Description
Small, individual cheesecake portions decorated to look like a miniature graveyard scene for Halloween.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 graham crackers
- 1/4 cup melted butter
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed (for ‘dirt’)
- 12 small Milano cookies (for ‘tombstones’)
- Black food coloring
- Small candy pumpkins (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Crush the graham crackers finely. Mix the crumbs with the melted butter. Press about 1 tablespoon of this mixture into the bottom of each liner.
- Beat the softened cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Beat in the egg until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Spoon the cheesecake batter evenly over the crusts in the muffin cups.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the edges are set. Let the cheesecakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- While cooling, prepare the tombstones. Use a toothpick dipped in black food coloring to write ‘RIP’ or other simple messages on the Milano cookies. Let them dry slightly.
- Once the cheesecakes are cool, mix the crushed chocolate cookies with a small amount of melted chocolate or water to make a damp, crumbly mixture resembling dirt. Sprinkle this mixture over the top of each cheesecake.
- Gently press one decorated Milano cookie into the ‘dirt’ on each cheesecake to resemble a tombstone.
- Chill the bites for at least 2 hours before serving. Add a small candy pumpkin if desired.
Notes
- You can use a store-bought graham cracker crust mix to save time.
- For a firmer ‘dirt,’ mix the cookie crumbs with a tiny bit of melted dark chocolate instead of water.
- If you do not have Milano cookies, use rectangular vanilla wafers for the tombstones.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 18 min
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bite
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 15
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 14
- Saturated Fat: 8
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 20
- Fiber: 1
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 45
Keywords: cheesecake bites, Halloween dessert, graveyard, individual cheesecake, no-bake crust, mini cheesecake