Mini cheesecakes are an easy dessert to make from scratch. These single serving cheesecake cupcakes are rich and creamy with a graham cracker crust.
Mini cheesecakes are an instant crowd pleaser. They make a fantastic party dessert because they are ready to grab and go - no slicing needed!
The cheesecake filling is rich, creamy, and smooth, with a crunchy graham cracker crust. Customize your cheesecakes with a variety of toppings, like strawberry, blueberry, or raspberry sauce.
Serve these mini cheesecakes at your next picnic, birthday, or holiday. They're popular for Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Graham cracker crumbs - Can be substituted with chocolate graham cracker crumbs or crushed cookies, like vanilla wafers or Oreo cookies. The entire graham cracker crust can also be substituted with whole oreo cookies (like in my mini oreo cheesecakes recipe). Simply place an oreo cookie in the bottom of each cupcake liner and top with cheesecake batter.
- Granulated sugar - Sweetens the filling and also acts as a glue in the crust. I don't recommend omitting the sugar in the crust - it's not just for sweetness. The sugar along with the butter creates a 'glue' of sorts that helps hold the crust together and prevent crumbling after baking.
- Unsalted butter - Butter helps hold the crust together. Unsalted or salted butter works in this recipe.
- Cream cheese - You'll need regular (not low fat) block-style cream cheese for this recipe. Whipped cream cheese or spreadable cream cheese will not have the right consistency for this recipe.
- Eggs - Add structure to your cheesecake filling.
- Sour cream - Adds a bit of tangy flavor and creaminess to the filling. Readers have had success substituting with plain Greek yogurt.
- Vanilla extract - Can be substituted with a different extract to give your cheesecakes a unique flavor. Try lemon extract, maple extract, or peppermint extract.
Tips and tricks
Use room temperature ingredients - Room temperature ingredients are easier to mix together to form a smooth, even batter. Starting with cold ingredients can create lumps and will take more mixing to blend together, which adds air.
Add ingredients in order - I've had the best luck by adding my ingredients in this order: cream cheese, granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, then vanilla extract. I've never had a lumpy batter when mixing room temperature ingredients in this order.
Don't overmix your filling - While your cheesecakes will sink slightly in the center as they cool, overmixing, or whipping extra air into the filling, can cause them to sink even more. Instead, mix each ingredient until just combined and turn off the mixer.
Allow your cheesecakes to rest a moment in the oven - Sometimes, the shock of cold air can cause cheesecake to sink when taken out of the oven quickly. When your cheesecakes are done, turn the oven off and crack the door open a few inches. Allow them to rest for 2-3 minutes before removing them from the oven. This allows them to slowly begin cooling off without being shocked immediately.
Allow cheesecakes to cool before unwrapping - Warm cheesecake will fall apart and stick to the wrapper. Allow your cheesecakes to cool completely before adding toppings, unwrapping, or serving.
Frequently asked questions
For this recipe you'll need a standard size cupcake or muffin pan. Here's the exact muffin pan that I use: Wilton Perfect Results Non-Stick Standard-Size Muffin and Cupcake Baking Pan
The term "mini" in the title refers to the size of the cheesecakes compared to a whole cheesecake. The measurements in this recipe are meant for a standard sized cupcake pan, not a "mini cupcake pan".
Strawberry topping (shown in photos)
Lemon blueberry topping
Raspberry sauce
Fresh fruits dusted in sugar
Chocolate ganache
Homemade whipped cream
Pineapple Jam
Homemade cherry pie filling
Salted caramel sauce
Lemon curd
Your mini cheesecakes will sink slightly in the center as they cool. This is normal. It also makes a perfect vessel for toppings! To prevent your cheesecakes from sinking too much, I recommend not overmixing/whipping extra air into the batter, using room temperature ingredients, and allowing your cheesecakes to set in the oven for a few minutes before removing them. For full details on these tips, see the 'tips and tricks' section above.
Yes, cheesecake freezes well for up to a month. Allow your cheesecake to cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze. Allow to thaw for 2 to 3 hours on the countertop before serving.
Here's a great article on freezing cheesecake: Taste of Home: Your Guide to Freezing Cheesecake
No, the crust and filling bake at the same time in the oven.
I haven't make a whole cheesecake with this recipe so I can't say for sure how it would turn out. This recipe makes about half the amount of filling you'd need for a traditional 9 inch round cheesecake. Here's a great recipe for a whole cheesecake I'd recommend: Sugar Spun Run: The Best Cheesecake
Mini cheesecakes will keep for up to 5 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. They keep well and are great for making a day or two ahead of an event.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust
- 1.5 cups (165 g) graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces (454 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup (99 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (114 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard-sized cupcake pan (not a mini cupcake pan) with 18 paper liners and set aside.
