Last Updated on April 26, 2021 by laurenpacek
These miniature Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecakes are creamy, sweet, and have just a touch of Irish Cream flavor.
St. Patrick's Day is around the corner!
St. Patrick's Day is going to be here before we know it. Even though there won't be big parades or drunken nights out at the pub, that doesn't mean that we can't treat ourselves.
These cute little Baileys Cheesecakes are just the thing we need! They're sweet and creamy, perfectly portioned, AND they have a hit of Irish Cream flavor in the batter and ganache.
Basically, you can't go wrong with these little cuties.
What ingredients go into these little cheesecakes?
Let's talk about 'em!
- Oreo cookies: Maybe the most perfect cookie out there. Don't @ me. I like the Double Stuf variety.
- Butter: Unsalted butter all the way.
- Cream cheese: Full fat, please.
- Yogurt: You can use either plain yogurt or some sour cream. If using yogurt, regular yogurt or Greek yogurt will work.
- Sugar: White granulated sugar, please.
- Eggs: Large eggs!
- Vanilla extract: Use the good stuff, please! Buy it at the store or make it yourself.
- Chocolate: I used dark chocolate, but semi-sweet would work well here, too.
- Heavy cream: Not much more to say about that. Just regular old heavy cream
- Mini chocolate chips: These are optional but I thought they looked cute on top of the ganache-covered cheesecakes.
How do these cheesecakes come together?
It's not terribly complicated! You'll start out by making the crust: blitzing some Oreos until they're finely ground, mixing the crumbs with melted butter, and pressing it all into lined muffin tins. Bake it off for a few minutes and you've got crust!
The batter comes together by beating room temperature cream cheese until very smooth. I've found that using room temperature cream cheese really helps you to get a super smooth batter. A little sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and Irish Cream liqueur later and you've got a tasty cheesecake batter. Pour the batter over the crust and bake until just jiggly.
It's important to allow your mini cheesecakes to cool to room temperature before stashing them in the fridge for a bit to really cool. Make sure to chill them in the fridge for at least two hours. I opted for doing it overnight.
Make the ganache (just 3 ingredients!), allow it to cool and thicken a bit, and spoon/pour it over the cheesecakes. You'll get a hit of Irish Cream flavor from both the cheesecake batter AND the ganache.
Garnish these little guys with some mini chocolate chips, if desired. Then dig on in!
Looking for other related recipes?
If you're looking for St. Patrick's Day recipes, I've got others! Check out these Double Chocolate Irish Cream Cookies for some guaranteed deliciousness. I also have a Chocolate Stout Bundt Cake with an Irish Cream Glaze. So good. Aaaaand let's not forget this Chocolate Guinness Cheesecake with Chocolate Whiskey Ganache! You really don't want to miss it.
I also whipped up this Baileys Iced Coffee that you do not want to miss! Just four ingredients stand between you and a sweet, boozy treat.
If you want other cheesecake recipes... well, I've got those too. Check out this Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache. I also have a crazy good S'mores Cheesecake!
Where did this recipe come from?
The cheesecake recipe is adapted slightly from one from Sally's Baking Addiction, while the ganache is a pretty standard ganache recipe.
Baileys Cheesecake
These miniature Baileys Irish Cream Cheesecakes are creamy, sweet, and have just a touch of Irish Cream flavor.
Ingredients
For the mini cheesecakes
- 18 Oreo cookies
- 4 tbs unsalted butter, melted
- 16 oz cream cheese, room temperature (see notes)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup plain yogurt or sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup Irish Cream liqueur
For the ganache
- 4 oz dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 oz Irish Cream liqueur
- mini chocolate chips, for garnish (optional)
Instructions
To make the cheesecakes
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two muffin tins with 18 muffin liners. Set the tins aside.
- In a food processor or blender, grind the Oreos up into fine crumbs. Add the crumbs to a medium-sized bowl, along with the butter. Stir until they are combined.
- Divide the cookie crumbs/butter mixture evenly among the muffin liners (~1 heaping tbs per liner) and press them into the bottom.
- Bake for 5 minutes and allow it to cool slightly.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, with the aid of a handheld electric mixer), beat the cream cheese until totally smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the sugar and yogurt, beating on medium speed until it is combined.
- One at a time, add the eggs, beating on low speed. Once combined, add the vanilla extract and Irish Cream liqueur and beat a little more.
- Divide the batter evenly among the lined muffin cups. Bake 20-23 minutes, or until the centers are just slightly jiggly.
- Allow the cheesecakes to cool to room temperature before stashing them in the fridge to chill overnight (or for at least 2 hours).
To make the ganache
- Place the chopped chocolate in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
- Gently warm the cream in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. Be sure to not allow it to come to a boil.
- Pour the heated cream over the chocolate. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes.
- Using a rubber spatula, stir the chocolate and cream together until glossy and smooth.
- Add the Irish Cream liqueur and stir to combine.
- Allow the ganache to sit for just a bit so that it thickens slightly. Spoon it over the cooled cheesecakes.
- Garnish with mini chocolate chips, if desired.
Notes
- Allow your cream cheese to truly come to room temperature. I've found that this makes all the difference in terms of making a super smooth cheesecake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 347Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 140mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 26gProtein: 4g
What gear should I have on hand to make these little cheesecakes?
- Muffin tins!
- Muffin/cupcake liners
- A stand mixer or hand mixer
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