Mini Mango Lime Cheesecakes

“The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul.” – Dieter F. Uchtdorf

It’s alphonso mango season! If you haven’t yet tried an alphonso mango… let me tell you about those little ovals of sweet, sweet goodness. They are simply bursting with flavor. Picture a nectar of sweetness with a touch of tang! It really is the perfect fruit to mix in with a dessert recipe. And so in comes a cheesecake concoction made with a fresh alphonso mango puree.

I’ll admit I attempted this recipe 3x, before I got it just right. A day in the life of a food blogger, I suppose! Am I even a food blogger? I suppose I am, feels weird to say. Anyways, I digress.

First time around: I tried to create a fusion flavor to it with the addition of saffron in the puree, however something felt missing. Call it the perfectionist in me, it just did not measure up.

Then, I tried to incorporate the mango puree into the cheesecake batter, however these did not bake well in the oven.

Needless to say: I was frustrated & ready to give up. But I had this vision to create and I just wanted to create damn it!

And so I tried it one more time. This time around: I researched some tips on how to get cheesecakes just right, played around with the flavors and decided to keep it simple with the ingredients. AND guess what?! I got the recipe just right!

Along with the vision to create the recipe, I also wanted to try something out of the ordinary for the photo shoot. I want a fun, retro feel to it. I was the most excited to share these pictures with you guys. I hope you guys enjoy this post, the recipe and the pictures!

Mini Mango Lime Cheesecakes

Sweet, tangy and creamy dreamy summer treat!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 3 hours

Servings 18 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients

Crust:

• 1 11 oz box Nilla Wafers 40 wafers
• 4 tbsps butter melted

Mango Puree:

• 2 alphonso mangos diced
• 2 tbsps sugar
• slight squeeze of fresh lime juice

Cheesecake filling:

• 2 8 oz packages cream cheese room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup sour cream room temperature
• 2 eggs room temperature
• 2 tsps vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp lemon juice

Garnish, Optional

• Whipped cream or Cool Whip
• Maraschino Cherries

Instructions

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. Line two 12 cavity muffin pans with foil liners and spray the liners with a baking spray. Recipe yields 18 mini cheesecakes, so line only 18 cavities.

Crust:

1. In a food processor, pulse the wafers, until only crumbs remain. Slowly add a tbsp of melted butter at a time and continue to pulse until a wet sand mixture develops. The crumbs should stick together.
2. Press a spoonful of the crumb mixture into each liner. I like to use the back of the baking spray cap to lightly press down on the crumb mixture.

Mango Puree:

1. In a food processor, pulse diced alphonso mangos until a liquid forms. If your mangos are ripe enough, no water will be needed. If you find that a liquid is not forming, add in 1 tbsp of water at a time. Once liquid forms, add in sugar and a squeeze of lime juice from a fresh lime and pulse again. Set aside.

Cheesecake filling:

1. Using a paddle attachment on a stand mixer (or a whisk attachment on a handheld mixer beat the cream cheese and sugar until soft and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Next, add in sour cream and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Then slowly add the lightly beaten eggs into the filling mixture, continuing to mix until all ingredients are incorporated. Lastly add in vanilla extract and lemon juice and mix. Batter should be semi thick but fluid. (Be careful to not over mix the batter)

Assembly:

1. First, take a spoonful of the cheesecake batter and spread evenly on top of the nilla crust in each liner. Next, take a spoonful of the mango puree and spread evenly across the first layer of cheesecake batter in each liner. Lastly, take a big spoonful of the cheesecake batter and spread evenly on top of the mango puree layer, in each liner. Each liner should be 3/4 of the way full. (Use a little more batter for the third layer, depending on preference)
2. Bake for 18-20 (depending on your oven). Bake until edges are set and center is slightly jiggly. Allow cheesecakes to cool at room temperature for 40 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2-3 hours. The cheesecakes may sink in the middle once they cool, this is perfectly okay!
3. Once chilled, serve with whipped cream and a cherry on top!

Recipe Notes

Some tips for a yummy, creamy cheesecake:

• Make sure cream cheese, sour cream and eggs are at room temperature 
• Beat the cream cheese and sugar first
• Do not over mix the batter (especially once the eggs are added in)
• After baking for about 18-20 mins in the oven, the cheesecakes are done once the edges have set and the centers of cheesecakes are slightly jiggly. 
• Cheesecakes taste best once cooled completely in the refrigerator for about 2 hours!
• Cheesecakes may sink in the middle, once cooled. This is perfectly ok! You can always cover with this up with the addition of a whipped cream swirl! 
• If you want a fusion taste to this: add in a 1/4 tsp of saffron into the mango puree. Also, substitute about 25-30 Parle G biscuits for the crust.