Bacon Cheesecake Bites Recipes

MAPLE BACON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Mix graham cracker crumbs, pecans, bacon bits, maple syrup, butter, vanilla extract, and salt together in a medium bowl; mixture will be pretty dry. Press enough mixture into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan to get a 1/4-inch-thick crust. Reserve extra crumbs for the sides and edges.
• Bake crust in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Let cool slightly while preparing the filling.
• Beat cream cheese, maple syrup, and sugar together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add heavy cream, vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts; blend until smooth and creamy. Push mixture through a sieve to ensure a smooth filling.
• Wrap outside of the pan in a double layer of foil, covering the underside and extending all the way to the top. Set pan in a large roasting pan and pour in enough hot water to reach about halfway up the sides of the springform. Pour filling into the cooled crust.
• Bake in the preheated oven until edges are puffed and surface of cheesecake is firm except for a small spot in the center that will jiggle when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour.
• Turn oven off and open door slightly. Let cheesecake cool until nearly room temperature, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and let cool completely to room temperature, about 20 minutes more. Refrigerate until completely chilled, at least 4 hours but preferably 24 to 48 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 9x13-inch baking sheets with foil. Lay bacon in a single layer on the pans. Brush about 1/4 cup maple syrup over bacon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until bacon is halfway crispy, about 10 minutes. Transfer bacon onto a wire rack to drain the grease. Return bacon to the baking sheets and coat other side with remaining maple syrup. Continue baking until browned and crispy all over, about 10 minutes more.
• Cool bacon on a wire rack until safe to handle. Cut into small strips and scatter over the finished cheesecake.

MINI BACON CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Make the bacon: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with paper liners. Put the bacon pieces in a large skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until almost completely browned, about 4 minutes. Pour off the drippings and reserve. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon sugar over the bacon and cook, stirring, until the bacon is crisp and glazed, about 3 more minutes. Transfer the candied bacon to a plate; set aside until ready to use.
• Make the crust: Pulse the cookies, butter, the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon bacon drippings, and the salt in a food processor until finely ground. Firmly press 1 heaping teaspoon of the crumb mixture into each mini muffin liner. Bake until the crust is set, about 12 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack.
• Make the cheesecakes: Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium-high speed until light and smooth, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the flour and egg and mix until just incorporated, scraping down the bowl as needed. Fill each mini muffin cup with about 2 teaspoons batter and bake until set, about 20 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a rack, then transfer the pan to the refrigerator and chill at least 4 hours. Top each cheesecake with a piece of candied bacon.

CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHEESECAKE SQUARES

Steps:

• Line a 9-in. square baking pan with foil and grease the foil. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, pecans and butter. Press into prepared pan; set aside. , In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Bake at 325° for 35-40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack. Freeze overnight., In a microwave, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Cool slightly. , Using foil, lift cheesecake out of pan. Gently peel off foil; cut cheesecake into 1-1/4-in. squares. Work with a few pieces at a time for dipping; keep remaining squares refrigerated until ready to dip., Using a toothpick, completely dip squares, 1 at a time, into melted chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Place on waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Spoon additional chocolate over the tops if necessary to coat. (Reheat chocolate if needed to finish dipping.) Let stand for 20 minutes or until set. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.

MAPLE BACON CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the crust: In a food processor, pulse the wafers, pecans, sugar and cinnamon until they reach a consistency that can be pressed. Work the butter into the mix until crumbly. Press uniformly into 1 large or 6 mini springform pans. Bake for 5 minutes.
• For the filling: In a stand mixer or with a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and mix well. Add the eggs and yolks one at a time; mix well and scrape down the sides before adding the next egg. Add the maple syrup and extract. Pour into the pan with the baked crust, stopping 1/2 inch from the top of the crust. Bake for 12 minutes (if using mini pans) or 27 minutes (if using a large pan). After 5 or 10 minutes (depending on the size of pan), put the pieces of bacon into the cheesecake.
• For the topping: Mix the sour cream, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla and bacon fat in a bowl. Carefully pour spoonfuls of the topping on the cheesecake from the outside edges to the middle of the top. Be careful to not overfill the pan. Bake for an additional 5 minutes. Carefully remove from the oven and cool in the refrigerator until set.
• For the candied bacon garnish: Cook the bacon until crispy and place on a rack. Mix the maple syrup with the extract and pepper and paint the mixture with a pastry brush on both sides of the bacon. Broil the bacon for 1 minute on each side. Crack more pepper over the bacon and cool until set. Garnish the cheesecake with the candied bacon.