Mini Cheesecakes

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
The absolute best mini vanilla cheesecakes with an easy strawberry sauce. | chelseasmessyapron.com | #strawberry #cheesecake #mini #dessert #easy #quick #desserts #best #ever #kidfriendly #cheesecakes #vanilla

Indulge in our Mini Cheesecakes with a crisp graham crust, creamy filling, and a glossy strawberry topping. Easy to make and perfect for customizing with your favorite garnishes, from berries to chocolate.

We love mini desserts! Try these next: Mini Fruit Tart, Brownie Bites, or Cookie Dough Cups.

Three mini cheesecakes beautifully stacked, topped with a ripe strawberry.

Why We Love These Mini Cheesecakes

  1. Balanced Flavor: Crisp crust and creamy filling.
  2. Versatile Toppings: Easy to customize.
  3. Consistent Quality: Foolproof recipe.
  4. Simple Preparation: Easy and straightforward.
  5. Stays Fresh: Good for up to five days.

Preparing the graham cracker crust for the mini cheesecake recipe and placing it in cupcake liners.

Ingredients In Mini Cheesecakes

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Graham cracker crumbs create a sweet, crunchy base.
  • Sugar enhances the sweetness.
  • Melted butter solidifies the crust.

Cheesecake Filling

  • Cream cheese offers richness and tang.
  • Sugar sweetens and balances the tang.
  • Sour cream adds smoothness and a hint of tang.
  • Vanilla adds warm flavor.
  • Flour ensures a dense, smooth texture.
  • Eggs provide structure and creaminess.

Making the batter from scratch, including adding and mixing all the ingredients.

How To Make Mini Cheesecakes

  1. Crust: Mix graham crumbs, melted butter, sugar.
  2. Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar.
  3. Bake: Avoid cracks with careful baking.
  4. Chill: Solidify and enhance flavors.
  5. Top: Add toppings during chilling.

QUICK TIP

Be sure to take the cheesecakes out of the muffin tins before adding the topping. Gooey toppings can slip and slide as you lift the cakes out after you’re done. Take them out of the pan when cool, and top while they’re on a platter or counter.

The dessert ready to bake, strawberries simmered and sweetened for filling, and sauce poured over cheesecakes.

Mini Cheesecake Tips

  • Start with room-temperature cream cheese for a smoother, lump-free batter and avoid overbeating.
  • Use room-temperature sour cream and eggs to ensure even mixing with minimal effort.
  • Mix the batter gently to prevent excess air, which can cause the cheesecakes to crack.
  • Cool the cheesecakes at room temperature to prevent cracking or condensation from rapid temperature changes.

The dessert topped with luscious strawberry sauce and a whole strawberry, ready to be enjoyed.

STORAGE

  • Refrigerate: Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Freezing Not Recommended: May affect texture and taste.

More Delicious Cheesecake Recipes

FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content.

Mini Cheesecakes

5 from 5 votes
The best Mini Cheesecakes start with a sweet graham cracker crust, then thick cheesecake filling, and a delicious strawberry sauce topping. These cheesecakes are easy to make with detailed step-by-step instructions. Top these cheesecakes however you'd like -- with fresh berries, crushed Oreo cookies or candies, salted caramel sauce, or a chocolate ganache.
Three mini cheesecakes beautifully stacked, topped with a ripe strawberry.
Print Recipe

Mini Cheesecakes

Three mini cheesecakes beautifully stacked, topped with a ripe strawberry.
5 from 5 votes
The best Mini Cheesecakes start with a sweet graham cracker crust, then thick cheesecake filling, and a delicious strawberry sauce topping. These cheesecakes are easy to make with detailed step-by-step instructions. Top these cheesecakes however you'd like -- with fresh berries, crushed Oreo cookies or candies, salted caramel sauce, or a chocolate ganache.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword mini cheesecakes
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes
Chilling Time 3 hours 35 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 18 minutes
Servings 12 miniature cheesecakes
Chelsea Lords
Calories 225kcal
Cost $4.27

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (7 sheets)
  • 1 tablespoon white granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 ½ packages (12 ounces total) brick-style full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (See Note 1)
  • ½ cup white granulated sugar
  • ½ cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature
  • 1 vanilla bean (OR 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or 1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract)
  • teaspoon fine sea salt
  • cup (2 tablespoons) white flour
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

Strawberry Topping

  • 1 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 teaspoons white granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • Optional: fresh strawberries to top the cheesecakes with

Instructions

CRUST

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-cavity (regular-size) muffin/cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  • Combine the graham cracker crumbs, white sugar, and melted (but not hot) butter. Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners (about 1 tablespoon per cup) and press into the bottoms. I like to use the lid of a milk container to press the crust into the bottoms evenly.
  • Bake crusts for 5 minutes and then remove from oven. Set aside to cool.

