Mini Cheesecakes
These Mini Cheesecakes feature a homemade graham cracker crust with a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling. This recipe is incredibly easy to make and includes several different topping options to use too!
If you’ve been following me for a while, then you know I adore mini desserts. From mini apple pies to mini lemon blueberry cheesecakes and mini pecan pies, I just can’t get enough of them!
Today’s mini cheesecake recipe is one of my favorite mini desserts because it’s so versatile. The graham cracker crust is incredibly simple to throw together and the cheesecake filling is super smooth and creamy. Plus, they only take about 25 minutes in the oven and you don’t have to mess with a water bath either.
You can leave these mini cheesecakes plain or top them with just about anything. This recipe will make 12 mini cheesecakes, but you can easily cut the recipe in half or double it if needed. I’ve even included seven different topping options for you to try on these too!
How To Make Mini Cheesecakes
To make these mini cheesecakes, you’ll start out with the graham cracker crust which is just a simple mixture of graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. If you want to make this recipe even easier you can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs. Here’s how to make the crust:
- Stir together the ingredients: You’ll stir the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together until well combined, then stir in the melted butter until are all of the crumbs are moistened.
- Line your muffin pan with cupcake liners: This will make it easier to get the mini cheesecakes out of the pan and serve them too!
- Evenly distribute the mixture between the liners: I suggest using a measuring cup to firmly press the crust down into each liner.
- Bake for 5 minutes: Once the crust is done, remove the pan from the oven and set it aside while you prepare the filling.
Next, you’ll mix up the cheesecake filling which consists of cream cheese, sour cream, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs.
- Cream Cheese: For the best flavor and texture, I recommend using full-fat cream cheese. Reduced-fat cream cheese will work too, but I don’t suggest using fat-free.
- Sour Cream: The sour cream helps to break up the thickness of the cream cheese and creates a creamier filling. You may substitute it for an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt if you don’t have any on hand.
- Sugar & Vanilla: There’s 1/2 cup of sugar to sweeten the mini cheesecake bites and some vanilla for flavor.
- Eggs: These help add structure to the mini cheesecakes.
To make the filling, you’ll mix the cream cheese and sour cream together until they’re well combined, then mix in the sugar and vanilla extract. It helps to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl after each step. Once the first four ingredients are mixed together, you’ll mix in the eggs one at a time. I suggest mixing the eggs in on low speed until just combined. Overmixing the eggs can incorporate too much air into the cheesecake batter and cause them to crack.
Then, evenly distribute the filling on top of each crust and bake for about 17-20 minutes.
Once the mini cheesecakes are done baking, you’ll want to let them cool completely in the pan for about an hour. Once cooled, remove them from the pan and store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
FAQ’s
How do you know when they are done?
The tops of the mini cheesecakes will puff up in the oven and look set. The edges should be completely set, but the center will still be just a little bit jiggly. The cheesecakes will continue to set up as they cool and once they’re refrigerated.
Can you freeze them?
Yes, these will freeze really well! You can freeze them in a freezer bag/container for up to 3 months, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Can you use a mini cheesecake pan for this recipe?
Yes, a mini cheesecake pan will work just fine! Since the cavities are a little smaller than a muffin pan, I recommend making 16 instead of 12 with this recipe.
Different Topping Options
Here are a few of my favorite toppings to use on these mini cheesecakes:
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Chocolate Ganache
- Blueberry Sauce
- Strawberry Sauce
- Dulce de Leche
- Homemade Lemon Curd
Baking Tips
- For this recipe, you’ll be using a regular or standard muffin pan not a mini muffin pan.
- To get the graham cracker crust firmly packed into the liners, I like to use a 1/4 – 1/3 cup measuring cup to press the mixture down.
- Make sure to set all of your ingredients for the filling out ahead of time to come to room temperature. This will ensure a smoother and creamier cheesecake filling!
- I recommend using full-fat cream cheese and sour cream for a richer texture and flavor.
- When mixing in the eggs, make sure to mix them in on low speed one at a time until just combined. Over mixing the eggs into the cheesecake batter can incorporate too much air and cause them to crack.
Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 cup (120 grams) graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 and 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) unsalted butter melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 16 ounces (452 grams) brick-style cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (80 grams) sour cream room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
To make the graham cracker crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and mix until all of the crumbs are moistened. Evenly distribute the mixture between all 12 liners and firmly press it down into one even layer.
- Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside. Keep oven temperature at 325°F (163°C).
