Everything is cuter (and more delicious!) in mini form, and these mini chocolate orange cheesecakes are no exception! Each individual cheesecake features a buttery chocolate shortbread crust, ultra creamy chocolate orange cheesecake filling, and rich chocolate ganache. The smooth chocolate-orange flavor profile is one that all citrus lovers will drool over!
This mini chocolate orange cheesecake recipe is a truly delicious crowd pleaser! They're made with rich cocoa powders, tangy cream cheese, decadent dark chocolate, fresh oranges, and they're topped with a gorgeous, silky chocolate ganache. Each cheesecake is individually portioned, which means this recipe is perfect for your next dinner party dessert, elegant birthday treats for someone special, or just an adorable, indulgent snack!
For more dark chocolate recipes, try Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake, Malted Dark Chocolate Snack Cake, Dark Chocolate Chess Pie, and Dark Chocolate Tahini Cups.
Jump to Recipe
Why you'll love these mini chocolate orange cheesecakes
- Chocolate & Orange Flavors: The combination of rich chocolate and bright citrus creates a unique and delicious flavor profile!
- Silky Smooth Ganache: This ganache is ultra rich in flavor and super smooth, making it the definition of indulgent.
- Chocolate Shortbread Crust: Instead of a typical graham cracker crust, these mini cheesecakes have delicious chocolate shortbread crusts that pack an even bigger chocolatey punch!
- Individual Servings: Baking these cheesecakes in a mini cheesecake pan makes the most adorable little treats that are a breeze to serve at a dinner party!
Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate: Use a high quality dark chocolate for a unique flavor profile. Alternatively, you can use semi-sweet chocolate, or even milk chocolate chips.
- Cream Cheese: Be sure to use room temperature block cream cheese!
- Sour Cream: Use full fat sour cream for optimum flavor and texture.
- Oranges: Use your favorite type of oranges!
- Cocoa Powders: I used a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders for an extra rich chocolate experience.
- Unsalted Butter: Use high quality European-style butter for best overall flavor.
- Flour: Use high quality unbleached all-purpose flour for best results.
- Eggs: Bring your eggs to room temperature quickly by placing them in a bowl of warm water for 10 minutes.
- Vanilla: Add a high quality vanilla extract for optimal flavor.
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this mini chocolate orange cheesecakes recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Make the chocolate shortbread. In a medium or large mixing bowl, add the butter and use an electric hand mixer to cream until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, half teaspoon vanilla, and quarter teaspoon salt and beat for 2 more minutes. Lastly, add the flour and cocoa powders and mix on low speed until fully combined.
STEP 2: Chill and bake the shortbread crust. Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough between 12 cups in the prepared mini cheesecake pan. Press the shortbread dough into an even layer and up against the sides slightly in each cup. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes. Dock the shortbread dough with the tines of a fork, then bake for about 12 minutes until they’re puffed up and no longer look doughy. Remove them from the oven and gently press them back down. Allow them to cool completely while you make the cheesecake filling.
STEP 3: Rub sugar & zest together. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, orange zest, and salt. Rub them together with your fingers until it resembles wet sand and smells aromatic.
STEP 4: Mix in wet ingredients. Add the cream cheese and sour cream, and beat on low speed until fully combined and smooth. It’s very important to get all of those lumps out now! While mixing on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate into the mixture before adding another.
STEP 5: Add chocolate and orange. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the melted chocolate, orange juice, vanilla, and sifted cocoa powder. Mix on low speed until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl again to ensure everything is properly combined.
STEP 6: Bake cheesecakes. Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cheesecake batter between the 12 cups in the mini cheesecake pan, filling each about ¾ full. Smooth out the tops, then tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Set aside. Bake the cheesecakes in a water bath for 25-30 minutes or until the tops appear matte. Turn the oven off, crack the oven door, and leave the cheesecakes for 30 minutes. Then, remove the cheesecakes from the oven and the water bath, and allow to cool completely at room temperature. Finally, place the pan in the fridge uncovered to chill overnight.
STEP 7: Make ganache and decorate. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy whipping cream to a simmer or about 190 degrees F. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chocolate to melt. Use a small rubber spatula or spoon to gently stir until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is homogeneous (it should thickly coat the back of a spoon). Spoon the chocolate ganache topping onto each mini cheesecake, allowing some to drip down the sides. Top with orange slices and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Carefully prepare the mini cheesecake pan: Remove the bottom circles, then flip it upside down and wrap the bottoms of each cup tightly with aluminum foil. Place a larger baking sheet (with at least a 1” lip) on top and flip it right side up. Add the bottom circles back to each cup. The baking sheet needs to be deep enough for a water bath to bake the cheesecakes and the aluminum foil is meant to prevent the water from seeping into the cheesecakes.
- Don't skip the water bath. Baking the cheesecakes in a pan of boiling water encourages them to bake evenly.
- Avoid dramatic temperature changes: To prevent the cheesecakes from cracking, it's crucial to bring their temperature down very gradually after baking. Once they're done baking, turn the oven off, crack the door, and leave them for 30 minutes. Then, let them cool completely at room temperature before chilling overnight.
Recipe FAQs
Be wary of over-heating the cream or chocolate or over-mixing, or the ganache might split. When ganache splits, the fat solids separate and it appears grainy. If this happens, sometimes it can be fixed by adding a splash of cold heavy cream or small amount of butter.
