Hot Cocoa Cheesecake Cups are mini chocolate cheesecakes with an Oreo Cookie crust, topped with white chocolate, mini marshmallows and a candy cane handle!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
In a mixing bowl, combine Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter until combined well.
Scoop about 1 Tablespoon of the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Using your fingertips, press the mixture down into an even layer until it’s evenly packed.
Bake the cookie crust for 5 minutes. Allow it to cool while you prepare the cheesecake batter.
Reduce the oven to 325°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese with sugar (using an electric hand mixer or stand mixer) on low speed until smooth.
Add in eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract. Beat for about 2 minutes. Add cocoa powder and mix until well combined.
Using a spring loaded cookie scooper, scoop the cream cheese filling into each cupcake liner until it lines up with the top of the cupcake liner.
Bake at 325°F for 20-22 minutes. Bake at 325°F for 20-22 minutes. Then allow the cheesecakes to cool fully on a wire rack.
In a medium mixing bowl, melt together white chocolate wafers with the heavy cream in the microwave at 30 second intervals. Whisk between intervals until smooth.
Transfer the ganache into a piping bag. Pipe the ganache onto the middle of the cheesecake cups. Make sure it’s smoothed out in a circle shape. You can also just carefully spoon it onto the cheesecakes if you don't have a piping bag.
Evenly sprinkle the remaining cocoa powder on top of the ganache. Add 3 mini marshmallows to the top
Trim the bottom of each of the mini candy canes to make them smaller and then hook one onto the side of each cheesecake cup to make a handle.
Let cool, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
Notes
A piping bag is not necessary for the white chocolate layer. You can spoon it on or use a ziploc bag.
These can be frozen. See above on how to do that.
If you'd rather not have a white chocolate layer, you can top with Cool Whip or whipped cream.
Make sure all the cheesecake ingredients are at room temperature.