These mini Biscoff cheesecakes goes all in on the buttery, delicate crunch and intense spice and caramelization of its namesake cookie. From a crunchy Biscoff cookie crust to the creamy biscoff cheesecake filling tucked under a thick layer of unctuous cookie butter, these mini cheesecakes are the perfect for any occasion: tailgating, end of year holidays, Mother’s Day, baby showers, and more!
“Damn, those cheesecakes were amazing!”
My sister, who grabbed one as she was leaving your NYE party
And when I gave a small plate of these to a friend, I received this, “I don’t know what they were, but I ate two.”
These are, of course, mini Biscoff cheesecakes, made with layer upon layer of the beloved spiced European cookie. (People also often know these as ‘the airplane cookie.’)
Starting with a crushed Biscoff cookie base, a creamy cookie butter cheesecake filling, unctuous cookie butter spooned over the top, another spoonful or two whipped into the topping, and finally half a cookie and a few candied pecans for a little bit of flair. If it sounds slightly over the top, it’s because it is. But they are the perfect bite for kids and adults alike.
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE FOR MINI BISCOFF CHEESECAKES
- A simple, no-bake recipe you can make all year round. Whether it’s too hot to turn on the oven or you’re craving autumnal spices and need something you can whip up for a holiday feast, Super Bowl party or other gathering (Mother’s Day, baby shower, bridal shower, etc.)
- The perfect make ahead dessert.
- Rich and creamy, exactly what you want in a cheesecake, but without all the fuss of a water bath.
- Biscoff on top of Biscoff on top of Biscoff. We’re using these spiced speculoos cookies in every layer of this cheesecake: from the buttery biscoff cookie crust to the cookie butter infused whipped cream. Pure dessert decadence, or maybe a little slice of heaven. (They’re sort of like my Oreo Biscotti, which are cookies within cookies topped with cookies!
HERE’S WHAT YOU’LL NEED
- Lotus Biscoff Biscuits: Thin and crispy Belgian cookies with a delectable blend of cinnamon, brown sugar, and buttery flavors that are warm, sweet, and rich. Perfect for dunking into a hot beverage… or using as the cookie crust in this dessert. You can use a food processor to grind cookies down, or place the cookies into a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- Biscoff cookie butter: A velvety, thick paste made from ground Biscoff cookies with the consistency of peanut butter. You can slather it onto toast, in crepes, or get creative and use it in baked goods.
- Unsalted butter: Use melted butter to bind crushed Biscoff cookies and pecans into a graham-cracker style pie crust.
- Pecans: Completely optional, but I like adding a few tablespoons of crushed pecans to the crust and topping them with candied pecans just to give this dessert a little more complexity. If you don’t like nuts, simply omit them!
- Cream cheese: A cheesecake essential. Because it’s the main ingredient in these no-bake cheesecakes, I recommend using a full fat cream cheese.
- Heavy whipping cream: Whipping the cream into stiff peaks and folding it into the Biscoff and cream cheese mixture lightens up the cheesecake, giving it an almost mousse-like texture.
- Sugar: Granulated white sugar is used in this recipe.
- Salt: Using salt in a dessert recipe enhances the other flavors in the dessert, providing extra depth of flavor and complexity.
- Vanilla extract: Adds extra depth of flavor and complexity to the dessert, and it just pairs well with the warming spices and butter cookies.
- A muffin tin
- Cupcake liners
How to Make Mini Biscoff Cheesecakes: Step by Step Instructions
- In a food processor, chop the biscoff cookies (aka speculoos) and pecans. Add the melted butter and pulse until it resembles wet sand.
- Fill a cupcake pan with paper liners and then press 2 tablespoons of the biscoff mixture into the bottom of each one. Freeze while making the cheesecake filling.
- Using a hand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks.
- In a separate, large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, salt and ½ cup cookie butter. Gently fold in the whipping cream until just combined.
- Distribute the cheesecake filling evenly over the biscoff cookie crusts and smooth out the tops. Refrigerate for two to three hours or overnight.
- Once chilled, you’re ready to give this dessert a little pizazz. Let’s start with the melted cookie butter. Take a small bowl and warm the cookie butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. You’ll want the cookie butter to be pliable but not hot, so it doesn’t melt the top of your cheesecake.
- Spoon the cookie butter over the top of the cheesecake and gently spread it around to top evenly, stopping a quarter of an inch before the edge.
- Pop the cheesecake back into the refrigerator while you make the cookie butter whipped topping and the candied pecans (if you are making those).
- If making the candied pecans – and it’s totally optional – add nuts, sugar, and butter to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the sugar melts into the butter and completely coats the nuts, turning the heat down as needed, although the whole process should take approximately 5-7 minutes. The sugar will look grainy until the melting/liquifying process happens at the very end.
- Immediately turn nuts onto parchment paper and let the nuts harden together before breaking them apart or even chopping them with a knife.