It is essential to bring all ingredients to room temperature so they will mix and incorporate into the batter properly. This will also make it easier to mix everything on low speed, which is crucial to avoiding cracks as the cheesecake bakes.
The key is to avoid any dramatic change in temperature at every step. Follow these 5 tips, be patient, and you'll be rewarded with creamy, crack-free mini cheesecakes!
1. Mix the batter on LOW speed.
2. Bake the cheesecakes at a lower temperature - 325 degrees F!
2. Don't skip the water bath. Baking the cheesecakes in a pan of boiling water encourages them to bake evenly.
3. NEVER open the oven door! If you do, heat will escape and any dramatic change in temperature will cause the cheesecakes to crack.
4. Leave the cheesecakes in the oven with the door cracked for 30 minutes after they are done baking. This will allow them to cool down slowly as the oven cools down.
5. Allow the cheesecakes to come to room temperature before placing in the fridge overnight.
Store these mini chocolate orange cheesecakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other chocolate recipes to try
If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating & review below and post a picture (or video!) on Instagram and tag me so I can see your bakes! Not ready to make this recipe yet? Click the heart button on the right of your screen to save it for later 🙂
📖 Recipe
Mini Chocolate Orange Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the chocolate shortbread:
- 113 g (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 56 g (½ cup) powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- 21 g (¼ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
- 5 g (1 tablespoon) black cocoa powder
For the chocolate orange cheesecake filling:
- 100 g (½ cup) granulated sugar
- Zest of one orange
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 681 g (24 oz) block-style cream cheese, room temp
- 113 g (½ cup) sour cream, room temp
- 3 eggs, room temp
- 255 g (9 oz) dark chocolate, melted
- 36 g (3 tablespoon) orange juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 5 g (1 tablespoon) dutch process cocoa powder, sifted
For the ganache:
- 150 g (⅔ cup) heavy cream
- 85 g (3 oz) dark chocolate
Instructions
For the chocolate shortbread:
- Prepare the mini cheesecake pan: Remove the bottom circles, then flip it upside down and wrap the bottoms of each cup tightly with aluminum foil. Place a larger baking sheet (with at least a 1” lip) on top and flip it right side up. Add the bottom circles back to each cup. The baking sheet needs to be deep enough for a water bath to bake the cheesecakes.
- In a medium bowl, add the butter and use an electric hand mixer to cream until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat for 2 more minutes. Lastly, add the flour and cocoa powders and mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop to portion the dough between 12 cups in the prepared mini cheesecake pan.
- Press the shortbread dough into an even layer and up against the sides slightly in each cup. Place in the fridge to chill for at least 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Dock the shortbread dough with the tines of a fork, then bake for about 12 minutes until they’re puffed up and no longer look doughy.
- Remove them from the oven and gently press them back down. Allow them to cool completely while you make the cheesecake filling.
For the chocolate orange cheesecake filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, add the sugar, orange zest, and salt. Rub them together with your fingers until it resembles wet sand and smells aromatic.
- Add the cream cheese and sour cream, and beat on low speed until fully combined and smooth. It’s very important to get all of those lumps out now!
- While mixing on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, allowing each to fully incorporate into the mixture before adding another.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add in the melted chocolate, orange juice, vanilla, and sifted cocoa powder. Mix on low speed until fully combined. Scrape down the bowl again to ensure everything is properly combined.
- Use a large cookie scoop to portion the cheesecake batter between the 12 cups in the mini cheesecake pan, filling each about ¾ full. Smooth out the tops, then tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles. Set aside.
- For the water bath, fill a 1 quart saucepan with water and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and very carefully pour the water into the bottom baking sheet below the cheesecakes.
- Carefully transfer the cheesecakes to the oven. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until the tops appear matte.
- Turn the oven off, crack the oven door, and leave the cheesecakes for 30 minutes.
- Then, remove the cheesecakes from the oven and the water bath, and allow to cool completely at room temperature.
- Finally, place the pan in the fridge uncovered to chill overnight.
For the ganache:
- The next day, just before making the ganache, remove the mini cheesecakes from the pan and place on a serving plate.
- In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a simmer or about 190 degrees F. Once simmering, remove from heat and add the chocolate. Use a small rubber spatula or spoon to gently stir until the chocolate has melted and the ganache is homogeneous.
- Spoon the ganache onto each mini cheesecake, allowing some to drip down the sides.
- Top with orange slices and enjoy!
Notes
- Carefully prepare the mini cheesecake pan: Remove the bottom circles, then flip it upside down and wrap the bottoms of each cup tightly with aluminum foil. Place a larger baking sheet (with at least a 1” lip) on top and flip it right side up. Add the bottom circles back to each cup. The baking sheet needs to be deep enough for a water bath to bake the cheesecakes and the aluminum foil is meant to prevent the water from seeping into the cheesecakes.
- Don't skip the water bath. Baking the cheesecakes in a pan of boiling water encourages them to bake evenly.
- Avoid dramatic temperature changes: To prevent the cheesecakes from cracking, it's crucial to bring their temperature down very gradually after baking. Once they're done baking, turn the oven off, crack the door, and leave them for 30 minutes. Then, let them cool completely at room temperature before chilling overnight.
Rachel says
My local grocery store carries Lindt Intense Orange Dark Chocolate bar and also Ghirardelli Intense Blood Orange Dark Chocolate bar. Do you think these would work well to make the ganache to go on top of the cheesecakes? If so, would I use the same amount of heavy cream? Thanks.
Sloane says
I'm not sure, but it will probably work with the same ratio!