Mini Cheesecakes
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Mini cheesecakes solve the problem every full-size cheesecake creates: one person wants a thin slice, another wants a corner, and you are left cutting a whole cake nobody finishes. Bake them in a muffin tin, and each person gets their own, already portioned, already topped the way they like.
I make these when I need a dessert that can wait for me instead of the other way around. They chill overnight, so the work is done long before anyone arrives, and a batch of twelve stretches across a birthday table or a potluck without a knife in sight.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Each one bakes in its own paper-lined muffin cup, so there’s no slicing and no arguing over portion size.
- The whole batch bakes in 15 minutes, then does its real work in the fridge overnight.
- A spoonful of flour in the filling gives the set a little insurance, so the centers hold rather than sink as they cool.
- They freeze well, which means a dessert ready weeks ahead of the day you need it.
- You top them at the last minute, so the same base becomes a strawberry cheesecake for one person and another fresh-berry one for the next.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You’ll need all the ingredients shown in the photograph below.
- Cream cheese. Use full-fat block cream cheese, not the spreadable tub kind, and let it come to room temperature first. Cold cream cheese fights the mixer and leaves lumps you can’t beat out later.
- Eggs: Two large eggs, also at room temperature, added one at a time. They’re what sets the filling in the oven.
- Heavy cream: Six ounces, room temperature like the rest. It’s what takes the filling from dense to creamy, and cold cream seizes into the batter instead of folding in.
- All-purpose flour: Only a tablespoon and a half, but it steadies the set and is part of why these hold their shape rather than dipping in the middle.
- Lemon juice: A single tablespoon. You won’t taste it as lemon; it just keeps the sweetness from going flat.
- Graham cracker crumbs: The crust. If you’d rather, crushed vanilla wafer cookies work in their place for a softer, cookie-like base, which is a swap the recipe supports.
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes
A complete printable recipe and the measurements in both US customary and metric are available in the recipe card below.
Press the Crust
Stir the graham cracker crumbs into the melted butter until every crumb is coated, then divide it among 12 paper-lined muffin cups. Press it firmly into the bottom of each with the back of a spoon. A loose crust crumbles when you lift the cheesecake out, so lean on it.
Mix the Filling
Beat the cream cheese smooth on low speed first, then add the sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing just until each disappears, and stir in the vanilla, lemon juice, and flour. Add the heavy cream last and beat until creamy. Keep the mixer low the whole way; beating air into the batter is what makes the tops crack and sink.
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Key Lime Bars
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ No-Bake Chocolate Lasagna
∙ Raspberry Cheesecake
...and much more!
Fill and Bake
Spoon the filling over the crusts, dividing it evenly, and tap the pan on the counter to settle the tops. Bake at 320°F (160°C) preheated for 15 minutes. Pull them while the centers still wobble slightly when you shake the pan. They look underdone, and they are meant to; they finish setting as they cool and chill.
Chill, Then Top
Cool the cheesecakes in the pan at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight so they set all the way through. Add the strawberry jam and fresh berries just before serving, not before chilling, so the topping stays glossy and the crust stays crisp.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Room temperature is the whole game. Cream cheese, eggs, and cream all need to sit out first. It’s the difference between a smooth filling and one you can see lumps in through the paper.
- Under-bake on purpose. A slight wobble in the center at 15 minutes is done. If you wait for the middle to look firm, you’ve gone too far, and they’ll be dry.
- Keep the mixer slow. Air is the enemy of a flat, uncracked top. Low speed, and stop as soon as the eggs are blended in.
- Let the liners do the work. Paper cups lift straight out of the tin once chilled, so you never have to pry a cheesecake loose.
- Adjust sweetness. A small pinch in the filling balances the sweetness from the sugar and the jam, if you find straight cheesecake a touch sweet.
Recipe Variations
- Crush vanilla wafer cookies in place of the graham crumbs for a softer, cookie-flavored base. This is a tested swap the recipe supports directly, and the crust goes together the same way.
- For a silkier filling, some bakers blend a few tablespoons of sour cream into the batter. I haven’t tested that version here, so treat it as an untested tweak rather than a guaranteed result if you try it.
