Five on Friday | Thanksgiving Edition

If you're still at a loss on that Thanksgiving sweet ending, then look no more...I have tons of mini pie recipes that I've shared with you all week long and today I'm finishing up the series with mini chocolate cream pies and mini cheesecakes...yum!

First, let's catch up...

Mini Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Mini Apple Pie (two ways) Recipe

Mini Chocolate Cream Pies

What you'll need:

Mini Cupcake Tins

Mini Cupcake Wrappers

1 8oz package of cream cheese (softened)

1 Instant Chocolate Pudding (follow recipe on box and use the standard size pudding box, not the large size)

1 Container of Whipped Cream

Graham Crackers

6 tbs. butter, melted

1 Chocolate Bar (for garnish)

First, let's make the pie crust. Take 1 1/2 cups of crushed graham crackers (about 15 crackers) and add the melted butter. Using clean hands take some of this mixture and press it into the bottom and up the sides of each little cupcake wrapper. Set in the fridge to cool while you make your cheesecake mixture. 

Tip - if you prefer your crust to be on the sweeter side, add 2 tbs of sugar to the graham cracker mixture. Personally I think it's sweet enough without the sugar but to each their own.

Take your softened cream cheese and mix that with the chocolate pudding until the cream cheese is thoroughly combined and there are no little cream cheese bits. Take half the tub of whipped cream and gently fold it into the mixture. 

Take your chocolate cream mixture and scoop it on top of your graham cracker crush. 

Take the remaining whipped cream and put a dollop on top, or if you want to get really fancy you can pipe it on with a pretty star tip. 

Take your chocolate bar and a cheese grater and gently shave a little bit of the chocolate bar on the whipped cream.

These are my nephews favorite! He always requests my chocolate cream pie, granted chocolate doesn't scream Thanksgiving, but let's face it, a little bit of chocolate never hurt anyone :)

Mini Cheesecakes

What you'll need:

Mini Cupcake Tins

Mini Cupcake Wrappers

2 8oz packages of cream cheese (softened)

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 Container of Whipped Cream

Graham Crackers

6 tbs. butter, melted

raspberries (for garnish)

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Make your graham cracker crusts just like you did with the above chocolate cream pie recipe. If you prefer more cheesecake and less crust then just press the mixture into the bottom of the cupcake wrappers. If you like more crust then press it onto the sides as well, but let's face it, who doesn't want more filling?!

Mix your cream cheese, vanilla, and sugar until they are blended well and then add your eggs one a time. As soon as the second egg is blended in it's time to pour your cheesecake mixture into your cupcake tins. 

Bake for about 20-25 minutes. Each oven varies!

Store the cupcakes in the fridge and once they are completely cool, top with a dollop of whip cream. 

For garnish I love adding one single raspberry to each cheesecake. It's simply beautiful.

Yesterday was such a special day to have off to celebrate Thanksgiving with our sweet girl at school. We ate lunch and she even made us a Thanksgiving card. It was awesome to be able to pick her up from school and help her with homework and then playing after it was done waiting on daddy to get home. I pray that one day I will be able to be a stay at home mom and have days like that all the time.

Can y'all believe Thanksgiving is less than a week away?!

I am so ready to celebrate! xo