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 to get 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.
So, let's make some cute Thanksgiving cheesecakes.
Mini Chocolate Cheesecake Turkeys
Ingredients
- heavy whipping cream - You'll use this to make chocolate ganache that gets mixed into the cheesecake filling.
- semi-sweet chocolate - This will add a delicious chocolate flavor to your cheesecakes. You can use chocolate chips but be sure to use chocolate that you love to eat right out of the package.
- cream cheese - Use full-fat cream cheese for the best flavor and texture.
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- candy eyes
- orange and red candy-coated sunflower seeds
- graham crackers
Supplies
- 3 Wilton Brownie Pop Silicone Molds
- 1 fluted biscuit cutter
Items used to make this project are available on Amazon.com. I earn a small commission when you make a purchase using the links below at no extra cost to you.
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 the 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 b 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.
Storage
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.
Related Recipes
If you enjoy making these cute turkey-shaped cheesecakes, you might also like to make these other turkey-themed dessert recipes for Thanksgiving.
Be sure to check out all of my amazing Thanksgiving Recipes.
Recipe
Mini chocolate cheesecakes are decorated to look like Turkeys using graham crackers, orange candy-coated sunflower seeds, and candy eyes.
- 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
-
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.
-
Once frozen, un-mold them by pulling back on the silicone mold and pushing the cheesecake out.
-
Put them on small individual serving dishes and allow them to thaw.
-
At this point, you can store the cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to five days or put them 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 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.
Store the chocolate cheesecake turkeys in the refrigerator until the day you plan to serve them. You can decorate them up to a few hours prior to serving and keep them in the refrigerator.
Set them out 15-60 minutes before serving.
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libby
I just like plain cheesecake
Rose-Marie
I love cheesecake, and love making it for special occasions. I don't have any one favorite, I love them all. But during the holiday season, I love peppermint cheesecake. Those are adorable turkeys!!!
Cindyzs (cindy zemble stewart/freespiritczs)
white chocolate macadamia, cherry, blueberry...more! lol 🙂
Colleen
Go9sh, I like Any flavored cheesecake. Guess I will go with the Brownie Swirl or the Black Forest Cheesecake or the Boston Cream.........all depending what day of the week it is. :}
Joey J
pumpkin cheesecake! YUM!
your recipe is too cute! thank you for the cool idea & for the chance to win!
Joey J.
Lori Stilger
Honestly? I bake a LOT of cheesecakes, used to do it as a living. I prefer a plain cheesecake - NY style is my fave - that's not too sweet. I might add a bit of fruit sauce, but that's how I roll. 😀 Thanks for the giveaway! 🙂 Be BLESSED!
Jan
I LOVE cheesecake, plain, strawberry, caramel, not so much chocolate.
Mami2jcn
I like strawberry cheesecake.
Lynn
I'm a fan of all kinds of cheesecake:@) Your turkeys are so cute:@)
Lisa Breece
I would have to say blueberry cheesecake because it's very yummy.
Anonymous
My favorite cheesecake flavor is the original.
heather hgtempaddy@hotmail.com
kellyr78
I like chocolate flavored cheesecake.
HS
I like plain cheesecake, original is the best.
Sandy H
I love NewYork cheesecake with cherry topping
Peggy Johnson
I love plain cheesecake with a praline topping
The Partiologist
Of course you made adorable, yummy cheesecake turkeys with graham cracker feathers. And I LOVE chocolate cheesecake, big surprise huh?
Christine
I actually like plain cheesecake the best. But honestly, I've never met a cheesecake I didn't like.
Anonymous
strawberry
spgoddess55(at)msn(dot)com
Leslie W
I love blackberry cheesecake, it's so good and pretty too!
J.T. Brooks
I don't really like cheesecake but i make it for my family. I think they all seem to like Chocolate and Raspberry though.
Good Luck to all