Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes

April 5, 2023
Coffee. Toffee. Crunch. And cheesecake? -- There's not a single one of those words that doesn't sound delicious! Phyllo shells are loaded with coffee-flavored cheesecake and toffee bits to create these downright-delightful Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes. They're the perfect party-ready little-bite dessert.

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes in Mini Muffin Tin Pan Image

My Mom's and my favorite way to do dessert for a party is a collection of "little bites." You know, tasty lemon bars cut into small squares, hand-dipped raspberry truffles, mini lemon curd tarts -- small things like that. And these mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes? -- They certainly fit that bill! When you serve up a collection of dessert little-bites on a tiered stand or two, you have one fabulous-looking and delicious display.

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes make for a fabulous dessert addition to any get-together. Loaded with coffee-flavored cheesecake and toffee bits, these delightful little bites are always a hit. And after one bite of their deliciousness, it's easy to see why. -- Because instant coffee granules and Kahlua combine to create amazing coffee flavor inside these tasty little cheesecakes.

But they're not just a hit with those who eat them, they're also a hit with those who make them. Because while these little cheesecakes look like they take a ton of effort to make, they don't.

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes are actually pretty easy! Simply mix up a simple coffee cheesecake batter, spoon it into prepared phyllo shells, sprinkle on toffee bits, and bake. That's all there is to it.

Fabulous flavor, easy to make, and always a hit -- these little bites are a perfect party treat.

Coffee. Toffee. Crunch. And cheesecake? - There's not a single one of those words that doesn't sound delicious!

What's to Love About This Recipe?

  • Amazing coffee flavor - Instant coffee granules and Kahlua combine to create amazing coffee flavor inside these little cheesecakes.
  • Adorable - Bite-sized and with their ruffled phyllo edges, Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes are one adorable little dessert!
  • Pretty easy to make - These little bites definitely look like they take more effort to make than they do! -- Because they're actually pretty easy. Mix up a simple cheesecake batter, spoon it into prepared phyllo shells, sprinkle on toffee bits, and bake. That's all there is to it.
  • Perfect for parties - These little beauties are party-ready, for sure. They're a perfect little-bite sweet treat for any type of get-together.
  • A crowd pleaser - These delightful little bites are always a hit.

Top View of Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes in Pan Image

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecake Ingredients:

Three components come together to make up these tasty little cheesecakes -- 1. the shells, 2. coffee cheesecake filling, and 3. the toffee bits topping. To whip up a batch, you'll need:

  • Mini phyllo shells - Prepared phyllo shells make these little coffee cheesecakes super easy to make, and to serve. Look for mini phyllo shells in boxes in the freezer section of the grocery store, alongside boxes of regular phyllo dough and puff pastry (which is typically near the Cool Whip and ice cream). Each box contains 15 individual mini shells. 

  • Toffee bits - Bring the toffee element to the cheesecakes and create their speckle-topped look. We use Heath Bits O' Brickle toffee bits, which can be found alongside chocolate chips in the baking aisle of the grocery store.

  • Cream cheese - Creates the base of the coffee cheesecake filling. We recommend sticking with regular cream cheese here, rather than reduced fat, as it makes a creamier, sturdier filling.

  • Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cheesecake.

  • An egg - Provides and creates the structure of the cheesecake as it bakes.

  • All-purpose flour - A small touch of flour helps thicken the cheesecake filling.

  • Instant coffee & Kahlua - Work together to bring the mini cheesecakes' signature coffee flavor.

  • Vanilla extract - Enhances the flavor of the filling.

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes Ingredients Image

How to Make Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes:

It's pretty easy to whip up a batch of Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes. In a nutshell, mix up a simple cheesecake batter, spoon it into prepared phyllo shells, sprinkle on toffee bits, and bake them up. -- That's all there is to it! But we'll look at the process in a little more detail, too.

The first step in making Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes is to prepare the coffee cheesecake filling. To get that started, combine some Kahlua (ohhhh, you gotta love a recipe that starts out that way!), instant coffee granules, and a tiny bit of water in a small bowl. Stir the mixture well to fully dissolve the instant coffee.

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes Coffee-Kahlua Mixture Image

Mix the Kahlua-coffee mixture with your usual cheesecake suspects -- cream cheese, sugar, an egg, and vanilla extract, -- to finish off the coffee cheesecake batter.

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes Filling Batter Image

Place the mini phyllo shells in the cups of a mini muffin pan, and fill each one almost full with coffee cheesecake filling, leaving a little bit of room for expansion as the cheesecake mixture bakes.

If you don't have a mini muffin pan, no worries. Place the phyllo shells on a sturdy baking sheet. -- It'll work fine. Just be careful when lifting and moving the baking sheet, as the phyllo cups may slide around.

Scooping Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes Batter in Shells Image

Sprinkle the tops with toffee bits.

Sprinkling Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes with Toffee Bits Image

Then pop the pan in the oven and bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, or until the filling is set.

