Description
These Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes feature a deliciously rich peanut butter cheesecake filling nestled inside a chocolate cookie cup. Perfectly portioned and topped with mini chocolate chips, these bite-sized treats combine the best of creamy cheesecake and chocolatey cookies for an irresistible dessert.
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Cups
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons hot water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups mini chocolate chips (Ghirardelli or equivalent)
Peanut Butter Cheesecake Filling
- 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips, melted (Ghirardelli or equivalent)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit to prepare for baking the cookie cups.
- Mix Butter and Sugars: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Mix until the mixture is smooth, creamy, and free of lumps.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter mixture and mix thoroughly until well incorporated.
- Dissolve Baking Soda: Dissolve the baking soda in the hot water, then add this solution to the mixing bowl. Mix well.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and mini chocolate chips. Gradually add this to the wet mixture and blend on low speed until all ingredients are combined into a cookie dough.
- Form Cookie Dough Balls: Roll the cookie dough into large balls and place each ball into a compartment of a muffin tin.
- Bake Cookie Cups: Bake the dough balls in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from the oven.
- Create Cookie Cups: Using a shot glass, press down the center of each baked cookie ball to form a cup shape. The dough will stick to the glass; gently push the dough off the glass onto a wire rack to cool. Repeat for all dough balls.
- Prepare Cheesecake Filling: In a clean mixing bowl, add softened cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and peanut butter. Mix until the filling is smooth and creamy.
- Fill Cookie Cups: Once the cookie cups have cooled, use a small spoon to fill each cup with the peanut butter cheesecake filling. Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips on top of each filled cup.
- Chill and Set: Place the filled cookie cups in a container in a single layer and refrigerate for about 4 hours, or until the cheesecake filling is set.
- Serve: After chilling, serve the mini peanut butter cheesecakes and enjoy the delicious combination of creamy filling and chocolate cookie cups.
Notes
- For best results, use softened cream cheese and butter to ensure smooth mixing.
- Press the cookie cups gently with the shot glass to avoid cracking the cookies.
- The cookie cups can be stored in an airtight container refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- Mini chocolate chips can be substituted with regular chocolate chips if unavailable.
- If you don’t have a shot glass, a small round-bottomed spoon or measuring cup can be used to form the cups.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
