Add the almonds, flour, sugar and salt to the bowl of a food processor and process until the almonds are ground up small. 3/4 cup almonds, 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt
Add the butter and pulse until the dough is moistened. 4 tablespoons salted butter
Divide the dough between the cheesecake molds and press down firmly into the bottom making sure to go all the way to the edges.
Bake the crusts for 8-10 minutes until the edges are golden brown. Remove and let cool while making the cheesecake filling.
For the Cheesecake:
Reduce oven temperature to 325ºF.
With a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and sugars together until smooth and creamy. 8 ounces cream cheese, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Add the egg and beat on low speed until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and beat another few seconds. 1 large egg
Add the extract and yogurt and beat just until combined. 1 teaspoon almond extract, 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
Stir in chocolate chips. 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Pour the cheesecake batter over the crusts evenly.
Bake 18-20 minutes. The filling will be set, but may still be a bit jiggly. Remove pan from oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Cover pan with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least 5 hours or overnight, until they are completely chilled.
For the Topping:
To remove the cheesecakes from the pan, gently run a sharp knife around the edges to loosen and then pop up the removable bottoms. (If using muffin tins with cupcake liners just remove from pan.)
Place the heavy cream, almond extract and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer whip the cream until soft peaks form. 3/4 cup whipping cream, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Separate out 12 almonds to place on top of cheesecakes. Chop remaining almonds. 1/2 cup almonds
Place whipped cream into a small bag and cut the corner off. Pipe the whipped cream over the cheesecakes.
Sprinkle with chopped toasted almonds and one full almond.
Refrigerate until ready to serve. Once the cheesecakes are topped with whipped cream, they should be served within 2-3 hours.
Video
Notes
The cheesecakes will keep for 3-4 days in the refrigerator. However, the whipped cream is best within 24 hours. I recommend making the cheesecakes ahead of time, but making the whipped cream the day they will be served.
If making in a muffin tin, the cheesecakes will bake more quickly. Check them at 14 minutes.
Refer to the article above for more tips and tricks.The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 cheesecakes, with 1 serving being 1 mini cheesecake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box are calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.**