When it comes to ice cream, I want mine in a cone whenever possible. I’ve made my own ice cream cones at home, but even those aren’t quite the same as a freshly made waffle cone from an ice cream shop. Despite my love of waffle cones, I had no idea that you could purchase waffle cone bowls at the grocery store until just recently. The waffle cones are shaped into bowls that are large enough to hold two or three scoops of ice cream, and they’re as crisp and tasty as you would expect a waffle should be. But ice cream isn’t the only thing that you can fill these bowls with. My Waffle Cone Cheesecake Cups are filled with creamy vanilla cheesecake, for a single-serving dessert that is even more indulgent than a sundae.
The cheesecake filling is very easy to make. It can be made in a hand mixer, stand mixer or food processor. I typically use the food processor because the whirring blade always creates a smooth filling with no lumps of cream cheese, even if the cream cheese isn’t quite softened enough when you start the mixing process. The tangy cheesecake is flavored with vanilla extract (use vanilla bean paste if you want specks of vanilla in yours!), then poured into waffle cone cups and baked.
The waffle cone bowls are sturdy enough to stand up on their own, even after being filled with cheesecake. Mine were exceptionally well-packed, so there was no breakage, but i would not recommend using a cracked waffle bowl if you can avoid it. The bowls will soften slightly during baking, but will crisp right back up after they have cooled. If you are worried about your bowls spreading (they will open up very slightly), you can place them in the cups of an extra-large muffin tin, if you have one. That said, I don’t think you’ll have any problems.
After baking, the cheesecakes should be chilled until firm, then they can be decorated as desired. Since these are vanilla cheesecakes, you could top them with whipped cream and fresh berries, lemon curd, chocolate sauce or any number of other tasty options. I consider each cheesecake to be a single serving, but they really are large enough to be shared if you happen to be feeling generous.
Waffle Cone Cheesecake Cups
6 waffle cone bowls
16-oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream or sour cream
2/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange waffle cone bowls on the paper.
In a large bowl, or the bowl of a food processor, combine all remaining ingredients and beat (or process) until very smooth. Divide mixture evenly into the six waffle cone bowls.
Bake for 18-22 minutes, until cheesecakes are just set. They should jiggle slightly when you shake the pan, but should not look wet. Allow cheesecakes to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Makes 6.
Sabrina B.
May 24, 2017what a great idea and the perfect serving size for entertaining, different and so tasty, and nice tip too about using vanilla bean paste since I definitely want those vanilla specks! Thank you for this recipe!