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Mini Phyllo Cheesecakes

August 4, 2010

Now that Kenya is 3 1/2 years old, he's extremely aware that desserts exist. Between birthday parties, the bakery counter at our local supermarket and just in the course of everyday life, sweet treats seem to be everywhere Kenya looks -- and he loves them! I try and avoid buying cake, cookies, candy or ice cream at the grocery. Nor do I bribe my kids with these food (although, sometimes I would like to!). One of my food heroes, Michael Pollan, says in his recent book "Food Rules", that food manufacturers have made sweets so cheap and readily available that we consume them constantly, whereas if we only ate treats as much as we were willing to prepare them, we'd eat them far less. I couldn't agree more with Mr. Pollan, plus I find it a lot more fun to bake with the kids because the cooking is usually as much fun as eating the final product!

These Mini Phyllo Cheesecakes are so simple to prepare and much more healthy than most of the sugar laden cheesecakes you can buy at the store. They're light, beautiful, and tiny, which makes them perfect for little kids' hands AND mouths. The best part, though, is instilling in your little one the joy of satisfying his or her sweet cravings by making their desserts themselves, rather than just tearing into a box, bag or container of goodies that has heavens only knows what in it.

Mini Phyllo Cheesecakes  (Makes 18 Mini Cheesecakes)

  • Prep Time:5 minutes,
  • Cook Time: 18 minutes,
  • Total Time: 55 minutes,

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 tablespoons agave nectar or honey
  • 2 packages mini phyllo shells (30 mini shells-i use athens brand (found at most groceries in the freezer section)
  • raspberries for garnish (optional)

Preparation

  1. 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. 2. Using a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese in a bowl on medium speed until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.
  3. 3. Add the egg, sour cream, vanilla and agave or honey and continue to beat until combined.
  4. 4. Place the mini phyllo cups on a baking sheet and pour about 1 tbsp of the mixture into the cups.
  5. 5. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until set.
  6. 6. After the cheesecakes have cooled to room temperature, chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
  7. 7. Serve plain or topped with a raspberry.

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Comments






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  2. Andi

    August 11, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    ok..I need to get creative. we are stationed overseas, and I have looked everywhere…I can find just flat sheets of phyllo, but no cups. I have never worked with phyllo before, my idea: to cookie cutter a circle into the sheets then form them into the pan and add the filling?? will that even work?

    • catherine

      August 11, 2010 at 4:49 pm

      Yes you but you would have to bake the phyllo in the oven for a couple of minutes then add the filling and bake off so the phyllo is nice and crispy :)

      • Andi

        August 13, 2010 at 1:33 pm

        they turned out beautifully!!! they aren’t as pretty as the picture, the cups look a little sad..but they are so good!! thinking about adding some dark chocolate to the filling and putting a cherry on top!! Thank you!

  3. yeni

    August 4, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    These are so cute! I bet you could even drop a mini chocolate chip or two in the center before baking for a little surprise. Can’t wait to make these, thanks!

  4. Lisa

    August 4, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    Yay, finally a way to use those mini phyllos in my freezer that I didn’t take to a party once… ditto Lindsay, if we could make & freeze, even better. Since you can freeze regular cheesecake, seems logical?

  5. Lindsay

    August 4, 2010 at 1:17 pm

    How well do these freeze? is this something that can be made ahead and used as needed rather than having 30 mini cheesecakes around?

    • catherine

      August 5, 2010 at 2:20 pm

      My idea would be to pour it in the tart shells and freeze them and then take them out and bake them but since I have no tried it, I can’t say for sure. The shells might get soggy after baking and freezing. If you test it, please let me know how they turn out! :)

  6. lindey

    August 4, 2010 at 1:11 pm

    this looks & sounds amazing! the movie food, inc. (Michael Polland was involved) was such and eye opener for me regarding the garbage in the grocery store & since watching it a while back i buy processed foods only when i’m unable to find another option. thanks to you, my kids have enjoyed a variety of fresh fruits, peanut butter oatmeal cookies, kale & carrot chips and enjoy the occasional small ice cream cup. the not so healthy in moderation. they are adapting great & i’ve lost 22 pounds in the past 40 days eating lean grass fed beef and fresh (organic when available) fruit & veggies. i no longer crave little debbie cakes after getting all that junk out of my system. thank you *so* much for your dedication to helping moms like me prepare wholesome, healthy, and tasty meals that the whole family can enjoy!!

    • catherine

      August 5, 2010 at 2:24 pm

      Thank you so much!!! Your email made me want to cry, that is the mission of weelicious and the fact that it is working for you is amazing!

    • giselle

      August 4, 2010 at 2:36 pm

      Lindsay,

      That’s awesome!! I want to lose 22 lbs in 40 days!! Can you tell me a little more about what you eat, pls?? Like for typical breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Any snacks?