cream, but just left out the cinnamon.  Perfect.  

As a finishing touch, I sprinkled the tops with a touch of nutmeg and garnished with a mini gingerbread man.  

These were almost too cute for words.

Additional Gingerbread Recipes You Might Enjoy:

• Chewy Gingerbread Cookies
• Maple Gingerbread Loaf
• Gingerbread Crumb Cake
• Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

Did you make this recipe? Rate and review it down below! I’d love to hear from you.

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Gingerbread Cheesecakes

Yield: 16 mini cheesecakes

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

These individual mini gingerbread cheesecakes are so fun for the holidays! With a gingersnap crust, a creamy filling and just the right amount of spice, they are hard to resist. Especially when garnished with mini gingerbread men. Vegetarian. 

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Ingredients

For the crust:

• 1 cup gingersnap crumbs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• ⅛ cup granulated sugar

For the cheesecake:

• 1 pound (16 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
• ¾ cups granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• ⅛ cup unsulfured molasses
• pinch of salt
• ¾ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• dash of ground cloves

Garnish ideas:

• freshly whipped cream
• sprinkle of nutmeg
• mini gingerbread men

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line 16 cupcake tins with baking cups and set aside.

To make the crust:

1. In a small bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, melted butter and sugar. Mix until all the crumbs are moistened.
2. Scoop slightly under 1 tablespoon of the mixture and use your fingers to press into the bottom of each cupcake well.
3. Bake for about 5 minutes, until the crust is set. Place pan on a wire rack to cool.

To make the cheesecake:

1. Reduce the oven temperature to 325ºF.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add in the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Add in the eggs, one at a time, and beat on low speed after each addition until incorporated. Add the molasses, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Beat until combined.
3. Evenly distribute the filling among the 16 cooled cupcake tins.
4. Bake for about 22 to 25 minutes, until the cheesecakes are set but still slightly wobbly in the centers (they may look puffed but will return to normal after removed from the oven).
5. Let the pans cool on a wire rack. Once completely cool, transfer to the refrigerator and let chill uncovered for at least four hours.
6. Before serving, top each cheesecake with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Sprinkle with a touch of nutmeg and gently press a mini gingerbread man into the top for garnish.

Notes

My cheesecakes sunk a little after baking. The original recipe recommends using a water bath to prevent cracking and sinking. Since I didn’t have a big enough pan, I skipped this step. It was nothing that couldn’t be fixed with some whipped cream!

However, if you do have a big enough pan, you can go ahead and use a water bath. To do so, after you fill the tins with the cheesecake filling, place the tin in a large, shallow pan. Transfer the pan to the oven and carefully pour hot water into the large pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cups. Bake according to the instructions above. Remove the tins from the water bath and let cool on the wire rack.

Adapted from Martha Stewart

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 231Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 0gSugar: 17gProtein: 3g

Nutrition data shown is an estimate provided by an online calculator and is for informational purposes only. It should not be considered a substitute for a medical professional’s advice.