INGREDIENTS:
- 4 1/2 oz Lucky Charms Cereal, divided
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 2 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
- Pastel food coloring (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a small bowl, add 1/3 cup of Lucky Charms and cream. Let sit and steep until needed.
In a food processor, chop remaining cereal and ¼ cup sugar until fine crumbs. With machine running, slowly pour in melted butter, until consistency of wet sand. Add green food coloring, if desired.
In a muffin tin, scoop about 2 tablespoons each into 12 cups. Press crumbs around sides and bottom of cup. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and let cool.
Reduce oven temperature to 325°.
Wipe food processor out well, making sure there are no crumbs. Strain cream from cereal into processor, not allowing any cereal in. Add eggs and vanilla, and pulse to combine. Add cream cheese and remaining 1/2 cup sugar and blend to combine. Scrape sides of bowl well and blend again to make sure everything is combined. Add food coloring, if desired. Divide mixture between all 12 cups, about ¼ cup.
Place muffin tin in a larger pan and fill with warm water halfway up sides of muffin tin. Bake cheesecakes until middles are set, 25-30 minutes. Carefully remove from oven and let rest in water bath. After 15 minutes, remove from water bath and transfer to refrigerator for at least 45 minutes.