Bourbon, Bacon, and Maple Mini Cheesecakes

Bacon is desserts is not a new idea but it’s definitely one worth revisiting. Especially when maple and bourbon are also in the mix.

Happy International Bacon Day! To celebrate I mixed sweet and savory together in these mini cheesecakes. They were inspired by a post my friend Haley saw, somewhere on the internet. We have a habit of sending each other links/images to various delicious things and eventually got the bright idea to create a shared Google sheet to keep track of them all for later recipe inspiration. Which brings me back to these cheesecakes. The crust is a mixture of graham cracker and pecans, the cheesecake itself is flavored with brown sugar, maple, and bourbon, and then it’s all topped off with a maple-bourbon sauce and BACON! I made these for the last night Haley was in Columbus when we had people over for a game night and they disappeared without a trace.

One year ago: No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Pie

Three years ago: Marble Malt Cake with Peanut Butter Malt Frosting

Five years ago: Stone Fruit Hand Pies

BOURBON, BACON, AND MAPLE MINI CHEESECAKES

Makes 12 mini cheesecakes

Ingredients:

CRUST

2 oz. graham crackers

1 oz. pecans

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

CHEESECAKE

8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp bourbon

1/4 tsp maple extract

1/4 cup (2 oz.) plain Greek yogurt

TOPPING

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 Tbsp whipping cream

2 Tbsp bourbon

Pinch of salt

4 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Add graham crackers and pecans to a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Combine crust mixture and melted butter in a bowl until well combined.  Spoon into 12 mini cheesecake cups that have been sprayed with cooking spray.  Press into the bottom of each cup so the crust is flat (I used a tall shot glass).  Partially bake for 5 minutes, or until slightly golden, then remove from oven.
2. In a large bowl with an electric beater, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.  Beat in egg, bourbon, and maple extract until combined.  Stir in the Greek yogurt until incorporated.
3. Pour the cheesecake mixture evenly into the 12 cups.  Bake for 25-28 minutes or until cheesecake is cooked through.  Let cool completely, remove cheesecakes from pan, and refrigerate.
4. While the cheesecakes cool, prepare the topping. Melt butter in small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Simmer until thickened, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Cool slightly.

Source: Adapted from my Bananas Foster Mini Cheesecakes, Mini Rainbow Cheesecake Bites and Epicurious.