Are these not the cutest little no-bake cheesecake dessert shooters you’ve seen? I’m in love with these little candy corn hugging ghosts from Wilton. These little sweet treats are easy and fun to make. Enjoy them at your next fall party, spooky movie night or activity with the kids. I recently made them for my Carvings and Cocktails party and they were a huge hit.
INGREDIENTS (yields 12 3-ounce shooters)
1 8-oz block of cream cheese (room temperature for best results)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream (use full fat sour cream and the brand you like best)
zest of 1 or 2 lemons, depending on size
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract (1 teaspoon for cream cheese mixture and 1/2 teaspoon for whipped cream)
1 1/4 cups cold heavy whipping cream (don’t use half-and-half or a fat free substitute)
2 heaping Tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Wilton’s Ghost & Candy Corn Icing Decoration or Candy Corn pieces
HERE’S HOW I MADE THEM
In a mixing bowl cream the cream cheese with the granulated sugar using a hand-held mixer. You could also use the big stand alone mixer, but a hand held one works fine. Add the sour cream, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Mix on medium speed until well smooth and the sugar has dissolved.
Note: The cream cheese blends best at room temperature. If making this in the morning, you can leave it out on the counter the night before.
In a separate bowl, using the hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract and cream of tartar over medium-high speed for a few minutes until you have semi-firm peaks. If you over-mixed and it has curdled, fear not, just a little more heavy whipping cream and use a spatula to gently fold it in until you have the smooth consistency you’re looking for.
Note: For best results, freeze the bowl for 15 minutes and keep the whipped cream in the refrigerator until ready to make. The cream of tartar is optional but it really helps to stabilize the whipped cream and extends the shelf life in the refrigerator.
Now gently fold 3/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Do so in two batches to keep it light and fluffy. Reserve the remaining 1/4 whipped cream for the topping. Once combined, divide the cream cheese filling mixture evenly into three bowl. In the first bowl, add yellow food coloring, in the second bowl add orange food coloring, and leave the third bowl white. Gently fold the food coloring into the cheesecake mixture very well – you don’t want any white streaks showing.
Pipe all the mixtures into four separate piping bags – three cheesecake mixtures (white, yellow and orange) plus the whipped cream topping, like shown above.
Just so they look like candy corn, you’ll pipe them in the following order: yellow (base), orange (middle) and white (top). When you pipe the yellow base, fit the piping bag close to the base of the shot cup to avoid any gaps. Once the yellow base is piped, proceed with orange and white. Top with the reserved whipping cream, but don’t decorate just yet. Resist the urge and you’ll thank me later!
Note: You can gently tap them on the counter and the filling will level off.
Place the dessert shooters in a sturdy container with tall sides so they fit snug and don’t tip over. Cover the container with plastic wrap and refrigerate either 4 hours or overnight so the cheesecake flavors can marry and sets. This recipe yields 12 and you can easily double or triple the recipe depending on how many you need. For best results, I would make them the day before. They don’t have a very long refrigerator shelf life. When serving, set them out before serving or if it’s very busy, before the guests arrive.
For best results, decorate the dessert shooters just before serving. The cute little icing decorations don’t hold up well in the refrigerator and they get sticky with condensation. I decorated my first batch immediately and refrigerated overnight. The next day they were sticky and the black eyes transferred onto the plastic wrap – not the results I expected, but a good learning experience.
SOURCING
▫️Wilton ghosts & candy corn icing decorations on Amazon. Sometimes you can find them at a craft or baking store, but you need to check early and often.
▫️3-ounce disposable dessert cups are the perfect size – also sourced on Amazon, linked here.
Note: When serving various desserts, I think these 3-ounce dessert cups are the perfect size. The portion is enough to have a taste without being wasteful.
I served these in this pumpkin glass dome cake server I bought this year at HomeGoods. It’s such a beautiful fall addition to any table. I added a few candy corn pieces for those that just love the candy. Don’t you love a garnish you enjoy eating? I do!
Candy Corn Cheesecake Shooters
The cutest "candy corn" no-bake cheesecake dessert shooter! Perfect for any fall or Halloween party. Easy to make and fun to make with kids.
Ingredients
Cream Cheese Base Mixture
- 1 8-oz block cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup sour cream prefer Daisy brand
- zest of 1 – 2 lemons, depending on their size
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
Whipped Cream Mixture
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
- 2 heaping Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar optional – stabilizes whipped cream
Other Ingredients
- Orange food coloring prefer Wilton
- Yellow food coloring prefer Wilton
- Ghost with Candy Corn icing decorations or candy corn prefer Wilton
Instructions
MAKING THE FILLING
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In a bowl, and using a hand held mixer, cream together the cream cheese and granulated sugar for a minute or two before adding the sour cream, lemon zest and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Cream over medium speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is creamy and silky.
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In a separate bowl, using the hand held mixer, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and cream of tartar over medium-high speed for a few minutes until you have semi-firm peaks.
TIP: Cold bowl and cold whipping cream yields the best results.
Note: If you over-mixed or it curdled, fear not, just a little more heavy whipping cream and use a spatula to gently fold it in until you have the smooth consistency you’re looking for.
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Gently fold 3/4 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two batches, reserving the rest for the topping. Divided the mixture evenly into three smaller bowls.
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To the first bowl, add yellow food coloring. To the second bowl, add orange food coloring and leave the third bowl white. Gently fold the food coloring into the cheesecake mixture until well combined, without any streaks.
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Place the contents of each bowl into separate piping bags for a total of four piping bags – yellow, orange, white and reserved whipped cream.
ASSEMBLY
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Pipe a small amount of yellow filling at the bottom of the 3-ounce dessert shot glass.
TIP: apply even pressure at the base to avoid any air pockets. You can also gently tap the shot glass so the filling can level off.
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Proceed with piping the orange filling and the white filling. Apply even pressure as you pipe for best results. Tap on the counter if you have any air pockets and top with whipped cream.
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Refrigerate undecorated for 4 hours or overnight for best results. Place the shooters in a sturdy container with tall sides and wrap in plastic wrap.
DECORATING
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Decorate before serving to avoid condensation on the icing decorations.
Note: They don't hold up in the refrigerator and the image will transfer onto the plastic wrap.
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Decorate just before serving for best results.
Note: The dessert shooter should be be set out hours before serving as it will lose its firmness. Be mindful when placing them outdoors or in the sun. The colder they are, the more enjoyable they are to eat.
