No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes
No-bake mini cheesecakes are an easy make-ahead dessert for dinner parties and gatherings. The cheesecakes are made in a muffin pan and are perfectly portioned individual desserts!
I make my classic mini cheesecakes any chance I get, to rave reviews every time. Although I adore that recipe, I don’t always love having to turn on my oven during the summer months to make them.
These mini no-bake cheesecakes are my solution to that problem! The crust and filling are completely no-bake, so there’s no oven required. They can be fully assembled days in advance and customized with your favorite toppings.
And because the crust and filling are assembled in muffin liners, serving the cheesecakes is as simple as popping them out of the muffin pan. Not to mention that cleanup is a breeze afterwards!
Recipe Ingredients
These individual no-bake cheesecakes have a short ingredients list, so it’s important that you use exactly what the recipe specifies. Let’s quickly run through the key ingredients:
- Graham Crackers: If you want to make this recipe a little easier, feel free to buy a bag of crushed graham crackers. If you prefer to crush your own, you will need about 6 full-sheets to get 3/4 cup of crumbs.
- Cream Cheese: Make sure to use bricks/blocks of cream cheese and avoid using cream cheese spread in a tub. I also recommend using softened cream cheese for best results.
- Powdered Sugar: I prefer using powdered sugar rather than granulated sugar for sweetening the no-bake cheesecake filling. Powdered sugar thickens the filling and dissolves in the cream cheese mixture much easier.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Make sure your heavy cream is at least 36% fat.
- Lemon Juice: Just a squeeze of lemon juice brightens up the filling without making it taste like lemon.
How to Make No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes
This is a very straightforward no-bake dessert recipe. There’s no chilling required between recipe steps, but you will need to chill the assembled cheesecakes for about 3 hours before serving them!
- Line the muffin pan: I always line the muffin pan with cupcake liners. This makes for a prettier presentation and ensures the cheesecakes remain intact when removing them from the pan.
- Make the crusts: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. Divide the crust mixture between the prepared muffin cups and press down firmly with the bottom of a measuring cup to compact the crust.
- Make the filling: I like to use a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for this step. First, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Then, add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla. If needed, stop and scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl to ensure that everything is well combined.
- Whip the heavy cream: In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. In other words, when you lift your beaters out of the bowl the whipped cream stands straight up.
- Add the whipped cream to the cheesecake filling: Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Then, add the remaining whipped cream and continue folding until just combined.
- Assemble the cheesecakes: Divide the filling between the 12 prepared crusts. I like to use a piping bag to pipe the filling on top, but you may use a spoon or cookie scoop as well.
- Chill: Cover the muffin pan tightly and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
This recipe wouldn’t be quite enough for one large cheesecake.
If you don’t have a muffin pan or don’t need individual no-bake cheesecakes, I recommend following my no-bake cheesecake recipe instead. It’s very similar to this one, but scaled up to make a full cheesecake.
If your cheesecake filling is soft, it might just need another hour or so in the fridge to firm up.
Another possibility is that you used the wrong type of cream cheese. You need to use blocks/bricks of full-fat cream cheese to make the filling. Spreadable cream cheese that’s sold in a tub isn’t firm enough for making the filling.
Another reason could be that the whipped cream wasn’t fully beaten to stiff peaks or that you over mixed the whipped cream when folding it into the cream cheese mixture.
Yes! They need to chill in the fridge for at least 3 hours before being served. Leftovers must also be stored in the fridge since the filling is made with dairy products.
Different Topping Options
You can enjoy these individual no-bake cheesecakes as is, or top them with one or more of the following:
- Fresh fruit
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Hot Fudge Sauce
- Homemade Lemon Curd
- Strawberry Sauce
- Blueberry Sauce
- Chocolate Ganache
- Salted Caramel Sauce
Baking Tips
- I always skip baking the crust to keep these mini cheesecakes completely no-bake. However, if you want the crusts to be a little sturdier you can bake them for 5 minutes at 350°F. Just make sure to let them cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling.
- For a thicker whipped cream, use a chilled bowl and beaters. This step isn’t necessary, but I like to set my mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes before using them.
- This recipe makes enough filling to fill each liner all the way to the top! Feel free to use a little less and save any leftover filling to enjoy as a fruit dip.
No-Bake Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- ¾ cup crushed graham cracker crumbs about 6 full-sheets (90 grams)
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (25 grams)
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter melted (45 grams)
No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
- 12 ounces brick-style cream cheese softened (340 grams)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar (90 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream (240 ml)
Instructions
- To make the graham cracker crust: Line a standard muffin pan with 12 cupcake liners and set aside.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Add the melted butter and mix until all of the crumbs are moistened.
- Evenly distribute the mixture between all 12 cupcake liners, a little over one tablespoon per liner. Use the bottom of a ¼ cup measuring cup to firmly pack the crust down into each liner. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
- To make the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese for 1 to 2 minutes or until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Set aside.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a separate mixing bowl. Using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, mix on low-medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute then increase the speed to medium and continue mixing until stiff peaks form.
- Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until just combined, then fold in the remaining whipped cream until fully combined.
- Scoop the filling into a large piping bag and cut the end off. Evenly distribute the filling between all 12 cupcake liners by piping it on top of the crust. You should end up filling each one all the way to the top. Alternatively you can scoop the mixture into each liner with a spoon or cookie scoop, but I find the piping bag much easier!
- Cover tightly and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours (or even overnight).
- When ready to serve, remove from the pan, add your favorite toppings, and enjoy!
Looking forward to making this!
Would it work to use store bought whipped cream or is homemade best
Cool whip would probably work, but you’d need to reduce the amount of powdered sugar. I recommend using homemade whipped cream for best results though.
Well Danielle you did it again. It seems every time a make one of your recipes, my wife says she now has a new favorite. And these are easy, delicious and best of all, the size of the recipe is perfect for two. Thank you for an addition to the recipe binder.
Thank you, Dennis! So happy to hear that!
Can these mini cheesecakes be frozen?
I wouldn’t recommend it for this recipe, Dennis. My regular mini cheesecake recipe here freezes great though!
Very yummy and creamy! My husband likes to eat several at a time. It was easy to put together but hard to wait or the to set up! 😂
Thank you, Martha! So glad you and your husband enjoyed the cheesecakes!