Mini Pear-Ginger Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust

These individual cheesecakes are a healthier twist on the classic dessert with dried pears, gingersnaps and canola oil. Sugar plums will be dancing in your head with each bite!

“Skinny Mini Holiday Desserts” Recipe Collection is available at CanolaInfo.org.

Mini Pear-Ginger Cheesecakes with Gingersnap Crust

Ingredients:

Cheesecake

• ½ cup water 125 mL
• 8 dried pear halves, chopped (dried apples can be substituted)
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger 75 mL
• 3 packages (8 oz/250 g) low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• ¾ cup granulated sugar 175 mL

Crust

• 40 gingersnap cookies, processed to form crumbs (about 2 cups/500 mL)
• 3 Tbsp canola oil 45 mL
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar 30 mL
• 2 Tbsp granulated sugar 30 mL
• 2 tsp salt 10 mL

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F (160 °C). 
2. In medium saucepan, bring water, dried pears and crystallized ginger to simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 12 minutes until water is absorbed and pears softened.
3.  In food processor, process pears and ginger until course paste forms and cool about 10 minutes. While paste is cooling, make crust.
4. To make crust: combine all crust ingredients. Spray miniature cheesecake pans with canola oil. Divide crumb mixture evenly among mini cheesecake pans and press firmly into bottom.
5. Bake crusts for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown around edges. Remove from oven and set on wire rack and cool completely. 
6. Reduce oven temperature to 250 °F (120 °C). 
7. While crusts are cooling, continue making cheesecake filling. In large bowl, beat cream cheese and gingered pear paste together on low until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Add sugar and beat until smooth, frequently scraping down sides of bowl with spatula. Transfer filling into liquid measuring cup or pitcher and pour filling into crusts, dividing evenly.
8. Place in oven and bake about 30 minutes until filling is set. Remove from oven and set on wire rack about 1 hour to cool completely. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before removing cheesecakes from pan.
9. To serve, garnish cheesecakes with crystallized ginger.

Tips: The cheesecakes can be also made in non-stick mini muffin tins that are sprayed well with canola oil and/or lined with cupcake holders. Dried pear halves may be substituted with dried apples.  

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Need more Christmas Goodies? Check below for my list of 30 Days of Christmas Goodies!

More Holiday Drinks and Christmas Goodies

• Day 1 Christmas Strawberry Pie
• Day 2 Christmas Star Cookies and White Christmas Cookie Frosting
• Day 3 Easy and Creamy Holiday Fudge
• Day 4 Peanut Butter Chocolate Kisses and FROZEN Printables
• Day 5 Peppermint Chocolate Patty Holiday Bark
• Day 6 Pinwheel Spice Cookies with Jam Filling Christmas Goodies
• Day 7 Baked Chocolate Covered Cherry Bites
• Day 8 Holiday Pretzel Dippers
• Day 9 Easiest White Cut Out Cookies for the Holidays
• Day 10 Melted Snowman Pops
• Day 11 Gingerbread Snack Mix
• Day 12 Holiday Toffee and a KitchenAid Giveaway!
• Day 13 Skinny Mini Peppermint Cupcakes
• Day 14 Christmas Snowballs
• Day 15 Holiday Reindeer Reinbeer
• Day 16 Holiday Peppermint Fudge
• Day 17 National Cookie Day Recipes
• Day 18 Spicy Gingerbread Cookies and Christmas Wassail
• Day 19 Jingle Bell Java and Hot Cocoa Bar
• Day 20 Egg Less Egg Nog - easiest & best ever
• Day 21 Snowflake Hot Cocoa
• Day 22 Mini Ginger Pear Cheesecake with Gingersnap Crust - skinny mini recipe

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