Mini cheesecakes

These adorable mini cheesecakes with vanilla flavor and a graham cracker crust are perfect sweet treats for serving a large crowd. They're easy to make and require no special equipment.

Why you should try this mini cheesecakes recipe

• No special equipment is needed. Whether you have a stand mixer, a hand mixer, or just a good old metal whisk and a mixing bowl, you can easily whip up the cream cheese filling for your easy mini cheesecakes.
• Perfect for large gatherings. Foods that don't require cutting and plating are ideal for parties with many guests. You can even leave these cheesecakes in their paper liners, allowing your guests to grab one and enjoy it right away.
• Adaptable for any occasion. Customize your cheesecakes for different holidays or events by using various toppings or small toppers.

If you’re looking for more individually portioned desserts, I have you covered! Check out these Profiteroles, Cream Puffs, or these elegant Mini Pavlova.

Ingredients you will need

• Graham crackers – Alternatively, you can use digestive biscuits.
• Butter
• Cream cheese – I use Original Philadelphia cream cheese.
• Sugar 
• Cornstarch – If you don’t have cornstarch, you can replace it with the same amount of all purpose flour.
• Lemon juice – Additionally, add lemon zest or use orange or lime juice and zest instead.
• Vanilla extract
• Salt
• Eggs
• Sour cream – It can be replaced with Greek yogurt or any plain yogurt of your choice.

Cooking tips

• Don’t whip the cheesecake filling. Avoid overwhipping the cheesecake filling, as this can introduce air bubbles that may attempt to escape during baking, resulting in an uneven texture on the surface of your mini cheesecakes. While this won't impact the flavor, it could affect the appearance of your dessert. That's why I recommend using a metal whisk to prepare the cream cheese filling. Additionally, you can minimize air bubbles by tapping the filled muffin tin on a flat surface.
• Don’t overbake your mini cheesecakes. Overbaking can lead to a firmer texture and cracks on the tops. I suggest keeping an eye on your cheesecakes after the first 15-17 minutes of baking. Once they appear puffed up, open the oven and gently shake the muffin tin. The cheesecake should have no wet spots and should be slightly jiggly.
• Don’t serve them right away. Resist the temptation to serve your mini cheesecakes right away. Allow them to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. This helps the flavors meld and the texture to set.

How to make mini cheesecakes

Making the graham cracker crust

1. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C) and line a muffin tin with 12 muffin liners.
2. Pulse the crackers in a food processor until they form fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Divide the mixture between the liners and press down with a spoon or the bottom of a shot glass to make it compact and flat. Set aside.

Making the cheesecake filling

1. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese. Mix it with a spoon or a rubber spatula until smooth and creamy.
2. Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk with a metal whisk or beat with a hand mixer on medium just until well combined.
3. Add eggs one at a time and whisk just until fully incorporated and the mixture has a homogenous consistency.
4. Add sour cream and whisk to incorporate.
5. Divide the mixture between muffin liners.

Baking and cooling down

1. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are slightly puffed up and the cheesecakes are still a little bit jiggly if shaken.
2. Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool down to room temperature. Then, place in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.
3. Remove the muffin liners from the cheesecakes and top them with jam of your choice, fresh berries, mint and/or powdered sugar.

How to make cranberry jam 

You can use any jam you like to top your cheesecakes, but in my case, I made my own cranberry jam for this mini cheesecake recipe.

Combine 100g of frozen cranberries, 50g of sugar, 2 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook everything together until the mixture becomes bubbly. Let it simmer for 2 minutes to remove the starchy flavor. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add a handful of frozen berries. These berries will add freshness and sour notes to your jam. Allow the jam to cool down completely before decorating your cheesecakes with it.

More topping options

• Chocolate – Decorate your cheesecake bites with Chocolate ganache or make a chocolate glaze using the recipe from this Chocolate orange cake for a rich and delicious topping.
• Fresh fruit and berries – Make your mini cheesecakes pop with colorful and tasty fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, or sliced kiwi.
• Chantilly cream – Take your mini cheesecakes to the next level by serving them with Chantilly cream. This lightly sweetened whipped cream, often flavored with vanilla, will complement the creamy texture of these cheesecakes.

FAQ

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Recipe card

Mini cheesecakes

These adorable mini cheesecakes with a vanilla flavor and a graham cracker crust are perfect sweet treats for serving a large crowd. They're easy to make and require no special equipment.

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes

Chilling: 4 hours hours

Total Time: 4 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 9 cheesecakes

Calories: 315kcal

Author: Anna

Equipment

• Digital kitchen scale
• 9 Muffin liners
• Muffin pan
• Metal whisk or a hand mixer
• 2 Mixing bowls

Ingredients

For the crust

• 150 g graham crackers
• 60 g butter melted

For the cream cheese filling

• 400 g cream cheese at room temperature
• 120 g sugar
• 10 g cornstarch
• 2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• 60 g sour cream at room temperature

US CustomaryMetric

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325F (160C) and line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners.
• Pulse the crackers in a food processor until they form fine crumbs. You can also use a plastic bag and a rolling pin to crush the crackers. Add melted butter and pulse just until the mixture resembles wet sand.
• Divide the mixture between the liners and press down with a spoon or the bottom of a shot glass to make it compact and flat. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese. Mix it with a spoon or a rubber spatula until smooth and creamy.
• Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla extract and salt. Whisk with a metal whisk or beat with a hand mixer on medium just until well combined.
• Add eggs one at a time and whisk just until fully incorporated and the mixture has a homogenous consistency.
• Add sour cream and whisk to incorporate.
• Divide the mixture between muffin liners.
• Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-22 minutes or until the tops are slightly puffed up and the cheesecakes are still a little bit jiggly if shaken.
• Remove from the oven and let the cheesecake cool down to room temperature. Then, place in the fridge for 4-6 hours or overnight.
• Remove the muffin liners from the cheesecakes and top them with jam (see Note 1 for cranberry jam recipe) of your choice, fresh berries, mint, and/or powdered sugar.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Combine 100g of frozen cranberries, 50g of sugar, 2 teaspoon of cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook everything together until the mixture becomes bubbly. Let it simmer for 2 minutes to remove the starchy flavor. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add a handful of frozen berries. These berries will add freshness and sour notes to your jam. Allow the jam to cool down completely before decorating your cheesecakes with it.

Store your cheesecakes in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze them for up to 1 month.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Mini cheesecakes

Serving Size

 

1 cheesecake

Amount per Serving

Calories

315

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

19

g

29

%

Saturated Fat

 

10

g

63

%

Trans Fat

 

0.003

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

1

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

5

g

Cholesterol

 

86

mg

29

%

Sodium

 

402

mg

17

%

Potassium

 

121

mg

3

%

Carbohydrates

 

30

g

10

%

Fiber

 

1

g

4

%

Sugar

 

19

g

21

%

Protein

 

6

g

12

%

Vitamin A

 

702

IU

14

%

Vitamin C

 

0.5

mg

1

%

Calcium

 

77

mg

8

%

Iron

 

1

mg

6

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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