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!
These single-serve cheesecakes are rich, creamy, and smooth, with a crunchy graham cracker crust. Customize your cheesecakes with a variety of toppings, like strawberry or caramel sauce.
Serve these mini cheesecakes at your next picnic, birthday, or holiday like Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, or New Year's Eve.
What size pan to use
For this recipe, you'll need a standard size cupcake or muffin pan. Here is the exact cupcake pan I use for this recipe (and in the video below).
The term "mini" simply refers to the size compared to a regular sized cheesecake (like one you'd slice into pieces). The measurements in this recipe are meant for a standard sized cupcake pan, not a "mini cupcake pan".
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. Simply place an oreo cookie in the bottom of each cupcake liner, then top with your cheesecake batter.
Vanilla extract can be substituted with a different extract to give your cheesecakes a different flavor. Try lemon extract, maple extract, or peppermint extract!
How To prevent lumpy cheesecake batter
First - you absolutely must use room temperature ingredients. The cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream all need to be at room temperature before mixing them together.
If even one ingredient is cold, the cream cheese will get clumpy when the cold ingredient is mixed in. Room temperature ingredients cream together easily and will prevent lumps.
Second, I have always had luck mixing my ingredients in a particular order.
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- eggs
- sour cream
- vanilla extract
First, mix the cream cheese alone to make sure it's creamy. Next, add the granulated sugar and mix. Then, add eggs and mix. Then, add sour cream and mix. Last, add the vanilla extract and mix.
It's also important to not over-mix your batter. Add each ingredient and mix on low speed just until incorporated, then stop and add your next ingredient.
How to prevent mini cheesecakes from sinking
Your mini cheesecakes will sink slightly in the center as they cool. This is normal. It also makes a perfect vessel for toppings like strawberry and caramel sauces!
However, if you'd like to prevent your cheesecakes from sinking as much as possible, here are a few tips.
Extra air can be whipped into the batter when it is overmixed. When baked and cooled, this air is released, causing your cheesecake to sink. To prevent this, mix each ingredient in until just combined, then turn off the mixer.
Room temperature ingredients are easier to mix together, which is another reason to warm up all of your ingredients before beginning. If you start with cold ingredients, your batter will not only be lumpy, but will take more mixing to blend together - which adds more air.
Sometimes, cheesecake will sink when it is taken out of the oven quickly, due to the shock of cold air. When your cheesecakes are done, turn the oven off and crack the door open a few inches. Allow them to set for a few minutes before removing them from the oven. This will allow them to begin cooling without being 'shocked' by cold air.
Cheesecake toppings
Looking for ideas to top your cheesecakes? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Strawberry Topping for Cheesecake
- Fresh fruits dusted in sugar
- Chocolate ganache
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Pineapple Jam
- Homemade Cherry Pie Filling
- Salted Caramel Sauce
- Lemon curd
Easy Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a standard-sized cupcake pan with paper cupcake 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. Divide crust mixture between your 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. 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. Be sure not to over-mix, just mix until each ingredient is incorporated into the batter.
- Distribute batter evenly between cups. Gently tap pan onto counter top a few times 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. Your cheesecakes may sink in the middle slightly when cooling.
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Optionally, top with strawberries, cherries, or whipped cream.
Equipment Recommendations
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.
- Room temperature ingredients are important for making a creamy cheesecake filling. If one, or all, of your ingredients are cold, this will cause your batter to be lumpy.
- If you have a 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.
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!
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!
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!