To make the cheesecake filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, mix the cream cheese and sour cream together until smooth and creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, on low speed until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter between all 12 liners in the cupcake pan, filling each one almost all the way to the top.
- Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 17-20 minutes or until the tops of the cheesecakes are set.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Carefully remove from the pan and chill in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours or overnight.
Made it twice this week. It is delicious!! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Danielle,
I have not made these yet (as mini’s that is) but, your ingredients for these mini’s are exactly what are in my 6″ & 10″ cheesecakes that I have been making for over 50 years. I want to send these as a gift to my brother in law because he loves my cheesecake. I am going to leave them in the muffin tins when I mail them, & I never thought to freeze them 1st. I cannot wait to make them this week. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes. I will let you know how they turn out, and how they travel from New York to Florida! 🙂
I hope they turn out great for you, Nanci! I’d love to hear how they ship too!
I made this recipe but used a mini cheesecake pan. My crust came out dry and crumbly but everyone loved them. I am going to try the cupcake liners next. I added a spoon of salted caramel sauce on top of the crust before filling and they were so amazing!
Good evening, how can I prevent these mini cheesecakes from spliting on top. I am using a mini cheesecake pan
Hi, Cassie! If they’re cracking on top, it’s likely that they were over baked. You can try reducing the baking time slightly and see if that helps.
Hi Danielle!
My family absolutely loved them! But when I let them cool they all sunk in. Is that suppose to happen? I baked them for longer than 20min bc it still had a jiggle to them when I took the out of the oven. Please let me know how I can fix them in the future. Thank you ?
They shouldn’t sink after you take them out of the oven. It’s possible that they were under baked and that’s why they fell after you removed them. You could try letting them bake 3-5 more minutes or let them cool in the oven with the door cracked for 5 minutes. I hope that helps!
I’ll definitely try letting them cool in the oven. I think I baked the cheesecakes for 30-35 min so I took them out bc I was scared of over baking them ? should the cheesecake reach a certain temperature that I can look out for?
They don’t have to reach a certain temperature. You do want to make sure to mix in the eggs on low speed and until just combined. If you over mix the eggs, that can cause your cheesecakes to fall too.
Hi! I made three batches of these for Thanksgiving and they tasted great! The only problem I had was with the crust, when removing them from the liners the crust was super sticky and eventually melted into a puddle after sitting for about 20 minutes. I cooled them overnight and even put them in the freezer for about 30 minutes before serving and it didn’t help. My third try I only used around half of the butter in the recipe which helped a little bit but not too much. Anything you recommend to help this? They tasted and looked great otherwise and I love the recipe, I made a strawberry puree for the top and added strawberry halves and blueberries!
I’m not quite sure why that would happen. Did you make sure to pre bake the crusts before adding the filling?
Do you have to use the liners? I was going to try using my pampered chef square muffin pan because I have GF honey Graham’s that are square. That way I can skip the step of crushing them up and hoping they will come back together like normal graham crackers.
It’s not completely necessary, but if you don’t use them it will be more difficult to remove the cheesecakes from the pan.
CAN I TOP MINI CHEESE CAKES WITH BANANA FOSTER TOPPING ?
Yes, that would be fine.
Hi! I tried your pumpkin swirl mini cheesecakes and they came out perfect! This time I want to try the classic cheesecake but in muffin size pan. I’m guessing the recipe would double, but I’m not sure if I should keep the same temp and time ?
Yes, you can double the recipe to make 2 dozen. The oven temperature and time will stay the same.
How would you adapt this recipe for a pumpkin cheesecake?
I would recommend using this mini pumpkin cheesecake recipe here. If you’re looking for a full pumpkin cheesecake, I have one here.
Have you ever used vanilla flavored greek yogurt as a substitute for the sour cream? Your recipe mentions that plain greek yogurt could be swapped in. I guess maybe then skip the vanilla??
I haven’t, but it would be fine! You may want to reduce the vanilla extract slightly though.
Great, Thanks!!!
Do you think this would be a good, recipie to put in ice cream, I would cut them in little chunks and put them, in the ice cream then put them on the top, of my cheese cake ice cream! I am making Ice-cream, with an electric machine, so it should be fine, Just checking!!! 🙂
Yes, absolutely!
How well do they freeze and how long can you keep them in the fridge?
Hi, Caitlyn! You can find this information in the recipe notes. You can store leftover mini cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. They will freeze well for up to 3 months, just thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Hi Danielle!
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the fabulous recipe! ? I’m currently making it for my fiancée’s birthday. I can’t wait to put a little candle on and present him with homemade, authentic cheesecake! Ive watched my mum bake cheesecake a few times and was very tentative give it a go; she made it seem laborious and delicate!
