Skip to main content

Croissant Cup Cheesecakes

Details

Timing
Timing
Total:
Prep:
1 Hr.
Skill Level:
Expert

Flaky croissant, creamy lemon cheesecake filling and tangy kumquats make for a daringly decadent dessert. There’s a reason these Croissant Cup Cheesecakes with Meyer lemon and candied kumquats are award-winningly good! This recipe submitted by Erin Hungsberg won the 2022 Hershey and Hallmark Channel’s “Bake Your Way to the Big Screen” Baking Contest.

Make these Croissant Cup Cheesecakes to seriously impress your dinner party guests with the fun and unique flavors inside. Once you get a taste of this delightful and creamy dessert, you’re bound to want even more. Check out all of our Cheesecake Recipes and make as many as your heart (and tastebuds) desires.

Ingredients & Directions

Prep Time
1 hour
COOK TIME
2 hours
Chill Time
4 hours

BAKE MODE:

Prevent your screen from going dark while you bake.

Ingredients

  • Croissant Cups
  • store-bought puff pastry dough (can substitute with homemade croissant dough)
  • Candied Kumquats
  • 1 cup
    kumquats
  • 1/3 cup
    water
  • 1/3 cup
    granulated sugar
  • No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
  • 1 cup
    heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold
  • 2 packages
    cream cheese (8 oz each), softened to room temperature
  • 6 Tbsps
    granulated sugar
  • 2 Tbsps
    powdered sugar
  • 1/4 cup
    creme fraiche (can substitute sour cream)
  • 2 Tbsps
    fresh Meyer lemon juice
  • 1 zest
    Meyer lemon
  • 2 tsps
    vanilla bean paste
  • 3 Tbsps
    chopped candied kumquats
  • 1 cup
    HERSHEY'S Cream Cheese Flavored Chips, plus additional for garnish
READY TO MAKE THIS?

Directions

Equipment Needed 
cake pans (2) 8" Cake Pans
parchment paper Parchment Paper
rolling pin Rolling Pin
food molds or empty cans (2) (2" high) Food Molds or Empty Cans
heatproof bowl Heat-Proof Bowl
saucepan Saucepan
hand and stand mixers Hand and Stand Mixers
mixing bowl Mixing Bowl
1

Croissant Cups:

  • Line an 8-inch square cake pan with parchment paper. Spray 4 (2” high) food molds or empty cans with cooking spray.
  • Preheat oven to 390ºF on the convection bake setting.                      
  • Unwrap the dough and roll it into a square 10” wide and 1/4” thick.
  • Mark the dough at 2” increments and cut into 5 equal strips.
  • Stretch each strip, wrap around prepared cans and place in molds/cans in the prepared pan.
  • Use the last strip to roll and stretch over the tops of molds. (This will be the bottom of the croissants.)
  • Invert another 8-inch cake pan, cover your cups and allow to proof for 2 hours in a draft-free space.
  • After the first hour, cover the croissants with a parchment square and weight down the croissants using the bottom of the other 8-inch cake pan.
  • Bake for 5 minutes, with the croissants covered and weighted down.
  • Reduce the heat to 330ºF convection for an additional 20 minutes, or until deeply golden and the internal temperature reaches 200ºF.
2

Candied Kumquats:

  • Slice kumquats very thin and remove any seeds. Place in a heat-safe bowl.
  • In a small saucepan, bring the water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over the kumquats.
  • Let sit at room temperature to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
3

No Bake Cheesecake Filling:

  • Refrigerate the stand mixer bowl for an hour.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold cream on high speed until stiff peaks appear, about 2 minutes.
  • Using a hand mixer, in a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar, creme fraiche, Meyer lemon juice and zest, and vanilla bean paste. Beat for an additional 2 minutes on medium-high speed until smooth. Stir in the kumquats, reserving a few for garnish, and HERSHEY’S Cream Cheese Flavored Chips.
  • Fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined.
  • Spread filling into the prepared croissant cups. Use a spatula to smooth down the top or add a decorative piping tip. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
  • Garnish cheesecake with reserved candied kumquats and additional cream cheese chips.

Convection vs Conventional Oven: If you don’t have a convection oven, increase your oven temperature by 25 degrees. Your dessert will need to bake longer, so increase your bake time by 25 percent and keep an eye on it.

Erin Hungsberg headshot
Erin Hungsberg
Self-Taught Chef, Food Photographer and Content Creator
Erin Hungsberg
Self-Taught Chef, Food Photographer and Content Creator

Erin is an award-winning cook who’s an art teacher by day and a super foodie by night. Her recipes express deep pride in scratch cooking from her home kitchen in Wisconsin. Erin has cooked and baked her entire life and is inspired by the world around her. She loves sharing her culinary viewpoint with anyone hungry to listen.