bakingglutenfreememories Most people I’ve ever talked to LOVE cheesecake. Oddly enough, it has never been a dessert I liked. Most cheesecakes I have tried in hopes of liking, were super dense and very rich. I could never finish a piece, instead I usually stopped at a couple bites. But since I know it is a well-loved dessert by the majority, I thought I needed to create something that would be a happy medium of what I like, as well as the cheesecake lovers. So I dreamed up these mini creamy espresso cheesecakes.
I must say, this is my favorite cheesecake I have ever had! It is a no-bake dessert and it is much easier to make than regular cheesecake. The base is a chocolate crust made with blended cashews and cacao powder, making it a healthier alternative to a graham cracker crust. The topping is so smooth and light with whipped cream cheese, whipped cream, and espresso. The sweetness level is perfect and allows the cream cheese and espresso flavors to stand out. The creamy whipped topping combined with the chocolatey, crunchy crust is SO delightful.
These cheesecakes are not only gluten free, they are also refined sugar free and grain free. In addition, they can easily be made vegan by substituting the cream cheese and whipped cream. One batch makes 12 mini cheesecakes.
Ingredients You Will Need
- plain whipped cream cheese
- heavy whipping cream
- espresso or coffee
- maple syrup
- unsalted cashews
- cacao or cocoa powder
- coconut sugar
- avocado oil
- salt
For another no-bake treat featuring chocolate and espresso, check out my Espresso Fudge Pops.
How to Make Mini Creamy Espresso Cheesecakes
To begin with, make the espresso and set it aside to cool while making the crust. This step is very important since it will be added to cold whipped cream and cream cheese. If needed, you can speed up the cooling process by setting the espresso temporarily in the freezer. Freshly brewed black coffee will also work as a substitute for espresso.
Next, in a blender or food processor, add in the cashews, coconut sugar, cacao or cocoa powder, and pinch of salt. Pulse until the cashews are finely chopped, a little less than 1 minute. Then pour in the avocado oil and pulse until clumps start to form. Pour the mixture out into a bowl and give it a little stir.
Now, line a muffin tin with cups. Fill each cup a spoonful at a time with the chocolate mixture until all cups are evenly filled. Use the back of the spoon to press down on the mixture, making it nicely compact at the bottom of the cups. Set it aside.
How to Make Espresso Cream Cheese
As for the creamy topping, pour the heavy whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, or until the cream is very whipped. Then add in the cream cheese and maple syrup. Beat on low speed just until combined and then add in the cooled espresso. Once combined, increase the speed to medium and beat until the texture resembles a thick whipped cream, roughly 3 more minutes.
Finally, use a spoon to completely fill each muffin cup with the cream cheese mixture. Then use a sheet of foil to loosely cover over the tin. Foil works much better than plastic wrap which will only flatten each cheesecake and create a mess.
Place the cheesecakes in the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 3 hours before serving. Preferably, chilling these overnight is ideal since it allows the cream cheese more time to set and will be firmer when serving.
You can serve these in the cups or outside. Just gently pull down on the sides of the muffin cup and use a fork to carefully slide the cheesecake onto a plate. You can also dust the tops with either ground espresso or cacao powder.
Storage Tips and Notes
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days
- Vegan cream cheese and whipping cream can be used as substitutes
- These are best chilled overnight
Mini Creamy Espresso Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces plain whipped cream cheese
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (115ml)
- scant ½ cup maple syrup (measure half-way between ⅓ and ½ cup on a measuring cup) (123ml)
- ¼ cup freshly brewed espresso or coffee (50ml)
Chocolate Crust
- 1 cup unsalted cashews (139g)
- 3 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder
- ¼ cup coconut sugar (37g)
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- First make the espresso and set it aside to cool completely.
- In a blender or a food processor, add in the cashews, coconut sugar, cacao powder, and pinch of salt. Pulse until the cashews are finely chopped, under 1 minute. Then add in the avocado oil and pulse until clumps start to form.
- Pour the mixture into a small bowl and lightly stir it. Line a muffin tin with cups and fill each cup with a spoonful at a time with the chocolate mixture until all cups are evenly filled. Use the back of the spoon to press down, making the crust nice and compact on the bottom of the cups. Set it aside.
- Now for the cream cheese topping. Pour the whipping cream in the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium-high speed for about 6 minutes, or until the cream is very whipped. Then add in the cream cheese and maple syrup. Beat on low speed until combined and add in the cooled espresso. Gradually increase the speed to medium and beat until the texture resembles a thick whipped cream, roughly 3 more minutes.
- Then use a spoon to fill each muffin cup to the top with the cream cheese mixture. Loosely cover the tin with a sheet of foil and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours. The ideal time is overnight which allows the cream cheese to set more firmly.
- Serve in the muffin cups or on a plate.To plate them, gently pull down on the sides of each muffin cup and use a fork to carefully slide the cheesecake onto a plate. Dust each top with cacao powder or ground espresso as an option.
