My old elementary school sat in the middle of a residential neighborhood, right around the corner from a grocery store. So a few times each week, Mom stopped the car in that parking lot on our way home to pick up vegetables for dinner or treats for our lunch boxes.
We always preferred it when Mom shopped at that supermarket as opposed to the one closer to our house because the bakery inside handed out free sugar cookies to any kid that came up to the counter. As long as you looked younger than 10, the workers gave you a treat, no questions asked.
But one December afternoon when Mom dropped by to grab groceries, the bakery had completely run out of sugar cookies—not a single crumb in sight! When Mom spotted the tears threatening to fall from our eyes, she immediately placed two large gingerbread men cookies from the bakery’s shelves into her basket so we could still have a treat.
Best mom ever!
That was one of the first times I ever tried a gingerbread man cookie, and while I adored the warm spicy flavor, I remember thinking he was a bit too crunchy. I’ve always preferred soft and chewy cookies! So when I started craving gingerbread this week, I decided to turn it into a smooth and creamy dessert—exactly the opposite of those cut-out cookies—and created these Mini Cranberry Gingerbread Cheesecakes!
For the spicy ginger flavor, I reached for Gourmet Garden’s new Lightly Dried Ginger. It’s found in the produce section of Safeway and Raley’s near the regular herbs. It tastes just as bright as freshly minced ginger, but it lasts for 4 weeks in the fridge! That’s perfect for people like me who only use a little at a time.
And of course, you can’t make gingerbread without molasses, so that went into the cheesecake batter too. Its rich flavor helps the ginger’s spicy notes shine, so please don’t skip it!
Just like with a regular-sized cheesecake, we’ll bake these minis low and slow until their centers just barely jiggle. Do not overbake them! Nobody likes rubbery cheesecake. These little treats take less than 20 minutes to bake, so stay close to the kitchen—and remember to chill them too!
The topping is extremely simple: just chopped fresh cranberries and sugar. Cook the cranberries on the stove for a few minutes until they’re tender. This brings out their rich red hues and helps reduce some of their tanginess. I still prefer the cranberries a little tart to contrast with the sweet cheesecake, but adjust the sugar to suit your taste.
Don’t they look so cute and festive?
With their warm wintery flavors, these Mini Cranberry Gingerbread Cheesecakes are ideal for holiday parties, especially for people like me who always linger around the dessert table. Their small size makes them so pop-able and easy to sneak seconds!
’Tis the season for sweet treats, right?
These little cheesecakes are full of bright winter flavors and are ideal for holiday parties! Store any leftovers in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Preheat the oven to 300°F, and coat 27 mini muffin cups* with nonstick cooking spray.
- To prepare the crust, mix together the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and applesauce in a small bowl. Evenly divide between the prepared muffin cups, and press into the bottoms. Bake at 300°F for 6-8 minutes. Cool completely.
- To prepare the filling, beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Beat in the egg white and molasses. Mix in the ginger, cinnamon, cornstarch, and vanilla until creamy.
- Divide the filling between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 300°F for 15-17 minutes, or until the filling just barely jiggles when lightly shaken. Cool completely to room temperature before covering with plastic wrap and chilling for at least 2 hours.
- While the cheesecakes bake, prepare the topping. Lightly coat a nonstick pan with nonstick cooking spray, and cook the cranberries over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes, or until tender. Add the cranberries to a bowl, and stir in the sugar. Let the cranberries cool to room temperature; then chill for at least 30 minutes before placing on top of the cheesecakes to serve.
Notes: Instead of 27 mini cheesecakes, this recipe will yield 24 mini cheesecakes and 1 larger cheesecake baked in a regular-sized muffin cup.
For a gluten-free version, substitute gluten-free graham crackers, cinnamon sugar graham cookies, or gingersnaps for a fun twist!
{gluten-free, low fat, low calorie}
*This post was sponsored by Gourmet Garden. As always, all opinions, text, photographs, and recipe are my own.
A few of my blog friends also baked holiday recipes with Gourmet Garden’s Lightly Dried Ginger! They’re all incredibly gorgeous, so be sure to check them out!
Crazy for Crust: Chocolate Dipped Ginger Shortbread Cookies
The Food Charlatan: Frosted Peppermint Gingerbread Bars (Candy Lasses Bars)
French Press: Gingerbread Coffee Cake with Spiced Ginger Streusel
The Domestic Rebel: Gingerbread Cookie Dough Cups
You have no idea how many times I’ve had to do that for Jordan!! We mom’s know how to prevent tears, lol. Love the cheesecakes.
You definitely deserve a “Best Mom Ever” award too Dorothy! Especially with how many holiday baking traditions you always maintain for Jordan. 🙂
LOVING the gingerbread crust and the cranberries are SO festive!
Thank you so much Heather! 🙂
Ginger, cheesecake, and cranberry: possibly my 3 favorite flavors all in one!! These look amazing Amy!!
Thanks Karen!! I totally should’ve brought some for you tonight. I have a million leftovers! I’ll freeze some so I can still give you lots the next time we hang out!
I hope you can help me. I think it was one of your recipe I used to make mini cheesecakes, but I can’t find it. I didn’t know how to save it. I had to blend cream cheese and in another bowl I had to blend the heavy cream then mix the two. I hope you can help me. Everyone loved them.
I’d love to help you, Michelle! However, none of my cheesecake recipes involve heavy cream… So I’m wondering if the recipe came from another website? For my cheesecake recipes (you can find all of them here!), I also typically use one bowl for the cheesecake filling, not two bowls. Yet if you remember the cheesecake’s flavor or if you find the recipe you’re thinking of amongst all of my cheesecake recipes, then I’d be more than happy to help you! 🙂
Would you change anything ingredients wise of you were to make a full sized cheesecake instead of minis?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe, Jen! I haven’t tried converting this particular recipe to be a full-sized cheesecake, so I’m not personally sure and don’t want to lead you astray. You’re welcome to try experimenting with it though! I don’t think there’s quite enough filling for a full-sized cheesecake (going based off of this other cheesecake recipe of mine!), so if you do play around with this recipe, it might be good to try making 1.5x the filling as a starting point. 🙂
I’d love to hear what you think if you do end up making this gingerbread cheesecake recipe!