Peppermint Bark 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

• 2 (8-ounce) cartons cream cheese, softened
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup maple syrup

For the topping: 

• ½ cup Bake Believe^® Dark Chocolate Flavored Baking Chips
• ½ cup maple crushed peppermint candies or crushed candy canes

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 slightly.

For the cheesecake:

1. In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and maple syrup; beat with an electric mixture for about 3 minutes, gradually increasing the speed from low to high. Add the eggs and beat until just combined.
2. 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.

For the topping:

1. While the cheesecake is cooling, melt the baking chips over a double boiler or in a microwave on low power, stirring every 30 seconds until melted and smooth.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour melted Bake Believe on top and spread into a thin, smooth layer. Sprinkle crushed peppermints on top. Transfer freezer for 15 minutes. Remove and break into small pieces. Place to top of cheesecakes. Transfer to refrigerator until cheesecakes are set, about 2 hours.