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar. Add melted butter and stir until fully incorporated. Divide crust mixture between the 18 cupcake liners. 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. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat until smooth. Add granulated sugar, then mix until smooth. Next, add eggs and mix until incorporated. Add sour cream and mix until incorporated. Last, add vanilla and mix until incorporated. We're adding each ingredient separately to prevent lumps from forming. Take care not to over-mix or whip extra air into the batter (this causes sinking later on).
- Distribute batter evenly between cups. Gently tap pan onto counter top a few times to level filling and remove excess air bubbles.
- Bake for about 17-19 minutes, or until cheesecake looks set and centers only slightly jiggle. Turn the oven off and crack the door a few inches. Allow cheesecakes to rest for 2-3 minutes before removing from oven. Remove and allow cheesecakes to cool for 30 minutes.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 1 day. Cheesecakes will sink slightly while chilling. Optionally, top with strawberry sauce, cherries, or whipped cream.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- This recipe makes 18 standard size cupcake cheesecakes. "Mini" refers to the size compared to a regular whole 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.
- Room temperature ingredients are important for making a creamy cheesecake filling. If even one ingredient is cold, it can create lumps in the batter.
- Have lumpy batter? Try pressing it through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lumps.
- Cheesecake will keep for up to 5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Would 1 8oz whipped cream cheese, and 1 regular cream cheese work? I have a whipped cream cheese sitting waiting to be used for something!
Hi Karina, I haven't tested this recipe with partial whipped cream cheese, but it generally doesn't work for any type of baked cheesecake. A no-bake cheesecake may work as long as you're substituting with the same weight of cream cheese.
These are delicious, creamy, and just the perfect size. I once made 50 with cherry topping for my daughter-in-law's 50th birthday party and put them together on a tray, a candle in each. What a show when we lit them all and presented her "cake"! No cutting. No mess. Everyone loved it.
I just made these for the first time and they are DELICIOUS!! I had a block of cream cheese in the fridge that I needed to get rid of, so I came on here to find a cheese cake recipe and this one DID NOT DISAPPOINT! I only had 1 block of cream cheese so I cut all the ingredients in half and made a half portion
The results were amazing , so smooth and Fluffy *drooling just thinking about it!* I also had some blueberries in the fridge so I whipped up a little blueberry topping and needless to say, this will be my go-to mini cheesecake recipe!!
I have made these quite a few times, they are always amazing! Great recipe, has now become one of my favs!
Hi Dawn, happy to hear you enjoy the recipe!
We did a charcuterie board for Mother's Day at church with a variety of little bites for the mom's to box up and take home. I made these into the littlest paper cups guestimating how much to use in each one. I have a tamper I bought from Pampered Chef years ago which worked perfectly for firming up the graham cracker crust. After they baked for 17 minutes and chilled overnight, my friends and I added lemon pie filling squeezed through a baggie into the centers, placed a blueberry, raspberry or blackberry on top and then sprinkled lemon zest over all. They were a HUGE hit and were the first bites to run out. I made double your recipe and had almost 100 mini-bites. Next time I make them. I'm saving one for me!!!
Thank you for the yummy recipe.
Hi Connie, glad to hear the mini cheesecakes were a hit!
I made this for a birthday party, (didn't get any) but everyone loved it and nothing left. I did have leftover cracker crumbs and a little cheesecake mixture so I got a few extra out of it. People raved! Thank you so much! Will definitely make this again. (And just so you know, I used to do the nilla cookie in the bottom and didn't get good feedback).
For the crust, I used a Dads Oatmeal Cookie. OMG it’s so good!
We’ve made them before and they’re wonderful! Planning on making them for Valentine’s Day to take some to my Mama and keep some for us. So good! Can’t wait to make them again.
Mini muffins take the same amount of time. Yields 25 or just a little over. 1/2tbsp for crust and 1tbsp for the filling.
I havn't made these yet but plan on making them for my mom's 80th surprise birthday party. My question is can these be frozen and if so, how long can they be frozen for? I have a lot to prepare for the party and am trying to manage my time as efficiently as possible. 🙂
Hi Tami, I haven't personally tried freezing this recipe but other readers have done so with success. Here's a great article on freezing cheesecake (which says cheesecake freezes well for about a month): https://www.tasteofhome.com/article/your-guide-to-freezing-cheesecake/
I am making this recipe for the second time and it turned out great again! I only have a small cupcake pan so I take the extra six and bake them with liner in a cake pan. The shape might not be perfect on those six but they taste fine!
made the mini cheese cakes last night. they are delicious 😘 such a good recipe 🥰thanks for sharing
Hi! Thanks for the recipe, I’m really looking forward to making this.
