Easter Mini Cassata Cheesecakes

Tuesday, March 27, 2018
I love to make an assortment of Italian pastries for Easter and these Mini Cassata Cheesecakes are just perfect for smaller families.


Every year I use to make mom's Easter Cassata in her memory which is very large and now with two people, I just make them in this smaller version and freeze them.


I still make Grandma's Easter Bread which is another Italian tradition we do every year.


I can take out what I need and they taste just as fresh as first baked after thawing in the refrigerator.


This year I made it just a little different.


This custard ricotta filling is perfect in these little cupcake tins for individual servings and so cute!


It's just a little more festive looking. I added a little bunny baked into my little cheesecakes.


The children loved them. They make such a pretty addition to the dessert platter of baked treats for our dessert tray.


Scroll through our tips, easy instructions, and printable recipe below.




Mini Easter Cheesecakes made with ricotta cheese. These are an Italian pastry made at Easter called Cassata










this is a collage of making Easter cheesecakes in cupcake tin with all different photos




Our Italian traditional for Easter Cassata



Cassata is a light cheesecake made with ricotta cheese, fruits, and chocolate baked in a crust like a custard-like filling.


Mom always made one loaded with more chocolate than fruit just for me.


I have adapted the recipe to make individual servings which is super easy and can be decorated with a cookie cutter to make cute Easter shapes on top!




this is Easter cassata cheesecakes on a plate with jelly beans surrounding them



Additions and Suggestions

  1. if you're not fond of cherries add citron which is the authentic cassata recipe
  2. you can also make them with lemon extract and lemon zest in the ricotta filling
  3. orange extract and orange zest in the ricotta batter
  4. flavor the ricotta with almond extract and leave out the fruits and add min  chocolate chips
  5. swirl the top of each cassata with raspberry preserves before baking


this is a collage of making Easter cheesecakes in cupcake tin with all different photos







Ingredients You Will Need To Make Easter Mini Cassata

  • eggs
  • Ricotta whole milk cheese
  • chopped maraschino cherries blotted dry
  • chocolate bars chopped chunky
  • vanilla
  • sugar
  • Garnish: 
  • egg wash for the top
  • Crust:
  • flour
  • cinnamon
  • milk
  • butter
  • sugar
  • baking powder


These are bunny rabbit cookie cutter cutouts to put on top of the Easter Cassata





Tools You Will Need

  • muffin tin non-stick
  • cookie cutters with rabbits or carrots whatever you like for the tops this is optional
  • pastry wheel to cut strips instead of using a cookie cutter or use a pizza cutter
  • rolling pin
  • cutting board
  • mixing bowls
  • measuring cup
  • measuring spoons


These are the bunny cutouts placed on top of the Ricotto custard for the cassata pie





Tips

  • use whole milk ricotta cheese, it's once a year splurge the calories
  • always preheat the oven first
  • generously oil spray the non-stick style muffin tins(I use a porcelain lined tin)
  • do not over flour or overwork the dough or it will be hard
  • these freezes well, just cool add to a cookie tray freeze until solid then place in freezer bags with wax paper between them
  • if using a cookie cutter, bake around 5 minutes in the preheated oven then add the cutout or it will sink



this is lining the cookie dough into cupcakes tin for Easter cassata




Recipes for you to try we love:



Ice Cream Cone Easter Baskets


Doll Cakes


Halloween Party Foods


Valentine's Day Recipe Roundup



Easter Mini Cassata Cheesecakes Pin for later




Mini Easter Cheesecakes made with ricotta cheese. These are an Italian pastry made at Easter called Cassata




this is a photo of my grandchildren and my son at Easter




Grandchildren Make It Fun



We still enjoy cooking together every chance we get. Now I have grandchildren to look forward to making some more memories with to pass on traditions.


Every year gets better with the memories we make and it is the foundation we build together for our future kids to carry on what we all started.


I carried on my mom's traditions she instilled in all of us and now it's my turn to do the same and so far, I am thrilled my family continues with the same vision.


Check out our cute little Easter baskets we make from ice cream sugar cones!





Easter. cassata, cheesecake, pie, cookie crust, cupcake, cheese pie, Italian cheesecake
desserts, cheesecake, pie
Italian
Yield: 12

Easter Mini Cassata Cheesecakes

prep time: cook time: total time:
These are miniature Easter cassata cups made in cupcakes tins for individual servings. It's a traditional Easter cassata Italian recipe made with ricotta and is a cheesecake base and cookie crust.

ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 1 lb Ricotta whole milk cheese
  • 12 chopped maraschino cherries blotted dry
  • 1 small chocolate bars chopped chunky
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • Place eggs in a bowl with the sugar and beat for 3 minutes. Fold in the cherries, chocolate, and vanilla set aside.
  • Garnish:
  • 1 beaten egg for the top
  • Crust:
  • 2 - 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1 stick of butter (1/4 pound)
  • 3/4 cups of sugar
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder

instructions:

