This Valentine's Day tell your sweethearts how you feel by adding personalized messages to brightly colored, rich, and creamy, Conversation Heart Cheesecakes. This fun twist on a holiday classic is sure to win the hearts of your loved ones. See the new Video Tutorial at the end of this post.
I've heard people, including my husband, say, "I've never met a cheesecake I didn't like." Well, I can't say the same.
I've been known to pay upwards of $10 for a slice of cheesecake take one bite and shove it aside.
To me, cheesecake should be lusciously creamy and smooth with a bit of crunch from the graham cracker crust. I love it when it just melts on my tongue. It should taste delicately rich with just a hint of tang from the cream cheese. I won't settle for dense, spongy, crumbly, and or sour cheesecake; it better be good if I'm going to indulge. If it's not perfection, I don't want it.
Do you feel the same?
I have the perfect cheesecake recipe for you.
Many years ago, after many failed attempts at finding a cheesecake with just the right texture and taste, I discovered Tyler Florence's Ultimate Cheesecake. It is the best I've ever tried. I've perfected the recipe and shared tips and tricks for making it creamy and smooth. You can see my Classic Cheesecake Recipe, here.
I've used his cheesecake recipe dozens of times and my family and friends all rave about it.
You can imagine how they reacted when I turned that wonderful dessert into cute Conversation Heart Cheesecakes for Valentine's Day.
Video
Be sure to watch the video in this post to see how to make these cute Valentine's Day desserts.
Each sweet little dessert was brightly colored and personalized with a special message printed on the top just like the candy conversation hearts.
The cheesecake hearts made for the perfect ending to a lovely Valentine's Day meal.
Graham Cracker Crust
graham crackers - You need 1 cup of crumbs. If you crush about 15 graham cracker squares, you'll get about 1 cup of crumbs.
butter - Use salted or unsalted butter to make your cookie crust. Either will work fine.
cinnamon - I like adding a small sprinkling of cinnamon to the crust. It's optional, though.
Cheesecake Filling
cream cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese for the best texture and flavor. I recommend using Philadelphia Cream Cheese. I think it tastes best! Soften your cream cheese at room temperature for at least 3 hours if not more.
sour cream - Adding this to the cheesecake will add a nice tangy flavor and will give your cheesecakes a super smooth and creamy texture. Set the sour cream out an hour before you mix the filling.
eggs - Use room-temperature eggs.
vanilla - Pure vanilla extract adds a nice vanilla flavor but artificial extract will work too.
sugar - Use granulated sugar to add sweetness and structure to the cheesecakes.
Supplies
To make these heart-shaped cheesecakes, you will need three Heart-Shaped Silicone Molds. The molds are the perfect size to make an individual serving of cheesecake.
I only had 2 of the molds at the time I made these hearts and ended up using the extra cheesecake filling to make some mini cheesecake hearts. The bite-sized treats were cute, but I would have preferred having 3 of the larger hearts in each of the six colors.
Items I used to create this project are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales).
Boao 2 Pcs Heart Shaped Sil...Shop on Amazon 
BAKER DEPOT 6 Holes Heart S...Shop on Amazon 
T-fal A85797 Specialty Nons...Shop on Amazon
U.S. Cake Supply 30 Color C...Shop on Amazon
Chicago Metallic Conversati...Shop on Amazonstand mixer or a mixing bowl and handheld mixer
rubber spatula
3 Heart-Shaped Silicone Molds
fine tip paintbrush (new or food-only brush)
roasting pan big enough to fit your heart-shaped molds
You will need a water bath to bake your cheesecakes, so either set your roasting pan in the oven filled with enough water to go halfway up the sides of your heart molds and allow the water to heat along with the oven or bring some water to a boil in a teapot or the microwave then pour it in the bottom of the pan.
My roasting pan has a flat rack that fits inside. I set two heart molds on the rack, filled them, then used the handles to help me lower the molds into the hot water.
