These mini Kahlua cheesecakes are infused with Kahlua flavor and espresso, making them elegant, decadent, and the perfect size for single-serve portions. The Oreo crust is buttery and adds a little crunch, the Kahlua cheesecake layer is smooth, creamy, and packed full of flavor. Each cheesecake is topped with homemade whipped cream and a dusting of cocoa powder.
If you have never experimented with using coffee liqueur in chocolate baking recipes, you are missing out. The flavors were meant for each other, bringing an elevated taste to a classic recipe. Don’t worry, you don’t have to be 21 to eat the cheesecake. When liqueurs and wines are used in cooking, the alcohol is baked out, just leaving the flavor.
For those who like boozy desserts, you have to try my Baileys Fudge and my rich Kahlua chocolate cake. Chocolate lovers go crazy for these. You can also use the rest of the Kahlua to make a Dirty Snowman or the boozy Oreo milkshake.
We love our fruit version of a mini cheesecake in this Mini Blueberry Cheesecake!
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🍫 Ingredients:
- Oreo Cookies and butter – for the crust
- semi-sweet chocolate chips
- cream cheese – soften at room temperature so the cheese cake layer is creamy and smooth.
- granulated sugar – gives our filling that sweet flavor.
- unsweetened cocoa powder – makes this decadent dessert filled with chocolatey flavor.
- vanilla extract – adds a subtle hint of vanilla.
- all-purpose flour – thickens the batter and helps to keep its shape.
- sour cream – balances out the sweetness and adds moisture.
- Kahlua liqueur and espresso – the signature ingredients that add the uniqueness to the mini cheesecakes.
- eggs – helps to bind the ingredients
- heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar – for the topping
For a full list of ingredients and their measurements, 📋 please view my printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Garnish:
Mini Kahlua cheesecakes are garnished with fresh whipped cream, a little bit of cocoa powder, and coffee/espresso bean.
Substitutions and Variations
- Regular sized cheesecake – to make a regular cheesecake in a springform pan, use my Baileys Cheesecake recipe and substitute Kahlua for the Baileys Irish cream.
- Chocolate ganache – use my dark chocolate ganache to glaze over top of the cheesecakes for more chocolatey flavor.
🔪 Instructions:
PREP: Line a muffin tin with paper liners and preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Step 1: Microwave the chocolate chips in 30-second increments stirring between each cycle until fully melted. Set aside to cool while you prepare the crusts.
Step 2: Add the chocolate cookies to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs.
Step 3: Pour in the melted butter, mix until combined.
Step 4: Add a tablespoon of cookie crumbs to each paper liner. Pack down with a small cup or mallet.
Pro Tip: Bringing cold ingredients to room temperature when making cheesecakes are a must and yield the best results.
Step 5: Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric mixer or stand mixer, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Step 6: Add the cocoa powder, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until incorporated.
Step 7: Mix in the flour, sour cream, and cooled, melted chocolate (from Step 1) into the cream cheese mixture. Pour in the Kahlua and espresso. Stir until combined.
Step 8: Mix in the eggs one at a time by hand.
Step 9: Add the cheesecake batter to each cavity so it’s almost filled to the top.
Step 10: Bake for 20 minutes so they are set and the top of the cheesecake is dry to the touch. Allow the mini cheesecakes to cool to room temperature, then chill for 1-2 hours in the refrigerator.
Step 11: In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add ¼ cup of powdered sugar to sweeten and add stability.
Step 12: Transfer to a piping bag and use a #1M to pipe large swirls on top of the luscious cheesecake filling.
SERVE: Keep the mini cheesecakes refrigerated until you are ready to serve. Also, leave undecorated and add the whipped cream just before serving if you are making them ahead of time.
Recipe Tips for Kahlua Cheesecake Bites
- If you don’t have a food processor, place the cookies in a large ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to crush into crumbs.
- Don’t overmix the eggs into the batter. Be sure to stir these in by hand to reduce the amount of air in the cake so it doesn’t crack and overfill.
- If you don’t want to make homemade whipped cream, use Cool Whip or spray whipped cream.
- Learn how to pipe whipped cream like a pro with a large star tip using my cake decorating tips and tutorials.
- Don’t add the whipped cream to all of the cheesecakes if you aren’t planning on serving all of them at once.
- For a sweetened whipped cream, add a ¼ cup of confectioners’ sugar when making.
- Don’t have a pastry bag? Add the whipped cream to a plastic ziplock bag, then snip the corner of the bag and start piping.
Fun Fact
Did you know that it can take up to 7 years to create one bottle of Kahlua due to growing the coffee beans? -Vine Pair
Recipe FAQs
In some ways, yes. They are both coffee-flavored liqueur, but Baileys is much creamier while Kahlua has more of a coffee taste. Baileys is also made with whiskey instead of rum. It’s still delicious and I actually used it to make individual Baileys chocolate cheesecake trifles, which you should add to your list to try.
Keep undecorated cheesecakes covered loosely with plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the refrigerator for one week or freeze for up to 2 months.
More Decadent Cheesecakes You’ll Love
If you tried this Mini Kahlua Cheesecake Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you liked it in the 📝 comments below.
Mini Kahlua Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients:
- 40 classic oreo cookies about 1 package
- 6 tablespoons salted butter melted
Filling Ingredients:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips melted and cooled
- 2 – 8 oz. packages cream cheese softened
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup Kahlua liqueur
- ¼ cup espresso
- 3 eggs
- 2 cups heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Melt the chocolate chips in a small bowl by microwaving in 30 second increments and stirring between each session until smooth and fully melted. Set aside to cool. (You can also use a chocolate melting pot or a double boiler to melt chocolate.)
- Pulverize Oreo cookies in food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Add melted butter and pulse a few more times until mixture is fully combined.
- Scoop about 1 tablespoon of cookie crumbs into each cavity of prepared muffin tins. Pack down the crumbs with a small mallet or the bottom of a cup.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.
- Add sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract and beat until fully combined.
- Beat in cooled chocolate, flour, and sour cream. Add in espresso and Kahlua and stir or beat carefully (to prevent splatter) until combined.
- Add in 1 egg at a time and stir by hand until combined.
- Scoop cheesecake mixture over the packed oreo crumbs in the muffin tin. Fill each tin almost to the top.
- Bake 20 minutes until the cheesecakes are set and dry to the touch on top.
- Allow cheesecakes to cool to room temperature (about 30 minutes) and then place in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours.
- Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form and pipe swirls on top of the cheesecakes. Sprinkle with cocoa powder and serve.
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