Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys

Create these decadently rich and creamy Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys. They will be a great addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table and will make your guests gobble for more.

I had so much fun recently making Chocolate Turkey Truffles and  Cheesecake Ghosts that I morphed the two ideas into these Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys for Thanksgiving.

I took concepts from both recipes and combined them to make one adorable and decadent chocolate Thanksgiving dessert. Each tiny little cheesecake is so lusciously rich that a little goes a long way. They are the perfect size sweet treat to serve after a huge holiday meal.

It's easy to see the resemblance in these holiday desserts. I tried to keep these cheesecakes simple, as I know how crazy it is getting a Thanksgiving day meal prepared.

Each miniature chocolate cheesecake is decorated with a graham cracker tail feather, two candy eyes, an orange candy-coated sunflower seed beak, and a red sunflower seed waddle.

To make my cheesecakes extra special I used Eggland's Best Eggs.

I can always count on EB eggs to be really fresh and flavorful.

I love cracking open an egg and seeing a vibrantly colored yolk and clear egg white, which is what I find inside Eggland's Best Eggs.

Cheesecake made with really fresh ingredients will keep well in the freezer for several months or in the refrigerator for 5 days. So you have plenty of time before Thanksgiving to get some of these made. Just thaw the cheesecakes in the refrigerator the day before you want to serve them, and decorate them that day.

I actually did an experiment and decorated these and kept them refrigerated for 4 hours. They looked perfect when they came out.

So, you can get these ready ahead of time and set them out for dessert.

Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys

Ingredients:  (makes 24 turkeys)

butter, to coat the inside of your molds

⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
16 ounces cream cheese, softened (do not use low fat or no-fat cream cheese)
⅔ cup sugar
2 large Eggland's Best Eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
48 candy eyes
24 orange candy-coated sunflower seeds
24 red candy-coated sunflower seeds
12-16 whole graham cracker rectangles

Supplies:

3  Wilton Brownie Pop Silicone Molds
1 fluted biscuit cutter

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter the cavities in your molds.

Heat heavy whipping cream and chocolate on high in the microwave for 20 second intervals, stirring after each, until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add Eggland's Best Eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.

Add the vanilla then pour in the chocolate and beat just until combined.

Set the silicone molds on a baking sheet. Pour the chocolate cheesecake filling into the molds.

Bake for 22 minutes, then turn the oven off, open the oven door, and allow the cheesecake to remain in the oven for 10 minutes or until they look set.

Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.

Pop them in the freezer for at least 4 hours. I tried to remove one too soon and tore it apart. I stuck it back in and removed it later when they were frozen solid.

Once removed, put them on small individual serving dishes and allow them to thaw. I used plastic appetizer plates that I got at a party supply store.

Once the cheesecakes thaw they will be hard to move. If you can't find small plates, you can place each cake on a small round cookie or cut rounds from graham crackers.

At this point, you can store the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to five days or put back in the freezer.

To make the turkey's feathers, use a fluted biscuit cutter and simply press down onto the graham cracker and they will cut. Cut out about ¾ of the circle.

When you are ready to decorate, press one tail feather onto the back of each cheesecake then add two candy eyes, one orange sunflower seed beak, and one red sunflower seed waddle. Do not decorate frozen cheesecakes.

You can decorate your cheesecake turkeys up to a few hours before serving. Keep refrigerated. Set them out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving to intensify the chocolate flavor.

I was compensated by Eggland's Best for creating this post.

Items used to make this project that are available on Amazon.com (commission earned for sales)

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Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys

Prep Time

45 mins

Cook Time

22 mins

 

Mini chocolate cheesecakes are decorated to look like Turkeys using graham crackers, orange candy-coated sunflower seeds, and candy eyes.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cheesecake, chocolate, thanksgiving dessert, turkeys

Calories: 165 kcal

Author: Beth

Ingredients

• butter, to coat the inside of your molds
• ⅔ cup heavy whipping cream
• 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 16 ounces cream cheese, softened (do not use low fat or no-fat cream cheese)
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 2 large Eggland's Best Eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 48 candy eyes
• 24 orange candy-coated sunflower seeds
• 24 red candy-coated sunflower seeds
• 12-16 whole graham cracker rectangles

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter the cavities in your molds.
2. Heat heavy whipping cream and chocolate on high in the microwave for 20-second intervals, stirring after each, until melted.
3. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. Beat cream cheese until smooth.
5. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
6. Add Eggland's Best Eggs, one at a time until well incorporated.
7. Add the vanilla then pour in the chocolate and beat just until combined.
8. Set the silicone molds on a baking sheet. Pour the chocolate cheesecake filling into the molds.
9. Bake for 22 minutes, then turn the oven off, open the oven door, and allow the cheesecake to remain in the oven for 10 minutes or until they look set.
10. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
11. Pop them in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
12. Once frozen, un-mold them by pulling back on the silicone mold and pushing the cheesecake out.
13. Put them on small individual serving dishes and allow them to thaw.
14. At this point, you can store the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to five days or put them back in the freezer.
15. To make the turkey's feathers, use a fluted biscuit cutter and simply press down onto the graham cracker and they will cut. Cut out about ¾ of the circle.
16. When you are ready to decorate, press one tail feather onto the back of each cheesecake then add two candy eyes, one orange sunflower seed beak, and one red sunflower seed waddle. Do not decorate frozen cheesecakes.
17. You can decorate your cheesecake turkeys a few hours before serving.
18. Keep refrigerated.
19. Set them out at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving to intensify the chocolate flavor.

More Turkey Treats from Hungry Happenings

Chocolate Turkey Truffles

Chocolate Rice Krispies Treat Turkey Pops

Chocolate Turkey Pretzel Pops

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge or Caramel

Chocolate Turkey Box filled with small chocolate turkeys

Pie Crust Turkey decoration for Thanksgiving

Be sure to check out all of my amazing Thanksgiving Recipes

• Author
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Beth

Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com

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