These Chocolate Espresso Mini Cheesecakes are made with crunchy chocolate crust, creamy espresso cream cheese filling, and topped with semi-sweet silky chocolate ganache!

Happy New Year’s Eve you guys!! Are you celebrating the New Year tonight? We’re having a dinner party here and as usual, I’m on dessert duty. I make these Chocolate Espresso Mini Cheesecakes for the crowd tonight.
They’re mini-size made in muffin tins, so easy to make, and no need water bath! Their top are not perfect if you don’t use a water bath to bake them like mine, but it’s ok because we’ll use chocolate ganache to cover the top.
If you’re looking for easy and delicious desserts to feed the crowd, I suggest you make these Chocolate Espresso Mini Cheesecakes! They’ll love these!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe >

Ingredients Needed & Notes >

Equipment You’ll Need >

Step By Step Instructions >

Baking Tips >

Serving & Storage >

Recipe Card >

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THESE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MINI CHEESECAKES

Easy to make, you can make these mini cheesecakes without a water bath.
Individual size, made in muffin tins! Perfect dessert for a party.
They’re made with one of the best flavor combos! Espresso and chocolate.
Smells uh-ma-zing!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED & NOTES

Sugar – Two types of sugars are used in this recipe. You’ll need granulated sugar to make the cream cheese filling and light brown sugar for the crust.

Cream Cheese – Make sure your cream cheese is original (full-fat) cream cheese, not cream cheese spread or low-fat cream cheese. Also, make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to achieve a smooth and silky cheesecake.

Heavy Cream – This will do the job of loosening the cream cheese and making it creamy. You’ll also need this to make the ganache. Ensure you’re using heavy cream with 35% – 40% milk fat.

Sour Cream – This will do the job of loosening the cream cheese and adding some moisture, so you have a silky smooth texture. Regular sour cream works best for this recipe.

Butter – You need this to bind the crust together. I like unsalted butter, but salted butter works too! If you’re using salted butter, I recommend to skip the salt

Egg – You need some eggs to hold all the ingredients together. Make sure you’re using large eggs, egg size matters! Also, make sure that your eggs are at room temperature.

Espresso – You can use your favorite espresso but make it a strong brew!

Cornstarch – A little bit of cornstarch in the cheesecake batter is mainly to prevent the cheesecake from cracking and make it easier to cut into clean slices.

Cocoa – This recipe uses dutch process cocoa powder, but you can use any type of cocoa powder just make sure it’s unsweetened.

Chocolate – You’ll need semi-sweet or 60% dark chocolate and make sure it’s a high-quality chocolate for the best flavor!

Vanilla – To enhance and balance the flavors.

Salt – To enhance and balance the flavors.

Sprinkles – For decoration.

BAKING TOOLS & EQUIPMENT YOU’LL NEED

(Check my favorite baking tools and equipment here!)

Electric mixer
Food processor
Mixing bowls
Saucepan
Rubber spatula
Muffin or cupcake tins
Muffin or cupcake liners

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE THESE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MINI CHEESECAKES

(Be sure to check the recipe card below for the full ingredients list & instructions)

STEP 1 – Prepare the Ingredients and Pre-heat the Oven.

Make sure all the ingredients are at room temperature. Line muffin or cupcake tins with paper liners, then preheat the oven to 350°F.

STEP 2 – Make the Cheesecake Crust

Melt the butter by using a medium saucepan over medium heat, and set aside.
Using a food processor, pulse the graham crackers and cocoa powder into fine crumbs. Transfer to a medium mixing bowl then add in light brown sugar, salt, and rolled oats, and mix until well combined. Pour the melted butter and mix well.

Transfer the crust mixture to the prepared pan, about 1.5 tablespoons each. Firmly press it down into the bottom of the pan.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F. Remove from the oven and allow to cool while you make the filling. Drop the oven temperature to 325°F. Don’t turn the oven off

STEP 3 – Make the Cheesecake Filling and Bake

Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the room-temperature cream cheese, salt, and sugar for about 3 minutes on medium speed until it’s completely smooth and creamy. Then, add sour cream and heavy cream and mix until well combined.

Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add in the espresso and vanilla extract. Mix everything until smooth. Add cornstarch and mix for another minute until no more clumps remain.

Take the bowl off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl again to make sure the batter is well combined. Pour the batter into the cooled crust, then smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 325°F until the cheesecake is set but the center is slightly jiggly. The cheesecake will puff up a little in the oven but will come back down when it’s cooling.
Once it’s done, turn off the oven, let the oven’s door open about an inch, and leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool down slowly. Let it sit in there for an hour. Then, remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool completely to room temperature.

STEP 4 – Make the Ganache and Assemble

Place chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl, and set aside. Bring heavy cream to a simmer in a small saucepan until small bubbles appear around the edges. Do not boil the cream. Pour hot cream over the chocolate, cover with aluminum foil, and allow to stand for 1 minute, then whisk until smooth and shiny. Wait until the ganache is thickened slightly before you pour it over the cheesecakes.

*If the chocolate has not melted completely, set the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Keep stirring until the chocolate and cream are fully combined, smooth, and silky.

Pour the warm chocolate ganache over the cheesecakes. After the cheesecakes are completely cool, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before decorating and removing from the pan.

TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MINI CHEESECAKES

Go for full-fat cream cheese and heavy cream! This will ensure that the cheesecake turns out as intended, is creamy, and tastes amazing!
Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, especially the cream cheese and eggs!
No need to bake these cheesecakes in a water bath, but if you want them perfect you can bake them with a water bath.
After baking, let it cool slowly in the oven to prevent the cheesecake from cracking too much.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before decorating and removing from the pan.

HOW TO SERVE AND STORE THESE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MINI CHEESECAKES

To serve the cheesecake – This recipe makes 12 mini cheesecakes. You can enjoy it cold straight from the fridge or at room temperature.

To store the cheesecake – You’ll need to keep it in the refrigerator in an airtight container to maintain its texture and flavor and to prevent bacteria growth. If you are keeping it at room temperature, ensure to eat it within 3 hours.

To Freeze the cheesecake – If you want to freeze this cake for later, I recommend cutting it into individual slices. Wrap each slice with layers of plastic wrap to prevent it from drying out, and place it in a freezer-safe container. It will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.