Death by Chocolate Cheesecake Mini Pies

My family doesn’t have many holiday traditions, but there is one thing we always have on Christmas Eve: my mom’s Death by Chocolate. It is an amazingly delicious and stunning dessert! Imagine a giant (and I mean giant) punch bowl filled to the brim with layers of moist chocolate cake that’s been topped with chocolate mousse, whipped cream, chopped candy bars and a drizzle of coffee liquor. I’ve taken the wonderful flavors from my mom’s Death by Chocolate and layered them into this incredibly decadent mini cheesecake. These little cutie pies are so fun and easy to make—you’re just going to love them!

To get started, gather your ingredients and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Add the chocolate cookies to a food processor and pulse into crumbs or throw them into a Ziploc bag and hammer away. In a medium bowl, mix the chocolate cookie crumbs, melted butter and honey or corn syrup. Using your fingertips, firmly press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each baking cup. Using your fingertips, firmly press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of each baking cup.

In large bowl, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth. Gradually beat in the granulated sugar until fluffy. Next, beat in the vanilla and coffee liquor. Finally, add in the eggs, one at a time, until well blended. While your batter is mixing, melt the chocolate in the microwave or a double broiler—your choice.

Pour the cooled (but still pourable) melted chocolate into the batter, beating until well combined. Next, add in your Bisquick® and beat until fully incorporated. Pour in the milk and beat until smooth and creamy.

Your cheesecake batter should be light brown in color, smooth and fluffy. Divide the batter evenly between the baking cups till they are almost full. Bake 30-35 minutes or until centers are firm. Cool 15 minutes (cheesecake centers will sink while cooling). Refrigerate in baking cups at least 45 minutes before topping with the mousse layer. Side note: To make the chocolate mousse and whipped cream layers, add your heavy cream to a mixing bowl, whipping it until stiff peaks form. Divide this mixture in half, setting aside some whipped cream for the final garnish. Using the other half, make the chocolate mousse by gently folding in the cooled, but still pourable, melted chocolate.

To serve, carefully remove the cheesecakes from their wrappers. Top each one with a large dollop of chocolate mousse and a smaller dollop of whipped cream. Finally, garnish each mini cheesecake with a drizzle of melted chocolate and a chopped candy bar of your choice.

Everyone is sure to fall in love with these delightful cheesecake bites!