Chocolate Chai Cheesecake Bites

Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Bake Time: 20 minutes
• Chill Time: 2 hours
• Total Time: 2 hours, 50 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

• 1 ½ cups finely ground pecans
• 4 tablespoons melted butter

For the Cheesecake:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup Bake Believe^® Milk Baking Chips, divided
• ½ cup whole milk
• 2 chai tea bags

For the Whipped Cream:  

• 1 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions:

For the crust:

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
2. Combine ground pecans and butter. Divide equally between the 12 cavities. Firmly press mixture into the bottom; Bake for 10 minutes then set aside to cool.

 For the cheesecake:

1. Bring milk to a simmer. Add chai tea bags and let steep for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup chocolate chips and maple syrup, then let rest for 5 minutes more. Press out the teabags then remove and discard. Stir until mixture is melted and smooth.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and chocolate mixture; beat with an electric mixture for about 3 minutes, gradually increasing the speed from low to high. Add the eggs and beat until combined.
3. Transfer batter on top of prepared crust in each cavity. Bake in the preheated oven until set, about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
4. Melt remaining ½ cup milk chips and drizzle on each cheesecake. Return to refrigerator until ready to serve.

For the Whipped Cream:

1. Combine heavy cream, honey, and vanilla in a medium mixing bowl; beat on high speed until soft peaks have formed. Top cheesecakes with whipped cream just before serving. Store leftovers in refrigerator.