Cherry Cheesecake Cookie Bites

I make all of my cheesecake bite crusts using a glutin-free graham cracker from Pamela's called Honey Grahams. With the graham cracker mixture pressed down and baked, it creates a solid crust which enables you to pick up a square of my cherry cheesecake and carry it around like a cookie. Now, if you want a bigger piece, I suggest a fork.

This cheesecake is smooth and lushest and the cherries add just the right touch. This is a simple cheesecake to make and your family will ask for more.

Ingredients

CHEESECAKE FILLING

• Cream Cheese 
• Sugar white
• Eggs
• Sour cream
• Vanilla Extract

CRUST

• Graham crackers (link is for 2 boxes from Amazon - I read many people received the squares broken, but since you are going to make them into crumbs, it will be OK, or buy locally).
• Sugar white
• Butter unsalted

TOPPING

• Cherry topping or filling

Making a Firm Cheesecake Crust

I made the crust using Honey Grahams Gluten-Free by Pamela's. Most stores are adding a gluten-free section and Pamela's is a well-recognized brand. You should be able to find it at one of your local stores.

Prepping the Crust

My favorite baking dish is a 8.75 X 8.75 Pillivuyt Square Baker. I love this bakeware, not only because I think it looks great next to my baked goods but cleanup is a breeze.

Line the baking dish with tin foil, letting extra hang over two opposite sides. I use them as handles to pull the cheesecake out of the dish. You want to make sure there are no holes or tears in the tin foil.

In a food processor pulse the entire box of Pamela's Honey Graham Crackers. Pulse until it is like sand. You don't want any chunks, it will make it harder to get the smooth pressed crust. Add the crumbs to a dish.

Melt the butter in the Microwave and add it to the bowl with the graham cracker crumbs. Next, add the sugar.

Using a fork, absorb the butter into the graham crackers until the graham crackers are completely moistened.

Add the moistened graham crackers to the baking dish right on top of the tin foil and spread them around.

I even the graham crackers as much as possible before pressing them down to form a solid crust. You want the whole bottom covered, so the cheesecake filling will lie on top of the graham cracker crust. Set the dish aside until the filling is mixed.

Mixing and Baking the Cheesecake

Preheat the oven to 325°F(165°C or 170°C). It does not take long to mix and assemble the cheesecake from this point. Weigh or measure the sugar into a small bowl and set it aside.

Add both blocks of cream cheese to a mixer bowl along with the sugar. Mix on a medium mixer speed until the cream cheese and sugar mixture is smooth. A couple of minutes should do it.

Next, add the sour cream. This adds a fluffiness to the mixture. Mix for a minute to incorporate.

Now break an egg into a small bowl so that you can check for egg shells before adding it to the cream cheese mixture. Mix before adding the 2nd egg and the vanilla extract.

Pour the cheesecake filling right on top of the pressed down graham cracker crust. I use the back of a spoon to even out the mixture. Then lift the dish up about 1 inch and gently let it drop onto a towel to bring up any air bubbles.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. Mine is usually done in 40 minutes. If your oven runs hot, check at 35 minutes. If your oven runs cooler, you may need a longer bake time.

When pulling the cheesecake out of the oven, if you gently jiggle the dish, the cheesecake should only jiggle a little and the edges should just start to brown a little. Move to a cooling rack for 30 to 40 minutes. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight to set. I change my plastic wrap a couple of time since it collects condensation which can drip down onto the cheesecake.

Adding the Cherry Topping

After the cheesecake sets overnight, you will get a small ridge around the edges. This is perfect for adding the cherry topping. The ridge helps keep the cherries on the cheesecake.

Take the cheesecake out of the fridge and, using the overhang of tin foil, lift the cheesecake out of the pan. Pull the tin foil away from the sides. Put your hand between the tin foil and the bottom of the cheesecake, and you should be able too easily separate the two.

Then ease the cheesecake back into the baking dish. The bottom crust because you pressed it down creates a fairly strong crust when baked. Now just add your cherry filling to the top of the cheesecake.

Enjoy

FAQ's