Question on serving size—I noticed your notes says the recipe makes 18 muffin sized cheesecakes but in your recipe video you're using a 12-muffin pan. And then I see in your equipment recommendations section that you recommend using a 24-muffin pan. I’m a little confused by this part. If I use a 12-muffin pan will I have leftover batter?
Hi Lex, this recipe makes 18 cheesecakes. A 12-muffin pan was used in the video (for ease of shooting in a small space), but extra batter was leftover and an additional 6 were made in a separate batch.
Will these stick to the cupcake liners?
If the cheesecakes are still warm or room temperature, they can stick to the cupcake liners. Chilled cheesecakes should pull away from the liners just fine.
Can you substitute greek yogurt for the sour cream?
Yes, plain Greek yogurt would work!
Hello, about how much crumbs did you place in each liner?
Hi Christine, I used about a tablespoon of crumbs in each liner, which will make a fairly thick crust.
do you need to pre bake the crust before filling?
No, everything will bake together in step 5.
Hi Heather!
My name is lily and I'm using this recipe for a project in one of my classes. I love how simple and easy it is. For the requirements of this project, I have to ask some questions to an expert!
1. What tool is used best for stirring?
2. Is there an accurate tablespoon/teaspoon amount of cheesecake batter to put in each liner?
3. Is it possible to make this vegan?
4. Should I use confectioners sugar or regular sugar?
I love this recipe and I cannot wait to give these delicious treats to my class.
Hi Lily, I'm so glad to hear you've chosen my recipe for your project!
1. I recommend using a stand mixer or hand mixer for this recipe. If you don't have a mixer, a sturdy wooden spoon will work, along with some elbow grease 🙂
2. About 3 tablespoons of batter should go into each liner.
3. I've never tried to make vegan cheesecake myself, but there are good options out there. Here's a great recipe that uses cashews and coconut milk: https://minimalistbaker.com/7-ingredient-vegan-cheesecakes/
4. Regular granulated sugar
Let us know how it goes, I hope you enjoy the mini cheesecakes!
I plan to make these next week and I have one off the wall question. Are vanilla wafers the right size for the bottom?
Crushed vanilla wafers would definitely work to substitute the graham crackers. I'm not sure if a single vanilla wafer would fill the entire bottom of a cupcake liner (haven't tried this myself). If you give it a try, let us know how it goes!
Can I make this into a full cheesecake instead of cupcakes?
Hi Kasey, I haven't made this recipe as a full sized cheesecake before, but it looks like it makes about half the filling of a traditional 9" round cheesecake. Here's a great recipe you could try for a full sized cheesecake: https://sugarspunrun.com/best-cheesecake-recipe/
Hi, not sure what happened- I followed the recipe, as is, but my crust was very crumbly and did not hold well together.
It tasted great, and cheesecake was delicious, but not much of a crust left after removing from cupcake pan. They cooled thoroughly (next morning). Maybe not so long in the pan? Maybe I will do as some suggested & pur a cookie as the crust...
Did you use cupcake liners? I don't recommend baking these directly in a cupcake pan because they can be difficult to remove in one piece.
Can you make these without cupcake liners? Could I just spray my muffin tins with Pam.
I haven't tried this myself for a few reasons. There's not an easy way to release the cheesecakes from the pan (especially if it's metal, and not something flexible like silicone), without potentially ruining them. You'd need to use a flexible spatula to loosen the edges, then invert the pan to release the cheesecakes (since they don't reach above the edge of the pan), which could ruin the tops since they're delicate. Liners make it very easy to pop out of the pan with little effort.
Hi! I am making these for someone who is gluten free. Can I make them without the crust?
I've never made these without a crust, but I assume that as long as they're made in cupcake liners, they should hold together. The crust can also be made with gluten free graham crackers!
I’m gluten free and o used a gluten free Oreo. Fit perfectly.
My husband is gluten free and I use pecan crumbs for my cheesecake crusts. It's a wonderful flavor!
A little late to the game, but Celiac here! I use GF oreos, or Cinnamon chex!! Tastes just like Graham crackers but so much cheaper. There are recipes online but it's a bit of bisquick, butter, and chex in a food processor 🙂
If I want to bake this in a oreo pie shell will the cooking time be the same or should I cook it a little longer?