But this recipe was a breeze. Very grateful to you, a connatural baking queen ?? ?
At what point do you put the toppings on? After you refrigerate 3-4 hours or before? Thank you!
After you’ve refrigerated them for 3 to 4 hours.
I would love to split this in half and make half chocolate and layer them. Would you use cocoa? If so, how much?
Hi, Shelley! If you add cocoa powder, you would likely need to make some other adjustments (like increasing the sugar). I would recommend dividing the batter in half, melting 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate, then mixing that into the batter.
Hi..here we only get cream cheese in a tub only.I loved the recipe.Is it ok to use it.
It will probably be okay to use. I’d recommend looking for a brand like Philadelphia cream cheese for best results.
How would you adjust the cooking times if using the mini cupcake pan with 24 cupcakes?
I would reduce the baking time for the crust to just 2 to 3 minutes. I’m not sure on the filling, but I would guess 9 to 13 minutes.
Can I make these without cupcakes liners because I want to make them but don’t have cupcakes liners In hand right now
You can, but I do recommend using liners so that it’s much easier to remove them from the pan. If you don’t use liners, you’ll want to spray your pan very well, but even then they may not be very easy to remove.
Want to make these for my daughter’s wedding reception dessert table. So many cupcake liners to choose from. Can you tell me which ones you like best?
To be honest, I use just the plain white liners that I find at the grocery store. Any kind will work fine though. If you prefer something with a pattern or certain color, then I would definitely go with that!
I want to make these, but was hoping to incorporate white chocolate. Could you advise if this may work, and if so, how much I should add? After doing some research, I think 6oz of melted white chocolate would be ideal for this amount of cream cheese, but I wanted a second opinion, if possible. Thank you!
I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but I think it would be fine. 6 ounces would probably be a good amount, but white chocolate is pretty sweet so you may want to reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup.
Can I make these with the mini cupcake pan? How would I adjust time and temperature?
Yes, that would be fine! I would keep the oven temp the same, reduce the baking time for the crust down to 3 minutes, and reduce the baking time for the filling too. I’m not sure how long the filling will need, but I would guess 10 to 13 minutes.
I’m curious as well
This was my first attempt at making cheese cakes and it wss perfect. So easy and versatile, Thank you for sharing.
This is a fabulous recipe! I was searching for a cheesecake recipe for my mother’s birthday and these seemed perfect. Followed the recipe exactly and also made the blueberry topping and they turned out great. Will definitely be making this again — would also be great for dinner parties where you want a great dessert but something small. Thanks!
Hi!
Two questions. Do you remove them from the liners before you serve them? Also should I spray the liners with cooking spray?
Thanks!
Laura
Hi, Laura! I’ve served them without the liners and with them, either way is fine! There’s no need to spray the liners, they will come out of them just fine. If you prefer a cleaner look (like the pictures) you can freeze them for 45 minutes to 1 hour, then peel off the liners.
Thanks!!!
I’m going to make these tomorrow for a memorial service I’m having on Monday for my mom. She loved cheesecake so these will be perfect. I love it as well so I can’t wait to have one.
I’ve always been nervous about baking, but this recipe was so easy to follow, and the mini-cheesecakes were delicious! I will definitely be saving this recipe to make again in the future. Thank you! 🙂
How would I incorporate raspberries into these?
You could do a raspberry swirl, similar to the one I did in this recipe. Or make a raspberry sauce and just add it on top of the cheesecakes once they have cooled.
This is the only recipe i use. Every batch comes out great. I also add biscoff spread into the filling to make it even more decadent.
Oh my days….that is a truly wonderful idea!!! I’m just about to finish making the filling- but I’m going to add biscoff/ cookie butter to a few. ? Brilliant!!!
Made these for my adult kids yesterday to get their opinion because I used to make them with vanilla wafers as the crust when they were little. My adult son loves anything cheesecake and after taking a bite he moaned lol then said this is better than Cheesecake Factory! So thanks for this marvelous recipe it was a hit! My entire family raved and they even mentioned the “vertical lines” I asked you about in a previous comment! And packing the crust really makes a difference, they would “sink” with the vanilla wafers but not with this crust!
So happy to hear that everyone loved the mini cheesecakes, Cassie!
How do you get the vertical “lines” on the cupcakes? Are you using silver foil cupcake liners or is it the pan? Please advise I like the lines 🙂
I use regular cupcake liners, there’s some images of them in the pan in the post 🙂