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These Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes are to-die-for. The creamy cheesecake filling is bursting with vanilla flavor and has a buttery graham cracker crust. These are baked in a muffin pan for the perfect single-serving cheesecake.
My Favorite Easy Cheesecake Recipe
I’ve always said cheesecakes are one of my favorite desserts. Even though I love a good no-bake cheesecake, there’s no comparing it to a dense and creamy bite of a baked cheesecake.
If I indulge myself with a slice, there’s always leftovers for days. Since I am the only one in my house that eats cheesecakes, it doesn’t make sense for me to make a whole one for myself.
That’s why these Mini Cheesecakes are the perfect bite-sized treat whether I want to eat one or three. Made with a graham cracker crust and a smooth and creamy cheesecake filling. It’s all the flavor you’re looking for in a cheesecake, but bite-sized.
Why You’ll Love Them
Making cheesecakes in a muffin pan is of the easiest ways to indulge your cravings. There’s no springform pan or water bath and the baking time is quick. The hardest part is waiting for them to cool.
This recipe will make 14-16 mini cheesecakes, which is great for a small party. This is a recipe you can make ahead of time and they freeze well so you can enjoy them whenever the craving hits! You can also halve this recipe to make only 8 cheesecakes for a smaller serving.
It’s also very easy to customize the flavors of this recipe and you can pick just about any topping to serve with them! Try these with your favorite fruit, lemon curd or chocolate sauce.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the Crust:
- Graham Craker Crumbs– Or try with Nilla Wafers, Oreos, Shortbread cookies
- Unsalted Butter– melted
For the Filling:
The key to making a good cheesecake is to use room temperature ingredients to ensure a smooth, lump-free cheesecake batter. This includes the cream cheese, eggs, and sour cream.
- Cream cheese- It’s best to use a full-fat cream cheese
- Granulated Sugar
- Eggs–
- Vanilla Bean Paste: is the key flavor additive, so this recipe uses a full tablespoon. Use a high-quality vanilla bean extract such as Rodelle. You can also use vanilla extract.
- Sour cream adds a little bit of tang, and creaminess to the cheesecake. You can substitute Greek yogurt if needed.
How to Make Cheesecakes in a Muffin Pan
Prepare the pan: Line a cupcake pan with cupcake baking liners so you can easily remove them from the pan.
Prepare the crust: Grind the graham cracker into a fine crumb then combine the graham crackers with the melted butter and stir until well combined.
Fill the muffin pan: Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the graham cracker mixer into each cupcake liner, and press into the pan with a spoon or tart shaper.
Make the filling: Beat the cream cheese and sugar until well incorporated and free of lumps. Add the eggs and vanilla bean paste mixing until well combined. Finally mix in the sour cream until completely smooth.
Fill the pan: Use a large cookie scoop (or ¼ cup measuring cup) to spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. A heaping cookie scoop should fill the liners nearly full, leaving about ¼-inch at the top.
Bake: These would bake in an oven that’s preheated to at 350°F. The suggested baking time is 15-18 minutes. The centers of the cheesecake should be slightly jiggly, don’t worry, they will finish baking off as they cool.
Cool completely: Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours prior to serving.
Flavor Variations
The great thing about this recipe is that you can easily adjust the base recipe.
- Swap out the graham cracker crumbs or Oreo crumbs or Biscoff cookies
- For a fruit option, trying adding lemon, lime or orange zest to
- Swirl in some raspberry or strawberry jam
- Are you baking for thanksgiving? With a little bit of brown sugar and some pumpkin, you can easily turn these into pumpkin cheesecake.
- For a holiday option, add some peppermint extract and candy to make Peppermint Bark Cheesecake
Toppings for Mini Cheesecakes
All toppings are best added prior to serving.
- I served theses with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit, but these would be so good with a strawberry whipped cream too.
- For a tangy twist, add a spoonful of Lemon curd on top
- Caramel or hot fudge sauce will make for a sweet topping
- For a crunchy topping, try adding crushed nuts or cookies
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
These can be prepared up to 2 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Make sure they are completely cooled prior to placing in the container. Once chilled, transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Just add the toppings prior to serving.
How to Make These as Cheesecake Bars
This recipe can easily be made into cheesecake bars in an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan. Be sure to line the pan with parchment paper. Baking times may vary between 15-25 minutes. The middle should be slightly jiggly and will finish baking as it cools.
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Easy Mini Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Chill Time: 120 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes
- Yield: 16
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
These Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes are to-die-for. The creamy cheesecake filling is bursting with vanilla flavor and has a buttery graham cracker crust. This quick and easy dessert is perfect for parties, can be made ahead of time and served with your favorite toppings.
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups (112g) graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/3 cup (63g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) Rodelle Vanilla Paste or Vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60g) sour cream, at room temperature
For the Toppings (optional):
- 1 cup (236ml) heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar
- Fresh Fruit of choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with baking liners.
- Grind the graham cracker into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender.
- In a medium-sized bowl, combine the graham crackers with the melted butter and stir until well combined.
- Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into each cupcake liner, and press into the pan with a spoon. Set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined and free of any lumps, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Next beat in the eggs and vanilla paste until well combined. Finally, beat the sour cream until the mixture is completely smooth.
- Use a large cookie scoop (or ¼ cup measuring cup) to spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. A heaping cooking scoop should fill the liners nearly full, leaving about ¼-inch at the top.
- Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes. The centers of the cheesecake should be slightly jiggly. Remove from the oven and cool completely in the pan. Then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours prior to serving. Keep stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Add toppings prior to serving.
- For the topping: Prepare the whipped cream. Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon onto chilled cheesecakes and top with fresh fruit.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients: The ingredients are best mixed at room temperature to ensure a smooth, lump-free cheesecake batter. If you forget this step, you can quickly soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Unwrap and microwave for 20 seconds. Spend additional time beating the filling with each addition on the ingredients to ensure the batter is as smooth as possible.
- Sour cream substitute: If needed, substitute the sour cream with greek yogurt.
- Make ahead instructions: These can be prepared up to 2 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Make sure they are completely cooled prior to placing in the container. Add toppings prior to serving.
- Freezing instructions: Once chilled, transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Add toppings prior to serving.
- Toppings: All toppings are best added prior to serving. Try topping these with lemon zest or lemon curd, caramel or hot fudge sauce, crushed nuts or cookies or fruit preserves.
- Crust Options: You can use any type of cracker or cookie crust for these. If you’re using a cookie with a filling such as Oreos, reduce the butter by 1 tablespoon.
- Halve the recipe: This recipe can easily be halved to make 8 mini cheesecakes
- Cheesecake bars: Make this recipe in an 8-inch or 9-inch square pan for cheesecake bars. Line the pan with parchment paper and bake 15-25 minutes (depending on the pan size). The middle should be slightly jiggly when you pull it out of the oven.
- Category: Cheesecake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