CHEESECAKE FILLING

  • Make sure your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are all at room temperature. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F.
  • In a large bowl, combine the 12 ounces cream cheese and ½ cup white sugar using a hand mixer. Beat at low speeds and in the same direction to reduce beating air into the mixture (which will result in cracks later on). Add the ½ cup sour cream, vanilla bean seeds (or paste or extract), and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt. Beat on low speed until completely combined.
  • Scrape down the sides and add in the 2 tablespoons white flour. Beat on low speed until combined. Add the first egg and make sure to beat until the egg is completely incorporated. Add the second egg and again, still beating slowly, beat until combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners and nearly to the top. Disperse all of the batter evenly between the 12 cupcake liners.
  • Bake cheesecakes for 13 minutes, then turn off oven and leave the door closed for another 10 minutes. Crack the oven door open and allow cheesecakes to cool for 25 minutes; then pull out an place on the counter at room temperature. We are slowly lowering the temperature of the cheesecakes to keep the rising and falling (and resulting cracks) to a minimum.
  • Once the cheesecakes are at room temperature, transfer to the fridge to chill for 2-3 hours.
  • STRAWBERRY SAUCE: Add the 1 cup coarsely chopped strawberries, 2 tablespoons white sugar, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice to a small saucepan. Simmer on low for 10 minutes, mashing up strawberries with the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and allow to come to room temperature. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth. (If strawberry seeds bother you, strain the sauce here by pressing the mixture through a fine mesh sieve.) Place in the fridge to chill before topping cheesecakes.
  • SERVE: When ready to serve, add a spoonful of the strawberry sauce and a fresh strawberry (if desired) to the tops of the mini cheesecakes. Store any leftovers (sauce separate from the cheesecakes) in the fridge.

Video

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Cream cheese: Room-temperature cream cheese becomes creamier when it is mixed and it incorporates much better with the other ingredients. If your cream cheese is too cold, it tends to stay lumpy and the batter doesn’t mix as nicely. With cold cream cheese, there is also a temptation to over-beat the batter which will cause it to rise and fall

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 12g | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 70mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 94mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 545IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1mg

We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed.

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?

I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.

More Recipes You'll Love

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

9 hrs 20 mins

No Bake Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

Dessert Cheese Ball (Brownie Batter)

4 hrs 20 mins

Dessert Cheese Ball (Brownie Batter)

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

Twix Cheesecake Bars

1 hrs 10 mins

Twix Cheesecake Bars

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

Thin Mint Cheesecake

8 hrs 25 mins

Thin Mint Cheesecake

Click the Bookmark Icon to Add to Your Favories

FREE BONUS

FREE BONUS

EASY MEAL SECRETS:
How to Make Mealtime Hassle Free!

5 secrets to easy, fast and delicious dinners.

[gravityform id="2" title="false" description="false"]

Leave a Comment:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




17 Comments

  1. I love when desserts get mini so I don’t feel guilty when I eat too many!! These look so pretty and love your pictures!

  2. I ran across a recipe of yours on Pinterest and had to come visit your site! Your pictures are amazing and so are your recipes. I have followed you and will be returning often!

  3. Hi, the ingredients say 12 oz cream cheese but the method has 8oz. Please can you let me know which to use. Thanks 🙂

    1. You could try it! I think it would work, but haven’t actually ever tried that so can’t say for sure!

  4. I’ve come to love this recipe – I’ve made it multiple times with lots of success. But now I’ve invested in a full cheesecake pan and I want to use this same recipe for it. Do you have an adapted form of the recipe to make a full cheesecake?

    1. So glad to hear that! Thank you Amanda! I don’t have a vanilla full cheesecake just yet, but I will certainly add that to my list of recipes to create! This chocolate cheesecake is our favorite if you’re a chocolate fan!

  5. Hello, hoping to make this gluten free. Do you know if I can use “Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour” in place of the AP flour and gluten free graham cracker crumbs in place of regular?

  6. Hi! I was hoping to make these this weekend, but wanted to adapt them to make them in a mini muffin pan (i.e.- making 24 mini cheesecakes as opposed to 12). Any recommendations on how to adjust the cooking time and/or temperature?! Thank you in advance! These look delicious!

  7. 5 stars
    Hi! I love this recipe and have used it multiple times! If I want to make a whole cheesecake instead of the bites, could I use the same
    Oven timings for baking?

Never Miss a Recipe

[gravityform id="3" title="false" description="false"]