Make your own easy mini cheesecakes from scratch today. These single serving cheesecakes have a sweet graham cracker crust and a rich, cream cheese filling.
Cheesecake is an instant crowd pleaser. You’ll love my recipe for easy mini cheesecakes because they are surprisingly quick to make, and require no slicing. They make a fantastic party dessert because they are ready to grab and go, making serving a breeze.
The best part? These cheesecakes are pre-portioned into small servings, so they’re not as guilt-inducing as a huge slice of cheesecake. What’s not to love?
I love strawberry desserts. See my recipe for Fluffy White Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling. Yum! I also love to make this Easy Strawberry Freezer Jam – buy your strawberries in season and make freezer jam to enjoy year ’round.
These mini cheesecakes are one of my favorite dessert recipes to date. I spent some extra time adjusting the measurements of filling vs. graham cracker crust, and I am pleased with the end result.
Personally, I love a nice, thick graham cracker crust. I also like to have a bit more filling to go with the thick crust, and this recipe really hits the nail on the head.
How to make perfectly portioned mini cheesecakes
One tool that made this recipe infinitely easier was a large cookie scoop. First, the graham cracker crust was exactly 1 tablespoon measured into each cup. Next, the filling was exactly one large cookie scoop‘s worth of filling into each cup (or 3 tablespoons).
This way, all of your cheesecakes will be exactly uniform in size. I am quite the perfectionist, so figuring out these measurements made me very happy (yep, I’m a nerd!).
Shockingly, the cheesecake filling only requires five ingredients. Five! Making these mini cheesecakes was even easier than making a batch of cookies – honest. They may look fancy or difficult, but I promise, they’re quick and easy.
I topped my mini cheesecakes with a homemade strawberry topping. You’re welcome to leave them plain, use cherry pie filling, or top with whipped cream. The options are endless!
Easy Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin pan with paper muffin liners and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Stir to combine. Add melted butter and stir until fully incorporated. Spoon 1 tablespoon of crust into each muffin liner. Using the back of a measuring cup, press graham cracker mixture firmly into the bottom of each cup. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add cream cheese. Beat until smooth. Add sour cream, eggs, and granulated sugar, mix until well combined and smooth.
- Spoon 3 tablespoons (or one large cookie/cupcake scoop) of filling into each cup. After filling all cups, gently tap pan onto counter top to level filling and remove any excess air bubbles.
- Bake for 17-19 minutes, or until cheesecake is no longer jiggly in the center. Tops may crack slightly, this is normal. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing cheesecakes from the pan.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Optionally, top with strawberries, cherries, or whipped cream.
Notes
- This recipe makes 18 cupcake/muffin sized cheesecakes. "Mini" refers to the size compared to a regular cheesecake, and does not refer to a mini muffin tin. You are welcome to use mini muffin tins for this recipe, but it has not been tested, so baking times and quantities will vary.
How long can you refrigerate these? Can I make them the day before a party and refrigerate overnight?
Yes, you can make them the day before!
Do these freeze well?
Hi Cindie, I’ve heard that cheesecakes freeze very well, but I haven’t personally tried it with this recipe. If you would like to freeze them, I’d suggest freezing them laid out on a sheet pan, uncovered, until firm. Then you can wrap them in foil and place in a freezer bag. They will thaw overnight, or potentially in a few hours since they are small, in the refrigerator.
I always freeze them! Only 2 of us, so we kinda have to or waste them.
Glad to hear they freeze well, Terri!
Do you use mini cupcake pans or standard? And if using mini, I assume it would make double this amount…is the bake time reduced similar to cupcakes?
Hi Sara, this recipe uses a regular sized cupcake pan! I believe a mini cupcake pan is 1/3 the size, so you’d get triple the amount.
Should they be covered in the refrigerator?
I would recommend covering them if possible, especially if stored more than a few hours.
How many mini cheese cakes does this recipe make?
Hi Carol, this recipe makes 18 mini cheesecakes.