After the cheesecakes bake it's so easy to lift them out and cool them on the rack.
Instructions
Make the mini cheesecake crusts in a heart mold.
- Once you have your molds ready to fill, equally divide a mixture of graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon in the bottom of the heart-shaped cavities.
- You'll use about a tablespoon of crumb mixture in each heart cavity. Press the crumbs down making an even crust. Refrigerate until ready to fill with the cheesecake mixture.
- You can bake this crust for 8-10 minutes if you want it to be a bit crisper. Either way works fine.
Make the cheesecake filling.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium-high until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Be sure to scrape the cream cheese out of the mixing blade as well. You don't want lumps in your cheesecake.
- Add sugar and beat for one minute.
- Add eggs and beat until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl once.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla and mix just to combine.
Color the cheesecake filling.
- Equally divide the filling among 6 bowls.
- Add food coloring to create the colors you'd like.
- The colors will intensify a bit once baked, so make them a little less bright than you want them. I was not happy with how intense the blue cheesecakes turned out. I would only a few drops of blue.
Fill the silicone heart mold with the colored filling.
- Pour the colored cheesecake filling into the heart-shaped cavities in your Wilton silicone molds.
- If you are using 3 heart molds and making 18 cheesecakes, equally divide each color among 3 hearts.
- The cavities will be a little over ¾ full.
- I filled mine completely, as I only made 12 of this size. I then used the remaining batter to make some mini hearts (see the image below.)
Bake in a water bath.
- Bake the cheesecakes in a water bath for 18-22 minutes.
- When baked thoroughly, the cheesecakes should still jiggle, but not look wet
- Use a roasting pan with a removable rack to make it easier to remove cheesecakes.
- You can set your heart molds in your roasting pan, then carefully pour boiling water around the heart molds.
- If baking tiny cheesecakes, bake for 10-14 minutes.
- If you bake one large heart-shaped cheesecake, it should take between 42-50 minutes.
Cool then freeze the heart-shaped cheesecakes.
- Remove your baked cheesecakes from the oven and water bath and allow them to cool at room temperature for an hour.
- Then cover the mold with a piece of paper towel and wrap it in plastic wrap.
- Freeze for at least 2 hours or up to several weeks.
- It's easiest to remove the cheesecakes if they are frozen solid.
Un-mold the heart-shaped cheesecakes.
- Remove from the freezer, uncover, then push on the underside of each heart mold, releasing the cheesecakes.
- Carefully lift them out of the mold. If they don't pop right out, you need to freeze them longer.
Personalize the conversation heart cheesecakes.
- To add the conversation heart phrases, squeeze a few drops of red food coloring into a small bowl.
- Use a fine-tip paintbrush to paint the words onto each cheesecake heart.
Tips
- Traditional conversation heart sayings are printed in all capital letters.
- Don't worry if your words are off-center, as many conversation hearts are printed that way.
- If you have too much food coloring on your brush, your letters will bleed.
- The food coloring will dry if you refrigerate your cheesecakes for a while.
Variations
If you prefer to use natural coloring, you can either purchase bottles of natural food coloring or use fruit and vegetable purees.
You can make naturally colored conversation heart cheesecakes using fruit purees (pictured above.) The cheesecakes are flavored and colored with blueberries, raspberries, lemon, and orange/carrot.
If you enjoy fruit-flavored cheesecakes, this is a wonderful, natural, alternative. They taste great and, although the colors are a bit more muted than the original cheesecakes, they look equally festive.
You will also notice, the lettering on those conversation heart cheesecakes is a lot nicer. Check out the other tutorial to see how to achieve this really clean look using cookie stamps.
Storage
- Store in the refrigerator for up to several days or freeze for up to a month.
- I suggest storing them in an airtight container. To keep the condensation from developing on the tops of the cheesecakes, set a piece of paper towel, that is larger than the container's lid, across the underside of the lid. Close and seal. The moisture will get wicked up by the paper towel.