Once baked, cool the cheesecake in the pan for about 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

Baked Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes in Pan Image

That's it! And there you have a tasty "little bite" for that's just perfect for easy entertaining. Because loaded with coffee-flavored cheesecake and toffee bits, these downright-delightful Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes are sure to please

Oh, and here's a handy-dandy storage tip. Save the boxes and little plastic trays from your miniature phyllo shell packages. After the cheesecakes cool, place them back in the trays, cover with plastic wrap, and slide the trays back into the boxes. You can then stack the boxes in the refrigerator for safe and space-saving storage until party time. 

Enjoy!

Check out these other super tasty little-bite sweet treats:


Plate of Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes Image
Thank you for stopping by The Kitchen is My Playground. We'd love to have you back soon!

mini coffee cheesecakes, coffee cheesecake tarts, cheesecake tarts, recipes for mini phyllo shells, recipes with toffee bits
Dessert
American
Yield: 45
Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes

Coffee. Toffee. Crunch. And cheesecake? -- There's not a single one of those words that doesn't sound delicious! Phyllo shells are loaded with coffee-flavored cheesecake and toffee bits to create these downright-delightful Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes. They're the perfect party-ready little-bite dessert.
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 15 MinInactive time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 35 M

Ingredients

Shells & topping:
Coffee cheesecake filling:
  • 1 tsp. Kahlua
  • 1 tsp. hot water
  • 1 1/2 tsp. instant coffee granules
  • 1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 T. all-purpose flour

Instructions

Make the coffee cheesecake filling:
  1. Combine coffee granules, water, and Kahlua in a small bowl; stir to completely dissolve coffee granules.
  2. Place coffee mixture, cream cheese, sugar, egg, vanilla, and flour in the bowl of an electric mixer or food processor. Mix or process until smooth.
Prepare & bake mini cheesecakes:
  1. Place phyllo shells into mini muffin pan cups.
  2. Fill each phyllo shell with coffee-cream cheese mixture until almost full, leaving a little bit of room for expansion as the cheesecake mixture bakes. Sprinkle tops with toffee bits.
  3. Bake at 350℉ for 15 minutes or until set.
  4. Cool in pan for about 10 minutes. Then remove from pan and cool completely. Chill for 2-3 hours before serving.
TRACEY'S NOTES:
  1. If you don't have a mini muffin pan, place phyllo shells on a sturdy baking sheet. -- It'll work fine. Just be careful when lifting and moving the baking sheet, as the phyllo cups may slide around.
  2. The cheesecake filling will puff quite a bit as it bakes, and then fall as it cools.
  3. Keep the boxes and plastic trays the phyllo shells come in -- they make for great and easy storage of the baked mini cheesecakes! Just pop the cooled baked cheesecakes back into the wells of the plastic trays, cover with plastic wrap, and slide the trays back into the boxes. You can then stack the filled boxes together in the refrigerator, and easily transport the cheesecakes if needed.
  4. Over time, the phyllo shells will start to lose their crunch. These Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes are at their best served the day they are made. However, I have successfully made them up to two days in advance and most of the shells' crunch remained. If made more than 2 days in advance, the shells will be soft.
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @kitchenplaygrnd on instagram and hashtag it # thekitchenismyplaygroundblog

Mini Coffee-Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes ~ Prepared phyllo shells are loaded with coffee-flavored cheesecake & toffee bits to create these downright-delicious mini cheesecakes. They're the perfect little-bite party dessert!  www.thekitchenismyplayground.com


Affiliate links are included in this post. I receive a small amount of compensation for anything purchased from these links,at Amazon.com at no additional cost to you.

This post is linked with Weekend Potluck.

6 comments

  1. You had me at Kahlua (and toffee). Well, and cheesecake, too. This is combo of many of my favorite things. Looks heavenly!! ~ Courtney

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very Nice! I love serving things in little bites too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm always looking for ways to throw in some toffee chips in my desserts. These look perfect. Thanks for sharing on A Well-Seasoned Life's Sweet Indulgences Sunday.

    http://www.wellseasonedlife.com/2011/06/sweet-indulgences-sunday-10.html

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is so yummy! Lovely recipe...thanks a bunch for sharing:)
    Hope to see you on my blog:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. We sure have enjoyed featuring your awesome post on Full Plate Thursday, 636 this week. Thanks so much for sharing with us and hope that you will come back to see us soon!
    Miz Helen

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tracey, these sweet little Mini Mocha Toffee Crunch Cheesecakes look so good!
    Thank you so much for sharing them with Hearth and Soul. I will be featuring this post at the May Edition of the party which goes live on Sunday 7th May. Hope to see you there!

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments ~ I read and appreciate each and every one. When you choose to leave a comment, we collect and display your name, as provided by you. Clicking "publish" to submit your comment indicates your explicit consent for name collection. If you click the "notify me" checkbox {which is optional}, your e-mail is also collected. Clicking the "notify me" checkbox indicates your explicit consent for e-mail collection. Thank you so much for visiting The Kitchen is My Playground!

Blog Design: Tracimichele.com. Powered by Blogger.