Cheesecake is a beloved dessert and an American favorite. It’s easy to make and absolutely delicious with the right recipe.
With mini cheesecakes, you can serve plenty of people and even have some left for later! For an easy-to-follow recipe, and for everything you need to know about making the perfect batch of mini cheesecakes, read on and start baking!
Mini Cheesecake Ingredients
Before you start this easy mini cheesecake recipe, you’ll need to find the right ingredients. You’ll need ingredients for both the buttery graham cracker crust and the creamy cheesecake filling.
For the cheesecake crust, you’ll need:
- 2/3 cup of graham cracker crumbs, or 4-5 full graham cracker sheets.
- 2 tablespoons of melted, unsalted butter.
- 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar.
For the mini cheesecake batter, you’ll need:
- 1 8-ounce block of full-fat cream cheese that is softened to room temperature.
- 1/4 cup of granulated sugar.
- 1/4 cup of full-fat sour cream, at room temperature.
- 1/2 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract.
- 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.
- 1 large egg, at room temperature.
You can also add toppings to your mini cheesecakes if you wish. Some toppings we recommend are:
- Salted caramel
- Lemon curd
- Chocolate ganache
- Whipped cream
- Fresh fruit
- Raspberry jam
How To Make Mini Cheesecakes
For the seasoned baker, all you need to do to make mini cheesecakes is to scale down the graham cracker crust and cheesecake batter from a regular-sized cheesecake.
Be sure to bake your crust first and make sure your cheesecake filling ingredients are at room temperature to prevent cracks in your mini cheesecakes.
For this recipe, use a standard 12-count muffin pan. This is the best muffin pan to use for this recipe as it will give you 12 delicious mini cheesecakes that are even throughout.
The first step is to preheat your oven to 350F. While your oven is preheating, line your standard muffin pan with 9-10 cupcake liners.
This recipe will yield 9-10 mini cheesecakes, so you will have 2-3 empty spaces in your muffin pan. You can grease your muffin pan with butter or non-stick spray, however, your mini cheesecakes will be easier to release if you use cupcake liners.
Next, you’ll need to make your graham cracker crust. Combine your graham cracker crumbs, unsalted butter, and granulated sugar in a medium mixing bowl or with a food processor.
Mix until you have a sandy texture. Once it’s reached this state, firmly press a heaped tablespoon of crust mixture into each liner and pre-bake for 5 minutes.
While your graham cracker crust is pre-baking, start making your mini cheesecake batter. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and graham cracker crumbs together on medium-high speed in a large bowl.
Do this until your mixture is smooth and creamy. Then add sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, and beat until all the ingredients are fully combined.
Once this is done, turn your mixer down to medium speed, add the large egg and beat until the ingredients are combined and the mini cheesecake batter is thick. Divide the batter between all the liners in the muffin pan, around 1 tablespoon per mini cheesecake.
Now, you can start baking your mini cheesecakes. Bake until the edges are set and the center jiggles slightly. This should take around 18-20 minutes.
Once baked, set the pan on a wire rack and let your mini cheesecakes cool at room temperature for 30 minutes. After this time, transfer them to your refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours.
Be sure to cover your mini cheesecakes if you’re chilling them for longer than 2 hours. Your mini cheesecakes should slightly sink in the middle as they chill, so you have a perfect place to add any toppings.
Once your mini cheesecakes have chilled, add your desired toppings and serve! You can then cover and store your mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Best Mini Cheesecake Variations
Mini cheesecakes are so versatile and can be enjoyed in many ways! While the basic recipe of full-fat cream cheese, granulated sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract is still absolutely delicious, the possibilities are endless when it comes to leveling your mini cheesecakes with any flavor you choose.
The easiest way to change the flavor of your mini cheesecakes is by changing the crust. Instead of graham cracker crumbs, try using Oreos instead, or any cookie you please. You can even use cookie dough to mold your cheesecake crust! Just adjust baking times accordingly.
You can also add extra ingredients to your cheesecake filling. There are so many mini cheesecake recipes out there, so look for some inspiration! We recommend lemon curd and lemon zest to add a zesty flavor to your mini cheesecakes. Just add it to your recipe.
The most simple way of changing the taste of your creamy mini cheesecakes is to add some toppings. The possibilities are endless!
You can add whipped cream, vanilla wafers, chocolate ganache, Oreo cookie crumbs, or fresh strawberries, just to name a few. Experiment with your favorite flavors and add them to your cheesecake recipe for some delicious mini cheesecakes.
Recipe Highlights
The sky’s the limit with this mini cheesecake recipe! Some of the highlights of this recipe include:
- This mini cheesecake recipe is super easy! It’s great for beginners and you can achieve delicious mini cheesecakes on your first try.
- With a reliable recipe rating, these mini cheesecakes are fool-proof, making any batch you bake 5 stars.
- There’s no need for a water bath with this cheesecake recipe. You can still bake mini cheesecakes that are absolutely delicious!
Follow this mini cheesecake recipe to get super mini cheesecakes that are perfect for every occasion.