Recipe
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 15 squares)
- pinch of cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter, melted
- 16 ounces (2 blocks) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 pint sour cream (1 pint = 16 ounces or 2 cups of sour cream)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- food coloring - pink purple, blue, green, yellow, and red
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Fill a roasting pan with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the silicone heart molds.
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Set the roasting pan in the oven.
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Heat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, and melted butter.
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Equally divide the crumbs among 18 heart-shaped silicone mold cavities.
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Press the crumbs into an even layer and refrigerate until needed.
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Beat cream cheese until creamy and smooth.
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Add sugar and beat until incorporated.
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Beat in eggs then add sour cream and vanilla and mix just to combine.
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Equally divide the cheesecake batter into 6 bowls.
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Color one bowl of filling pink, lavender, yellow, orange, green, and blue using food coloring.
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Equally divide each color of filling among 3 heart cavities.
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Bake cheesecakes in a water bath for 18-24 minutes until the edges look set but the center is jiggly but not wet.
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Remove from oven and water bath and allow to cool at room temperature for an hour.
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Freeze for at least two hours then remove and un-mold.
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Paint conversation heart phrases onto the tops of the cheesecakes using red food coloring.
Recipe Video
Store your conversation heart cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to several days or freeze them for up to a month. I highly recommend you wait to decorate the cheesecakes until the day you plan to serve them.
More Valentine's Day Recipe Ideas
If you are looking for other treats or gifts to make for Valentine's Day, you might like these other recipes too.
Reese's Cup Teddy Bear Cupcakes • Conversation Heart Piñata Cake
Creamy Coconut Candy Hearts • Chocolate Buckeye Bears
Mozzarella Cheese filled Heart Pastries • Sweet Chocolate Cherry Bombs
Warm Fuzzy Cake Balls and Cupcakes • You Make My Heart Roar Lion Cupcakes
- Irresistible Sweets with Dixie Crystals® - July 13, 2024
- How to make peanut butter? - February 15, 2024
- OREO Penguins - December 20, 2023
Elizabeth says
Do you need to use cooking spray for easier release after frozen?
Beth says
No cooking spray is not necessary. Also if you coat a silicone mold with cooking spray you will get a build up on the mold that won't come off. If I really want to make sure something will release I will butter the mold, but these cheesecakes will pop right out once frozen solid.
Carolyn L Bogart says
Hi Beth, as I was browsing for Valentine options I came across your site. I love these and I can't wait to share. I usually make dark chocolate filled cakes to give away but this year I'm trying yours.
Happy Valentines Day early..and thanks
Beth says
I'm so happy you found these conversation heart cheesecakes. I hope you enjoy making them and that everyone you share them with loves them! Happy Valentine's Day to you too. 🙂
Jean Shea says
I have to admit that I'm on your husband's side - I am yet to meet a cheesecake I don't like. Still, I don't mind the perfect one 😀 I'll give these a go - they sound heavenly.
Beth says
LOL! I totally get it. Cheesecake is generally pretty darn good. I do hope you try this recipe. I know you'll love it.
Kristen says
I have a nordic ware heart pan (6 small hearts). What would I adjust to do these in that pan?
Beth says
Hi Kristen,
You really need to use the silicone molds or a pan with a push bottom. I don't think you will be able to get the cheesecakes out of a metal Nordic Ware pan unless you completely cover the sides of the pan with crust. Even then I'm not sure how easily they will come out.
Beth
McKenna says
Is there a way to prevent the writing from bleeding once they go in the fridge afterwards?!
Beth says
The best thing to do is to place them in a box or container and drape a piece of paper towel on the underside of the box lid. You don't want the paper towel touching the cheesecakes. This will help absorb the condensation which should help to keep the lettering from bleeding. I use a big Rubbermaid container and drape the paper towel over then set the lid over top. It works great.
Robyn says
I am wondering if these molds make a decent sized cheesecake worth selling. If you were going to make them to sell, would you still use this same pan?