- A water bath, setting the muffin tin inside a larger pan of hot water, is an untested option here for anyone chasing an extra-smooth top; it isn’t part of the tested method, and it changes how you handle the pan, so go in knowing it’s a departure.
- Change the topping. Cherry pie filling in place of the strawberry jam gives a tart, bright finish over the same creamy base, a tested swap since the topping goes on after baking. Swapping the fruit is the easiest way to make one batch feel like several desserts.
SERIOUSLY GOOD
DESSERTS!
Dessert First is a collection of 61 RECIPES to show you that you can make beautiful, impressive desserts right in your own kitchen, no matter your skill level.
Immediate eBook download. No physical book available.
Includes ad-free recipes like:
∙ Lemon Pound Cake
∙ Key Lime Bars
∙ Boston Cream Pie
∙ No-Bake Chocolate Lasagna
∙ Raspberry Cheesecake
...and much more!
How to Store Leftovers
Make-ahead and leftovers are two different states, so handle them separately. To make these ahead, keep the plain chilled cheesecakes in an airtight container in the fridge and add the jam and berries only when you’re ready to serve.
Store leftover mini cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eat within 3 to 4 days. Because they’re a dairy-and-egg dessert, refrigerate them within 2 hours of sitting out, and within 1 hour if the room is above 90°F. They also freeze well without the topping; thaw overnight in the fridge and top fresh.
What to Serve With Mini Cheesecakes
These sit happily on a dessert table next to other make-ahead sweets, so I like to set them beside a baked cheesecake in a different flavor to give people a choice of size and topping.
A baked strawberry cheesecake with a graham crust echoes the strawberry topping here and lets anyone who wants a full slice have one. When the table leans toward fall, a spiced pumpkin cheesecake on a Biscoff crust brings a warmer flavor that plays off the plain vanilla base of these minis.
FAQs
Usually too much air in the batter or over-baking. Mix on low and stop once the eggs are in, and pull the cheesecakes while the centers still wobble; a firm-looking center in the oven means they’re already overdone.
Not this recipe. The filling has raw eggs and is set in the oven, so it has to bake. If you want the mini format without turning on the oven, make a proper no-bake version instead, like these no-bake mini Oreo cheesecakes built for chilling rather than baking.
Give them the full overnight chill if you can. They need the time to set all the way through, and rushing it leaves the centers loose.
More Cheesecakes for Your Dessert Table
When one batch of minis isn’t enough, here’s where I’d go next depending on the night.
- Apple Pie Stuffed Cheesecake. When I want one showstopper instead of twelve small ones, this baked one carries a whole gathering.
- No-Bake Biscoff Cheesecake. The one I make when the oven is already full, and I need dessert to just chill and set.
- Malteser Cheesecake. A no-bake pick for when I want something chocolate-malt rather than fruit-topped.
- No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake. The crowd one, for a table full of people who’d rather have Oreo than berries.
Equipment
- Cookie scoop or an ice cream scoop with a lever
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup melted butter
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 ounces heavy cream room temperature
For topping:
- Strawberry jam
- Fresh berries or fruit of your choice
Video
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix until evenly coated. Divide the mixture among 12 paper-lined muffin cups, pressing it firmly into the bottom with a spoon. Set aside.1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup melted butter
- Using a hand mixer on low speed, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugar while mixing. Add eggs one at a time, mixing just until blended. Stir in vanilla, lemon juice, and flour. Finally, add heavy cream and beat until smooth and creamy.8 ounces cream cheese, ½ cup sugar, 2 large eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour, 6 ounces heavy cream
- Spoon or scoop the cheesecake filling over the prepared crusts, dividing it evenly among the muffin cups. Tap the pan gently to smooth the tops.
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C). Bake for 15 minutes, or until the centers are just set but still slightly jiggly when gently shaken.
- Let the cheesecakes cool in the pan at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight to fully set.
- Top each mini cheesecake with strawberry jam and fresh berries (or your favorite fruit) before serving.Strawberry jam, Fresh berries
Notes
Nutrition