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and Biscoff spread with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and medium peaks form. *Do not over whip, or the mixture will separate.
- Spoon or pipe onto the tops of your mini cheesecakes.
- Top with a pecan and crushed cookies or crushed pecans and get ready to make some jaws drop!
RECIPE TIPS & TRICKS
- When I make a crushed cookie crust, I generally use the bottom of a glass to pack the crumbs into a springform pan. Not possible with a muffin tray, so instead, try using the top or bottom of a spice jar to pack the cookie crust for a sturdy cheesecake bottom.
- As more of a note, this recipe makes extra candied pecans – in my house they disappear almost eerily fast. Snack on them whole, or crush them over a bowl of oatmeal with some sliced bananas for breakfast. If that sounds awful to you, I suppose you could cut the candied pecan recipe in half.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How is a no-bake cheesecake different from a traditional baked cheesecake?
Unlike traditional baked cheesecakes, no-bake cheesecakes are set in the refrigerator without the need for baking. No-bake cheesecakes often have a lighter and creamier texture; it’s almost mousse-like!
Can I use low-fat cream cheese for a no-bake cheesecake?
Although you can use low-fat cream cheese in a no-bake cheesecake, I don’t personally recommend it because it can affect the texture and flavor of the cheesecake. Using full-fat cream cheese gives you a richer, creamier result. Personally, if I’m having dessert, I’m having dessert, you know what I mean?
Can I freeze these individual cheesecakes?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze this no-bake cheesecake. Make sure to wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap after you add the cheesecake mixture but before you add all the toppings. Then, wrap each of them in aluminum foil. To keep them together, add them to a Ziploc bag before freezing. Thaw them in the refrigerator before serving.
Can I make these mini no-bake cheesecakes in advance?
Yes, no-bake cheesecakes are great for making in advance. That’s why they are such a great dish for a party! In fact, they often taste better after chilling for a few hours or overnight, allowing the cheesecake to firm up and the flavors to meld.
STORAGE & REHEATING
Storage: Store covered, in the fridge, for up to a week.
Freezing: Wrap each cheesecake individual, first in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil. Store together in a Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and proceed with the topping suggestions: warm cookie butter, whipped cream, and candied nuts.
📖 Recipe
Mini Biscoff Cheesecakes
Equipment
- 1 muffin pan
- muffin liners
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 2 cups biscoff crumbs approximately 24 cookies
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 4 tablespoons crushed pecans optional
For the cheesecake
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream cold
- 1 8 ounce package cream cheese room temperature
- 5 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cookie butter
- To top: 12 tablespoons cookie butter 1 tablespoon per cheesecake
For the Biscoff Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons cookie butter
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream well chilled
- For the candied pecans Optional
- 1 cup pecans whole (don’t chop before you candy)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Biscoff Pie Crust
- In a food processor, chop the biscoff cookies (aka speculoos) and pecans. Add the melted butter and pulse until it resembles wet sand.
- Fill a cupcake pan with paper liners and then press 2 tablespoons of the biscoff mixture into the bottom of each one. Freeze while making the cheesecake filling.
- Mini Biscoff Cheesecakes
- Using a hand mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks.
- In a separate, large bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, salt and ½ cup cookie butter. Gently fold in the whipping cream until just combined.
- Distribute the cheesecake filling evenly over the biscoff cookie crusts and smooth out the tops. Refrigerate for two to three hours or overnight.
- The Toppings
- Begin by warming the cookie butter in a microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds. You’ll want the cookie butter to be pliable but not hot, so it doesn’t melt the top of your cheesecake.
- Spoon the cookie butter over your chilled cheesecake and gently spread it around to top evenly, stopping a quarter of an inch before the edge.
- Pop the cheesecake back into the refrigerator while you make the cookie butter whipped topping and the candied pecans (if you are making those).
- If making the candied pecans, add nuts, sugar, and butter to a large nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir constantly with a rubber spatula until the sugar melts into the butter and completely coats the nuts, turning the heat down as needed, although the whole process should take approximately 5-7 minutes. The sugar will look grainy until the melting/liquifying process happens at the very end.
- Immediately turn nuts onto parchment paper. You can try to spread them out a bit with a pair of kitchen tongs so you have a few whole pieces you can easily take for the tops of the cheesecakes, just be careful because they will be HOT. Let the nuts harden. Break them up if needed and separate 12 whole pecans. Optionally, you can also crush a few to sprinkle around the top of the cheesecake as garnish.
- In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream and Biscoff spread with a hand mixer or stand mixer until smooth and medium peaks form. *Do not over whip, or the mixture will separate.
- Spoon or pipe onto the tops of your mini cheesecakes.
- Top with a candied pecan, some crushed pecan or some crushed cookies. (If you don’t like pecans, you can break Biscoff cookies in half and place a cookie half into the whipped cream and sprinkle with more crushed cookies.)
