Christmas Gingerbread Cheesecake Sprinkle Cups
These Christmas Gingerbread Cheesecake Sprinkle Cups are a no-bake holiday treat with a crisp white chocolate and Rice Krispies base, a light and fluffy cheesecake filling, and a festive crunch of red, green, and white sprinkles. They look beautiful on a dessert tray and come together without turning on the oven.
Yield: 12 cups | Prep time: 30 minutes, plus chilling | Total time: about 1 hour 30 minutes, including chilling
Ingredients
- 3 cups Rice Krispies cereal: The crisp base that holds the cups together. Measure by volume and keep the cereal dry so the cups stay crunchy.
- 10 oz white chocolate, melted: This binds the cereal into a cup. Use good-quality white chocolate or white melting wafers, and melt it gently so it stays smooth and glossy.
- 1/2 cup red, green, and white Christmas sprinkles: Stirred into the cereal for color and crunch. Any mix of festive sprinkles works.
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter: Stirred into the melted white chocolate so it stays smooth and easy to combine with the cereal.
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened: The base of the filling. It must be truly soft so the filling mixes without lumps.
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar: Sweetens the cream cheese filling. It dissolves more easily than granulated sugar, which keeps the texture silky.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract: Rounds out the cream cheese flavor.
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold: Whipped separately and folded into the cream cheese for a light texture. Keep it cold until you whip it.
- 12 mini gingerbread man cookies: One sits on top of each cup. Choose cookies small and flat enough to rest steadily on the filling.
- Red and green icing, as needed: Used to decorate the gingerbread cookies or add small accents to the cups.
- Extra Christmas sprinkles, as needed: For finishing the tops of the cups.
How To Make Christmas Gingerbread Cheesecake Sprinkle Cups
- Make the crispy cup base. Melt the white chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, or in short microwave bursts, stirring until completely smooth. White chocolate can seize if it gets any water or overheats, so keep everything dry and stop heating as soon as it is almost melted. Stir in the Rice Krispies cereal and red, green, and white sprinkles until every piece is evenly coated. Press the mixture into the cups of a muffin tin, pushing it firmly up the sides so each cup holds its shape. Chill until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes.
Pro Tip: Press firmly. Loosely packed cups crumble when you fill them.
- Make the cheesecake filling. In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract with a hand mixer until smooth and free of lumps. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so no pockets of unmixed cream cheese remain. In a separate cold bowl, whip the cold heavy whipping cream until it holds soft peaks.
Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, using a spatula and gentle strokes. Stop as soon as no streaks remain and the filling looks light and fluffy.
Pro Tip: Overmixing deflates the cream and leaves the filling runny. Fold just until combined.
- Fill the cups. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into the chilled crispy cups, or pipe it with a piping bag for a neater finish. Fill each cup level with the rim. The filling will look soft right after you add it, which is normal. Chill until set. Refrigerate the filled cups until the filling is firm to the touch, usually about 1 hour. Keep them covered loosely so the tops stay clean.
- Decorate each cup. Just before serving, press one mini gingerbread man onto the center of each cup. Add a few extra Christmas sprinkles around the cookie. Use red and green icing for small details on the cookies or cup tops. Let any icing set briefly before covering or stacking the cups. Serve cold. Keep the cups chilled until serving, since the cream cheese filling is best cold and holds its shape best that way.
What To Expect While They Set
After pressing, the cereal mixture should look glossy and hold its shape when you lift a cup out of the tin. Once the filling is fully chilled, it should feel smooth and hold a clean edge when you cut into it with a spoon.
Where This Recipe Can Go Wrong
The cups crumble when filled. The cereal mixture was probably not pressed firmly enough or was not chilled long enough. Press it well up the sides and chill until the cups feel firm before filling.
The filling is runny. Overmixing after adding the whipped cream deflates it, and cream cheese that is too warm can also loosen the filling. Make sure the cream cheese is softened but not melted, and fold the cream in gently.
The white chocolate turns thick and grainy. This is seizing, usually caused by a drop of water or overheating. Melt slowly and keep all bowls and utensils completely dry.
Why This Recipe Works
White chocolate melts smoothly and sets firm, so it holds the cereal together without baking. The cream cheese filling stays light because the whipped cream adds air, keeping it creamy rather than dense. The gingerbread cookie on top ties the tangy filling to the holiday flavor.
Easy Ways To Switch It Up
- Dark chocolate base: Melted semisweet chocolate works in place of white chocolate for a deeper flavor. The cups will taste less sweet.
- Gingersnap filling: Stir a little finely crushed gingersnap into the filling for more spice. Taste as you go so the flavor stays balanced.
Serving Suggestions
Serve the cups chilled on a holiday dessert tray. They pair well with hot cocoa or coffee after a festive dinner.
Storage And Make-Ahead
Make-Ahead Tip: Make the crispy cups up to a day ahead and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Fill and decorate them shortly before serving. Store filled cups covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. They do not freeze well, because the cream cheese filling can weep when thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you make these ahead?
Yes. Make the crispy cups a day ahead and fill them shortly before serving. Filled cups keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Can I use a different cookie on top?
Yes, any small, flat cookie works. Choose one that sits steadily on the filling.
Why did my white chocolate seize?
White chocolate can seize if it gets even a little water or is overheated. Melt it slowly and keep everything dry.
Do they need to be served cold?
Yes. Keep them chilled until serving, because the cream cheese filling is best cold.
For more holiday ideas, Follow Hailee Recipes on Pinterest.
Christmas Gingerbread Cheesecake Sprinkle Cups
Ingredients
Method
- Melt the white chocolate with the butter in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, or in short microwave bursts, stirring until completely smooth; stir in the Rice Krispies cereal and red, green, and white sprinkles until evenly coated; press the mixture firmly into the cups of a muffin tin, pushing it up the sides; chill until firm, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Beat the softened cream cheese with the powdered sugar and vanilla extract with a hand mixer until smooth and free of lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl; whip the cold heavy whipping cream until it holds soft peaks, then fold it into the cream cheese mixture in two additions with a spatula until no streaks remain.
- Spoon or pipe the cheesecake mixture into the chilled crispy cups, filling each level with the rim; refrigerate loosely covered until firm to the touch, usually about 1 hour.
- Just before serving, press one mini gingerbread man onto the center of each cup, add a few extra Christmas sprinkles around the cookie, and use red and green icing for small details; let icing set briefly, then serve cold.