Beth says
They make a nice size dessert for one person. So it would be like selling a gourmet cupcake if you use these molds. You could also make them in small heart shaped sprinform pans. They are a bit larger and would be a two person dessert that way.
Anders Fredlund says
Wow, Looks amazing!
Beth says
Thanks!
elenia says
Thank you so much! Great idea! I made these this past Friday for about 20 people and everyone loved them. I can't tell you how happy it made me feel! Mil gracias!
Beth says
That makes me so happy to know that you made these and shared them with so many people. I'm glad they were a hit. Happy Valentine's Day.
Aly says
How long should I bake just one heart mold of 6? Okay to make days in advance and thaw out day before in fridge ? Does the writing stay intact when frozen or bleed?
Beth says
The baking time should be the same. You can make these up to a month ahead, and keep frozen until the day before you need them. Then remove them from the molds and thaw in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve. The lettering bleeds just a little bit which makes it look like real conversation hearts. Have fun and Happy Valentine's Day!
Tasha says
My sister loves these cheesecakes. She wants me to make them for her in the shape of a lion. Do you think they would do okay without the crust, so that I can have the design from the mold of the lion? And this might be dumb, but would it turn out okay if the crust was baked on top and not bottom?
Beth says
I'm so happy to hear you are going to make some fun cheesecakes for your sister. I have actually made them crustless many times. I've even painted into the mold using colored cheesecake.
Here are a few links of cheesecakes on my blog that will give you guidance.
https://hungryhappenings.com/2012/11/festive-fall-cheesecake-leaves-and.html/ (autumn colored leaves with no crust)
https://hungryhappenings.com/2013/03/cheesecake-easter-eggs-easter-dessert.html/ (painted Easter egg cheesecakes no crust)
https://hungryhappenings.com/2015/03/raspberry-blueberry-lemon-cheesecake-peeps.html/ (naturally colored Peeps cheesecake minis)
I've not yet tried adding a crust on top. I've thought about it a lot, just haven't attempted it yet. If you don't add a crust, be sure to put the cheesecakes on the plates you'll serve them on while frozen and they are hard to move when they soften. I buy small plastic appetizer plates which are the perfect size.
I love the basic cheesecake recipe and have had so much fun decorating them. If you have any questions while you are working, don't hesitate to ask.
Sandra Covarrubias says
So cute! Can I use springform pans?
Sandra Covarrubias says
So Cute! Can I use springform pans? I found heart shaped ones!
Allie Bobe says
One day I'll make these, but until then I'll feature them on gift round up. The post should be live tonight sometime.
~Allie at craftyallieblog.com
Siti Asiah says
so sweet...:)
Rosemary says
An idea for wedding anniversary too.
Anonymous says
i like this recipe but, you might want to add more chocolate and i love cheesecake!!!!!!!!!!!
Becki Steel says
Hi, great recipe! just one question, do you write on them after they have thawed or before?
Thanks and Happy Valentines day 🙂
beth says
You can do it either way, but it's just a bit easier when they are frozen, as the coloring goes on really nicely that way.
Anonymous says
These are insanely adorable!! Can't wait to make these as a treat for my single girl friends!
But before I get on that, where did you find the heart mold?
Thanks!
xx
Erika
beth says
Thanks, Erika. I bought my molds from Amazon. There is a link at the end of the post. You can oftentimes find them at craft stores around Valentine's Day too. I've not been in any this month, but I've seen them at Michael's and JoAnn's in previous years. It's been a while but I've also seen them at Target and WalMart.
Carmen Anderson says
This really is the best cheesecake recipe I had ever tried! I made some today, and they came out beautifully. (not as beautiful as yours, but they are super cute! and my husband love them! ) And they taste fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!!!! x
beth says
I'm so glad you like them!
Peter @Feed Your Soul Too says
These look great and you must have a good sense of humor too. I featured them on my Friday Five - Valentine's Day addition over at Feed Your Soul Too.