Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes

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As I’ve said before, I have a tendency to go slightly overboard with my holiday baking. Every year I end up with dozens and dozens and dozens of cookies and treats that the five of us will never be able to eat. Which means that we always end up sharing our goodies with friends and neighbors. On Christmas Eve morning, Dave takes the boys around and delivers little packages of goodness. Dave loves it almost as much as the boys, because he used to do the same thing with his dad when he was little, so it brings back happy memories. 

So when I was invited to test out the new Nestle Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Baking Kit by making two treats, one for us and one to pay it forward to someone who deserves it, I was super excited, because it fits right in with what we do anyway!

This baking kit is awesome. I found it for only $4.98 at Walmart, and it includes a crust mix, a filling mix, and a can of authentic dulce de leche {which, if you’re not familiar with it, is a thick, rich caramel made from sweetened milk. It’s insane.}. It’s so easy to use — all you have to add is butter, eggs and cream cheese. 

Instead of making one big cheesecake, I decided to make individual mini cheesecakes. Partly because I thought they’d be easier to share and partly because tiny things are cute and fun.

And to totally max out the cuteness and funness {whatever, it’s a word}, instead of just drizzling them with dulce de leche, I made little Christmas trees on the top.

I mean, seriously. How cute are those?!?

I followed the instructions on the box, but I added an additional tablespoon of butter, because I knew I wanted to remove these from the cups before I shared them, and I wanted to make sure that the crust would hold up on its own {and because… well… more butter makes everything better, doesn’t it?}. I also baked them in baking cups {I got mine on Pick Your Plum, but these ones are similar} rather than cupcake wrappers because I wanted to make sure they stayed nice and round and didn’t get any wonky looking bumps on the side.

When I was thinking of who to share these with, I immediately thought of the teachers at Mason’s preschool.

We have been going to the same preschool since David was 2, so this is our 7th year at this school. I’ve talked before about how much we love this school and the teachers there before. I say on a daily basis that every one of these teachers is a better person than me. Patience has never been one of my strong suits, so it absolutely blows my mind that these amazing women can deal with 10 two-year-olds for three hours — all with a smile on their face. It’s unbelievable to me. One week in the spring is clearly never enough for teacher appreciation.

So when you’re doing your holiday baking this year, definitely try out the Nestle Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Baking Kit. While you’re at it, consider paying it forward to someone in your life who you think deserves it. Because during the holidays, it’s important to remember that it’s more about giving than receiving. {But while you’re at it, make a little extra for yourself, because you deserve it too!}

Mini Dulce De Leche Cheesecakes

Jennifer Young

Super easy-to-make mini cheesecakes using the Nestle Dulce De Leche Cheesecake Baking Kit.

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Ingredients

  

• 1 Nestle Dulce de Leche Baking Kit {includes crust mix filling mix & dulce de leche}
• 5 T melted butter
• 12 oz cream cheese softened
• 2 large eggs

Instructions

 

• 1. Preheat oven to 325. Place baking cups on a baking sheet
• 2. Mix melted butter with crust mix until well blended. Place approximately 1 tablespoon of crust mixture into each baking cup and press down firmly {I used a small juice glass to pack down the crust}.
• 3. In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup dulce de leche {set aside remaining dulce de leche for the topping} on high speed, scraping down sides of bowl as necessary, for approximately 3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Add filling mix and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition.
• 4. Divide the filling evenly between the baking cups. I used a cookie scoop like this one. Gently drop baking sheet onto counter several times to smooth out the tops and eliminate any air bubbles.
• 5. Bake on center oven rack for 18 to 20 minutes or until set. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
• 6. Tear off baking cups to remove cheesecakes. Spoon remaining dulce de leche into zip-top bag and microwave on high power about 5 seconds. Squish bag around to mix together and ensure even heat. Snip off a tiny corner of bag and drizzle onto top of each cheesecake.

Notes

To make a Christmas tree out of the topping, start piping at the top middle of one of the cheesecakes and do a gradually widening zig zag down to the bottom. Add small square on bottom for trunk and small star on top.