Mini {Gluten Free} Cheesecakes

At work we always celebrate everyone's birthdays! This week we celebrated my manager's birthday. I always bake everyone something to celebrate. So to celebrate her birthday I decided to make her mini cheesecakes. I had one hurdle in my way though when baking her birthday "cake"......she has to eat gluten free!!! I was not going to allow this to stop me from making her something special!

**These cheesecakes can be made "un"gluten free as well. I made both and will show you both recipes.


Mini {Gluten Free} Cheesecakes
(as adapted by Gingerbread Bagels)

INGREDIENTS:

Crust
1/2 package Glutino Gluten Free Chocolate Vanilla Creme cookies (or Oreos....which are NOT gluten free)
1 TBSP sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Cheesecake Batter
1 lb cream cheese (2 oz packages)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup sour cream

DIRECTIONS:
-Preheat oven to 275 degrees

-In a food processor, grind up the cookies
*I do not have a food processor, so I placed the cookies in a sealable plastic bag and rolled my rolling pin around on the to crush them up into fine crumbs

I used the Christmas Oreos!!! <3

It looks like a cookie massacre with the red cream!!!

Gluten free cookies on the left, Christmas Oreos on the right

-Put all the crumbs into a large bowl and add in the sugar

-Mix the sugar in to the crumbs and then add in the melted butter

Melted butter

-With a fork, combine the cookie crumbs with the butter

-Place 1 TBSP of cookie crumbs into cupcake liner and smash with your fingers to create a crust bottom

All smooshed crusty bottoms! ;)

-Set the cupcake pan aside and then make the cheesecake batter!!!

-In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese until smooth on medium speed, about 3 minutes

-With the mixer on medium speed, add in the sugar

-Add in the vanilla and mix to combine

-Slowly pour in the lightly beaten eggs and mix until eggs are combined with mixture

-Add in the sour cream and combine

I used a spatula to mix in the sour cream since you don't want to over mix the cream cheese batter

-Using an ice cream scooper, scoop the batter on top of the cookie crusts

-Bake for 30 minutes
*When they come out of the oven, some may have some serious cracks going on. This is ok and will go away once they start to cool.

I added some sprinkles to the tops of mine for a little extra birthday feel. I did NOT add them to the gluten free ones because I was not sure if the sprinkles were gluten free or not......better safe than sorry! :)

-Let cool for 10 minutes and then place in the fridge and chill for at least 2 hours!!! Make sure you let them chill in the fridge before you eat them! :) I know the temptation will be very hard to resist, but you will be glad you waited!

THEY ARE WORTH THE WAIT!


I wanted to share these super cute Christmas Oreos with you! I love all the designs they have!!!

Snowman!

Gingerbread Man! My fave!!!!

Ice Skates!

Snowflake!!!

I am so glad that it is almost Christmas!!! I am just thankful for the easy work week this week!!!! Some time off is much needed! I also can't wait to get my Christmas bonus!!!! <3 Thank you doctor!!!!! I plan on gettin' myself a brand spankin' new phone with it.

I am getting the pretty white one to match my MacBook!!!! <3 Yes, I roll that way! :) Gotta match my electronics!


Well, hope you all have a wonderful evening! I am gonna get ready for bed and watch tv with the hubsters!!!! <3


Much love!!!
<3
Amy