Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites

Sometimes I see a recipe somewhere and it just gets stuck in my head. I'll think about making it time and time again; then it will start showing up in my dreams.. just another sign that I spend too much time thinking about food, yikes!

A while back, I saw these cheesecake bites on Tessa's blog and pinned them right away.  From then on, every time I looked at my pins for dessert inspiration, I would see those cheesecake bites staring me down. I was just waiting for all of the right ingredients to be in my house at the same time- we often have cream cheese and graham crackers, but not always at the same time. That perfect storm finally happened in my kitchen this weekend and I couldn't wait to try this recipe.

There are a few separate steps with some waiting involved, but I assure you- these are worth the wait. I made the cheesecake portion the night before I served them (they spent the night firming up in the freezer) and did the chocolate dipping the next morning. The dipping brought back some serious memories for me from my teenage years. I was in a girls' youth group called Job's Daughters (any former Jobies out there??) and every spring, we made chocolate covered peanut butter eggs as a fundraiser. It's funny that my muscles still remember how to dip things in chocolate after all these years! The secret is to use a fork for dipping (and if you're doing a lot of dipping, take an old fork and bend back the two middle tines- that's the best tool for dipping, hands down).

This recipe is pretty close to Tessa's, but I changed the cheesecake mixture to include Greek yogurt instead of sour cream. The main reason for doing so was because I didn't have sour cream on hand, but I loved the subtle tang it gave to the cheesecake. And anything with Greek yogurt in it is obviously healthy. You're welcome.

These little bites would be great for Easter. I wouldn't recommend sticking them in any Easter eggs, though, unless you're hiding your Easter eggs in the freezer (an excellent hiding spot!). They will start to get soft at room temperature, so they're best kept in the fridge or freezer until right before you're ready to serve them. I prefer the freezer- the cheesecake really firms up and the squares stay in tact as you eat them.

It would also be fun to try out different cheesecake flavors- I'd love to try a raspberry swirl or peanut butter.. or salted caramel.. cover any kind of cheesecake in chocolate and I'm on board.

Thanks, Tessa, for the tasty inspiration!

Chocolate Covered Cheesecake Bites
by Oven Love, adapted from Handle the Heat
Makes about 36 squares

For the crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (from 1 sleeve or 9 crackers)
• 1 stick butter, melted and cooled

For the filling:

• 13 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

For chocolate coating:

• 15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (about two heaping cups of chocolate chips)
• 4 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

 To make crust:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8 square baking dish with foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.

In a small bowl combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 8-10 minutes, or until light golden and fragrant. Reduce heat to 325 degrees F.

To make filling:

Using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, 2-3 minutes. Add in yogurt, eggs, and vanilla and beat until just combined. Pour mixture over crust and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cheesecake is slightly puffed and center is set. Cool completely on a wire rack. Refrigerate until chilled, at least two hours. Freeze 8 hours or overnight.

To coat:

Once frozen, lift cheesecake out of pan and gently peel away foil. Using a sharp knife, cut cheesecake into 36 bite-size squares. If squares become too soft, freeze until chilled again.

Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 1-2 minutes, stirring every 20 seconds, until melted and smooth. Place parchment paper or a silicone baking mat on a baking sheet. Dip cheesecake squares, one at a time, in melted chocolate mixture. Let excess drip off and place on prepared sheet. Repeat for all the squares then refrigerate or freeze until chocolate is set. Store squares in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.