If you're making the mini cheesecakes with oreo crust, the time will be the same. I haven't tested this batter in a pie crust, but I'd guess it would take 30 minutes or more in the oven. Keep a close eye on it and take it out when it's no longer jiggly in the center!
This recipe is so easy and delicious..this is the 2nd time I've made them, this time I'm cutting it in half, only 2 of us, and will freeze the left overs. Using lemon curd again. A big thank you for the extra tips.
Hi. I made these for my daughter-in-law's birthday for the first time and they turned out great!. I topped them with a raspberry in the middle surrounded by blueberries. Next time I'll add a layer of lemon curd or chocolate so the blueberries don't roll off when you go to eat them. The cheesecake was delicious! Thank you for the tips.
I had quite a bit of graham cracker crumb mix left after putting 1T in each muffin tin. Is that normal? Should I have used all of the crumbs?
Chris
Hi Chris, I've never had leftover crumbs when filling 18 regular sized cupcake liners, but if they look full enough, it's fine to discard any extra.
Can I cut the recipe in half?
Yes! If you hover over the servings number, a bar will come up and you can adjust the recipe to as many servings as you'd like.
Dosa this recipe only use 1 pack of cream cheese? The picture shows 2. Thanks!
Hi Jess, you'll need two 8 ounce packages of cream cheese for this recipe!
I made these today because my daughter requested this for Thanksgiving and they came out perfect!! Topped them with cherry pie filling. Super easy recipe to follow and they were done at 17 minutes. Even had my 2 and 1/2 yr old grandson "helping ". He did a great job! I will definitely make these again. Thanks for such an easy and quick recipe
What size springform pan will this recipe make?
Hi Debbie, I haven't tried making this recipe in a springform pan before, but it looks like this recipe makes about half the filling of a traditional 9" round cheesecake. Here's a great recipe you could try for a full sized cheesecake: https://sugarspunrun.com/best-cheesecake-recipe/
Can I substitute plain yogurt for the sour creme?
Yes you can!
What kind of cupcake liners did you use?
Hi Keke, in the main photos I used these cupcake liners (I think I bought them at Hobby Lobby years ago): https://www.etsy.com/listing/466272620/red-white-swirl-baking-cupcake-liners-25
Can I make these 2 days before christmas
Hi Mary Jane, yes these can be made 2 days ahead of time. If you're making a fresh topping like a strawberry topping, I'd suggest making that the morning before serving. Otherwise, the cheesecakes will keep just fine for several days in the refrigerator.
Can you add chocolate to the mix to make a chocolate cheesecake?
Would you add cocoa powder to the Graham cracker crust, for even a more chocolaty flavor?
Hi Steve, I haven't tried making these chocolate before. If you'd like to try, I'd suggest adding 4 ounces of melted semi-sweet chocolate to your batter. You could also make the crust out of chocolate graham crackers or crushed oreo cookies for more chocolate flavor!
Mine rose and when jiggled pan didn't jiggle but as they were cooling they sank. Did I over mix or what did I do?
Hi Barbara, cheesecake sinking in the middle can be caused by a few things. The mini cheesecakes will sink *slightly* as they cool, but not a lot.
It sounds like your cheesecakes were cooked through, so maybe the batter was over mixed. Or, when they're taken out of the oven and met with cold air, sometimes this can cause them so sink. I haven't had this happen with mini cheesecakes, but it is a common problem with regular sized cheesecakes.
When your cheesecakes are done, try turning the oven off and cracking the oven door, allowing the air to slowly cool, so as to not 'shock' them. Give them a few minutes in the cracked oven before removing them, and then allow them to cool completely in the cupcake pan before removing them.
Sunken cheesecake still tastes just as good, so I'd try topping them with strawberry topping, caramel, or whipped cream!
These turned out so good! I topped mine with carmel topping. Everyone loved them!
I’ve made this cheesecake recipe in a regular size pan and it has been delicious!
Glad to hear you love the recipe, Patti!
Do you think this will work in a mini silicone molds?
Hi Amanda, I have not tried these in a silicone pan, but they should bake normally. I would recommend allowing them to cool completely and chill them in the refrigerator before removing from the pan, to avoid the cheesecakes falling apart during removal.
How many mini cheese cakes does this recipe make?
Hi Carol, this recipe makes 18 mini cheesecakes.
Should they be covered in the refrigerator?
I would recommend covering them if possible, especially if stored more than a few hours.
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.
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!
These little cheesecakes are amazing, I made some for a coworker turning 60 and we all enjoyed them.
These mini cheesecake are great.
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!
Can I use regular cupcake liners or they have to be silicone?
Regular are fine - I used regular cupcake liners in the photos above and they worked great!