These black forest mini cheesecakes combines the flavors of chocolate and cherry in order to create one delicious bite! The chocolate cheesecake filling is smooth, creamy, and extremely decadent, while the cherry topping is sweet and saucy.
These chocolate cherry cheesecake bites are the most perfect individual sized treats. Mini cheesecakes are way easier to make than a full-size one because you bake them in a muffin pan, there's no water bath needed, and you get to eat them much quicker.
Each bite is so creamy and there's a little bit of a crunch from the Oreo cookie crust too. If you are a chocolate-lover (like myself) I can guarantee you'll love this cheesecake. Plus, who doesn't love a little homemade cherry sauce to drizzle over the top?
Craving even more mini cheesecakes? Then check out these: mini Oreo cheesecake bites, strawberry swirl mini cheesecakes, and blueberry mini cheesecakes.
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Why You'll Love These Mini Cheesecakes
- Both melted chocolate and cocoa powder are in the cheesecake layer.
- The flavors of chocolate and cherry pair so well together.
- They’re easily made in a muffin pan.
- The cherry topping can be made with either fresh or frozen berries
- They're perfectly-sized to share with others!
Have you ever had a black forest dessert? I hadn't until these mini cheesecakes and now I'm wondering why! I love that the cherry topping can be made with fresh or frozen cherries, because that means you can make this recipe year-round.
Mini cheesecakes are definitely my cheesecake of choice because they don't require a lot of time to bake or chill. Unlike traditional cheesecakes where a springform pan and water bath is a must, all you need is a muffin pan. They really are that easy to make!
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Oreos: This is the base for our crust. You could also use chocolate graham crackers in place of the cookies.
- Chocolate Bar: I used a 60% chocolate bar from Ghirardelli. Feel free to use an even darker chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate.
- Cream Cheese: Brick-style, NOT the spreadable kind.
- Cocoa Powder: I recommend Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder (or Ghirardelli).
- Yogurt: I always add a little bit of yogurt to my cheesecakes. It adds even more creaminess and I love the flavor. If you don't have yogurt, you could substitute it for sour cream.
- Cherries: Frozen or fresh pitted cherries.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this black forest cheesecake.
Step 1: Make the crust. Pour the Oreo crumbs into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix together. Evenly disperse the Oreo crumbs into the cupcake liners and bake for 5 minutes.
Step 2: Chocolate cheesecake. Cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and sifted cocoa powder on medium-high speed until smooth. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined.
Step 3: Add the eggs. Then add your eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the stand and gently fold in the cooled melted chocolate until fully combined.
Step 4: Bake. Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling into the cupcake liners, covering the cookie crust (I used my 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop). Place the muffin pan into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the tops of the cheesecakes are set.
Step 5: Chill. Allow the cheesecakes to cool for 45 minutes on the counter and then for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Step 6: Cherry Filling. Combine the cherries, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, combine the 2 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of corn starch in a small bowl and pour into the cherry mixture. Stir and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat and chill completely in the refrigerator.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Expert Baking Tips
- Muffin Pan: This mini cheesecake recipe can easily be made in a 12-count muffin pan. I recommend lining your pan with cupcake liners, but if you don’t have any, just use non-stick spray.
- Cream Cheese: Always use the block-style cream cheese when making any cheesecake.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: You want your cream cheese, yogurt, and eggs to be at room temperature before baking. This helps for all of the ingredients to combine more easily and for the filling to be very smooth. I recommend removing these items from your refrigerator 1 hour before you want to start baking.
- Chocolate: I used both a chocolate bar (60%) and cocoa powder for the chocolate cheesecake.
- Cherries: You can use either fresh or frozen pitted cherries.
- Homemade Whipped Cream: An optional topping for your cheesecakes is whipped cream. Simply whisk together 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract using your electric stand (or handheld) mixer on high speed for 3-4 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
I haven't tried this before so I'm not sure how it will turn out. Chocolate bars are of higher quality compared to chocolate chips, so I would highly recommend using a chocolate bar.
Yes, you can! This is a great recipe to make ahead of time. Simply serve them the next day with the cherry topping and whipped cream.
I used frozen dark red cherries, but you can also use fresh when they're in season. Just be sure to pit them first.
The cheesecakes are done baking when they barely jiggle when moving the pan.
I haven't tried this, but I don't see why not! I would recommend making your own, though, over a store-bought cherry pie filling.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy baking!
More Chocolate Desserts
📖 Recipe
Black Forest Mini Cheesecakes
Equipment
- 12-count muffin pan
- Electric Stand Mixer
- Food Processor
Ingredients:
Oreo Cookie Crust
- 12 Oreos, crumbs (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
- 4 ounce chocolate, chopped & melted (semi-sweet or dark chocolate)
- 12 ounces brick-style cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, sifted
- ¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Cherry Topping
- 1 cup cherries, fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons of water plus 1teaspoon corn starch, mixed together
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven 325 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
Oreo Cookie Crust
- Place the Oreos into a food processor or blender and pulse until fine crumbs. Pour the Oreo crumbs into a medium-sized mixing bowl and add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Mix together.
- Evenly disperse the Oreo crumbs into the cupcake liners, pressing down firmly (use your fingers or a ¼ measuring cup). Bake for 5 minutes and set aside to cool while making the cheesecake filling.
Chocolate Cheesecake Filling
- In a small microwaveable-safe bowl, melt the chopped chocolate in 15-second intervals, mixing each time, until completely melted. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese, sugar, and sifted cocoa powder on medium-high speed until smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times during this process.
- Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again. Add your eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the stand and gently fold in the cooled melted chocolate until fully combined.
- Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling into the cupcake liners, covering the cookie crust (I used my 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop). Place the muffin pan into the oven and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until the tops of the cheesecakes are set (if the cheesecakes jiggle when shaken, they're not done yet).
- Allow the cheesecakes to cool for 45 minutes on the counter and then cover the entire muffin pan with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours.
Cherry Topping
- As the cheesecakes cool and chill, make the cherry topping. Combine the cherries, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of water in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until boiling. Once boiling, combine the 2 teaspoon of water and 1 teaspoon of corn starch in a small bowl and pour into the cherry mixture. Stir and cook for another minute.
- Remove from the heat and chill completely in the refrigerator before topping the chilled cheesecakes with the cherry sauce. Optional: top each cheesecake with whipped cream and then the cherry topping. Keep any leftover cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The rich chocolate cheesecake bites pair perfectly with the tart cherry pie topping. Definitely add whipped cream to the top!