  1. Dough:
  2. Mix everything together in a bowl, the dough will be very soft, you will need to keep adding additional flour so it doesn't stick while rolling.
  3. Cut out as many cookie-cutter tops that you need and set them aside. 
  4. I made around 16 - cupcake mini cassata cheesecakes.
  5. Oil spray cupcake tins. 
  6. Roll out dough to fit tins to fit for the bottom of each cupcake tin. Brush with beaten egg wash for a shiny top.
  7. Ricotta Batter:
  8. In a clean bowl just mix the ricotta, eggs, sugar, vanilla until combined fold in the cherries, chocolate. 
  9. Spoon a little in each cup, top with bunnies or a lattice dough see note below.
  10. Bake at 350 for 25 to 35 minutes until golden brown on top.
  11. NOTE: If you have additional batter leftover and dough make a small cassata using a small pie plate. I usually have filling leftovers.
  12. if using a cookie cutter, bake around 5 minutes in the preheated oven then add the cutout or it will sink
  13. Optional Suggestions:
  14. if you're not fond of cherries add citron which is the authentic cassata recipe
  15. you can also make them with lemon extract and lemon zest in the ricotta filling
  16. orange extract and orange zest in the ricotta batter
  17. flavor the ricotta with almond extract and leave out the fruits and add min  chocolate chips
  18. swirl the top of each cassata with raspberry preserves before baking
calories
268
fat (grams)
10
sat. fat (grams)
4
carbs (grams)
19
net carbs
8
protein (grams)
7
sugar (grams)
21
Created using The Recipes Generator






Easter Mini Cassata Cheesecakes Pin for later



this is a pin for later on how to make mini  cassata cheesecakes



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Graham Cracker Christmas House


Ice cream cone Easter Baskets


Tropical Beach Cake


Jello Tropical Cups



Mini Easter Cheesecakes made with ricotta cheese. These are an Italian pastry made at Easter called Cassata







40 comments

  1. Wish I could try one! They look so inviting and festive.

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  2. This looks yum. I am sure your mom would be smiling at the cute little bunnies on top. Lovely recipe

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  3. Wow, these EASTER MINI CASSATA CHEESECAKES are so cute! I would love to eat them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Thank you for sharing this great recipe!

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  4. These look really cute and easy to make. The perfect little easter treat.

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  5. How cute little idea this is. I have to try it before easter.

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  6. These are so cute. Perfect Easter treat :)

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  7. These cheesecakes look adorable and so delicious! Perfect for Easter and also for upcoming Shavuot.

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  8. I love foods that you make every (fill in the holiday here). For us, it was my Grandmother's "lamb" cake every easter (a cake she made in a lamb shaped mold). These Cassata cheesecakes sound delish -- and I would like them with or without citron.

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  9. What a cute idea to put the bunnies on top, they look delicious!!

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  10. These are adorable! I'm so wishing someone would magically make these for me...so I can devour them one by one between now and Easter LOL. Srsly, I think the kids AND adults would go crazy for these! Thanks for the recipe inspiration :)

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  11. I have NEVER heard of these before. I love finding all the "traditional" recipes for holidays. So fun to see what others eat to celebrate with.

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  12. Claudia, these Mini Cheescakes are the most clever and the cutest idea, especially with the little cutout bunnies on the top that the kids would love to help with! Love the creativity and the recipe!

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  13. Love the bunny toppper! Your grandchildren must love eating at your house!!! xo

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  14. They are not only adorable, they sound delicious!

    - Debbie, VA for Denise Wright @ mylifecookbook.com

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  15. We love cheesecake and these adorable creations look amazing! Love heirloom recipes too!

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  16. These bunny cheesecakes are adorable and so perfect for Easter!

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  17. I agree that creatively decorated food is more fun to eat! So smart to do this the easy way with a bunny shaped cookie cutter!

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  18. How fun! I have never heard of cassata before. I love the bunny topper too. Very cute!!

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  19. What a beautiful fun recipe, Claudia! And, the fact that it's a tradition and has history makes it even MORE deeeelicious!! I feel like I'm in your kitchen experiencing your childhood xox

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  20. What a fun recipe. Children would be all over this.

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  21. OOOH! Chocolate and cherries in cheesecake?! Yes, please!!

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  22. Delicious and adorable, the perfect combo for Easter!

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  23. I've never had anything like these cassata cheesecakes before, and now I'm excited to give them a try. They're super cute with the cut-outs on top. I can see why everyone loves them!

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  24. These are delicious! Can't wait to make these this year!

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  25. These mini cheesecakes are so good!

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  26. Easter Mini Cassata Cheesecakes NEED RECIPE FOR CRUST

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  27. The bunnies on top are really cute. Makes a fun treat for the holiday.

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  28. They sound delicious and perfect for Sunday.

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  29. What a great treat! And, I agree, splurging for such an important holiday is definitely the way to go. I recently learned how to make my own ricotta cheese with whole milk and I can't wait to try it with this tasty dessert.

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  30. So cute and fun! I love the little bunnies on top

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  31. We had so much fun making these cheesecakes! Everyone at my house loved it!

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  32. So fun and festive. I was looking for a dessert to use up some maraschino cherries on and glad I found this. A great Easter sweet treat and love the topping.

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  33. Love it that they are small and cute! Perfect treat for children and adults alike!

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  34. I love the little bunnies! So festive for Easter

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  35. These look so delicious and perfect for Easter! Can’t wait to make them soon!

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  36. These are so adorable and my boys are going to love them for Easter! What a nice touch with the bunnies on top! Great recipe!

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  37. They look delicious! Can't wait to make them!

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  38. Such a delicious addition to Easter and springtime baking! I love that custard ricotta filling and the bunnies on top.

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  39. How cute! I love that bunny cutout on top of the mini cheesecake. I really like individual desserts - they are so special and they look fantastic on the dessert table. I'm using this recipe at Easter - can't wait to see their faces.

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Remember to use the search option for a recipe you're looking for and thanks for all your kind words and support. We love our readers all the best Claudia