These Pot of Gold Mini Rainbow Cheesecakes are a fun, colourful treat for St. Patrick’s Day. A silky vanilla cheesecake is tinted in rainbow hues and finished with a surprise center of gold sprinkles.
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Pot of Gold Mini Rainbow Cheesecakes
St. Patrick’s Day calls for rainbows and a little pot of gold. These mini cheesecakes started as a vanilla cheesecake base tinted in six rainbow colours and finished with a golden surprise inside. They’re small, impressive, and perfect for parties or gifts.
Rainbow Cheesecake Filling
The filling is a classic vanilla cheesecake batter. You can use this same base for simple mini vanilla cheesecakes if you skip the colouring. Once the batter is prepared, divide it evenly into six bowls and tint each portion with gel food colouring: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Start with a small amount of gel and add more until you reach the desired intensity.
For even portions I recommend using a medium cookie scoop so each colour yield is consistent between the bowls.
How to Properly Layer the Rainbow Colours
Getting even layers takes a little planning. In my first attempt I scooped inconsistent amounts into liners and ended up with uneven results. Here’s the reliable method that works every time:
Start with the purple. Add a small measured amount—about ½ teaspoon per liner to ensure you have enough for all cups. Use the back of a small spoon to smooth the purple into an even layer. Next, add the blue into the center of the purple, then green, yellow, orange, and finish with red. You don’t need to spread each colour; placing it in the center lets the weight of the batter spread it evenly. If any colour remains, add a tiny bit to each liner until all batter is used.
Layering this way produces neat, consistent rainbow rings in every mini cheesecake.
Gold Sprinkle Filling
After baking and chilling the cheesecakes, the fun part is coring and filling them with gold sprinkles. Carefully remove a small plug from the center of each mini cheesecake and fill the cavity with tiny gold confetti sprinkles and pearls. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and a small chocolate gold coin for a festive presentation.
Tips & Tricks for Coring Mini Cheesecakes
- Use a corer: An apple or cupcake corer works best for removing the center cleanly. A small paring knife can work if you’re very gentle, but a corer reduces the risk of cracking the cheesecake.
- Push gently and twist: Insert the corer slowly and twist while pulling up to remove the plug. Take care not to push through the crust.
- Clean up with a toothpick or knife: If bits remain, use a toothpick or small butterknife to scoop them out so the cavity is neat and ready for sprinkles.
Fill each hole with small gold sprinkles, pipe a cloud of sweetened whipped cream to cover the opening, and top with extra gold sprinkles and a mini chocolate gold coin for a charming finish.
Ingredients (Overview)
Crust: graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, melted butter.
Rainbow Cheesecake: full-fat cream cheese, granulated sugar, cornstarch, sour cream, lemon juice, vanilla, eggs, and gel food colouring for purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red.
Gold Filling & Topping: gold confetti sprinkles, gold pearls, gold sprinkles, mini chocolate gold coins.
Instructions (Summary)
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- Mix graham crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press a heaping tablespoon into each liner and bake 5 minutes. Reduce oven to 325°F.
- Make the cheesecake batter: beat cream cheese until smooth, add sugar and cornstarch, then sour cream, lemon, vanilla, and eggs. Tap to remove air bubbles.
- Divide batter into six bowls and tint each colour. Layer the colours in each liner starting with purple and finishing with red.
- Bake at 325°F for 18–20 minutes until tops look set. Cool completely, then refrigerate 2–3 hours or overnight.
- Gently core the center of each chilled cheesecake, scoop out any bits, and fill the hole with gold sprinkles.
- Whip chilled heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Pipe a small mound over each filled center, add extra gold sprinkles and a chocolate gold coin, and serve.
Notes
- Storage: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Colouring: Use gel food colouring for vivid colours without thinning the batter.
- Sprinkles: Choose small sprinkles so they fit easily into the cored cavity.
>>PIN FOR LATER<<
Ingredients (Detailed)
Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted
Rainbow Cheesecake:
- 1½ (8-ounce) packages (12 oz) full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- Purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red gel food colouring
Gold Sprinkle Filling:
- Gold confetti sprinkles
- Gold pearls
Sweetened Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup heavy cream, chilled
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
- Gold sprinkles
- Chocolate gold coins
Full Instructions
For the Crust:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
- Combine graham crumbs and sugar. Stir in melted butter until coated.
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon of crumbs into each liner and flatten. Bake 5 minutes, then cool. Lower oven to 325°F.
For the Rainbow Cheesecake:
- Beat cream cheese on low until smooth (1–2 minutes). Add sugar and cornstarch and mix until combined.
- Scrape sides, add sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla, and beat until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until combined.
- Tap the bowl to release air bubbles. Divide batter into six bowls and tint each colour.
- Layer colours in each liner starting with purple (about ½ teaspoon), then blue, green, yellow, orange, and red, adding small amounts so all cups fill evenly.
- Bake at 325°F for 18–20 minutes until tops are set. Cool completely, then refrigerate 2–3 hours or overnight.
Core and Fill:
- Remove chilled cheesecakes from liners. Gently corer out the center, taking care not to push through the crust.
- Clean any remaining bits with a toothpick or small knife. Fill the cavity with small gold sprinkles.
Whipped Cream & Finish:
- Whip chilled heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks (about 3–4 minutes).
- Pipe or dollop whipped cream to cover the sprinkle-filled hole. Top with extra gold sprinkles and a mini chocolate gold coin. Serve and enjoy.
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