Easy Mini Cheesecakes Recipe (2024)

These Mini Cheesecakes with a graham cracker crust have a smooth and creamy texture. This easy mini cheesecakes recipe doesn’t require a water bath, and the individual cheesecakes have a few different options for toppings and crusts!

Best Mini Cheesecake Recipe

Cheesecake is one of my absolute favorite desserts. A classic cheesecake is incredibly rich in flavor with a smooth and creamy texture. The flavor is sweet with a hint of that perfect cream cheese tanginess.

This easy mini cheesecake recipe is based off of my favorite homemade cheesecake (which is the recipe my mom made all the time when I was growing up). It’s such a simple cheesecake recipe, and it makes the most perfect mini cheesecakes.

As stunning as a large baked cheesecake looks, it can be a lot of work and patience as you wait for it to cool completely. With this recipe for mini cheesecakes, the baking time and cooling time are significantly less, which means you have dessert in half the time.

Delicious mini cheesecakes and a dessert that is easy to whip up? I call that winning at life.

Three Reasons Why You’ll Love These Creamy Mini Cheesecakes:

• Quick and Easy: Not only does the recipe come together in no time, it bakes in about 20 minutes. Because of their small size, they cool a lot quicker too.
• Flavor: This is a classic mini cheesecake recipe, and it’s by far my favorite recipe. It has simple ingredients that focus on the cream cheese flavor. It’s a cheesecake without sour cream, and I’m telling you now, you won’t even miss the sour cream.Plus, the homemade graham cracker crust is just about the best thing ever.
• Versatile: This is a basic cheesecake recipe in mini form, and you can top it with fruit, jam, curd, chocolate, etc.
• Texture: This has such a creamy cheesecake filling. It’s incredibly rich and smooth, and the vanilla cheesecake pairs perfectly with the buttery graham cracker crust.

Other Cheesecake Recipes To Make Next:

• Turtle Mini Cheesecake Cups
• Classic Cheesecake Recipe
• Caramel Apple Cheesecake
• Pecan Caramel Cheesecake
• Espresso Cheesecake
• No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

Ingredients for these Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipe:

As mentioned above, these mini cheesecakes are made with simple ingredients. The simplicity of the recipe keeps the flavor focus on the cream cheese. Plus, it has the best texture. Thick and creamy.

• Cream Cheese: The star of the dish is cream cheese, and I highly suggest using Philadelphia cream cheese if you can. The flavor is typically superior to store bought brands.
• Sugar: Granulated sugar adds sweetness without overpowering the tangy cream cheese flavor.
• Eggs
• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla gives an added depth of flavor.
• Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Unsalted Butter

How To Make Mini Cheesecakes:

Making mini cheesecakes from scratch is incredibly simple. I give an overview on how to make a mini cheesecake here, but the recipe card down below is more detailed.

Graham Cracker Crust: Use a food processor to make graham cracker crumbs. They can be fine crumbs or a little thicker for a more textured crust. Next, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, vanilla extract, and sugar together. Press about 1 Tbsp of the mixture into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.

Cheesecake Batter: With an electric hand mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy on a medium low speed. Add in the granulated sugar, and beat the mixture with your electric mixture until well combined. Add in the eggs, and beat well after each addition. Lastly, add in the vanilla extract to the cream cheese mixture.

Assembly: Using a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop, spoon cheesecake filling into each muffin cup, filling about 2/3 – 3/4 of the way full.

Bake: Bake mini cheesecakes for about 16-20 minutes, or until the edges have set and the centers of the cheesecakes jiggle slightly when the pan is shaken gently.

Cool: To avoid cheesecake cracks, allow the cheesecakes to cool for about 30 minutes in the oven with the door cracked open. Then, allow the cheesecakes to cool completely to room temperature before chilling the fridge.

Serve: Serve them plain, topped with fresh berries, whipped cream, ganache, or with pie filling

How Long To Bake Mini Cheesecakes:

Baked Mini Cheesecakes cook quicker than a regular sized cheesecake recipe. Depending upon your oven, it can take roughly anywhere between 16-20 minutes. The cheesecakes should be set on the sides with the centers jiggling just slightly when the pan is gently moved.

Storage Tips:

How Long Will Mini Cheesecakes Last?

• Chilled cheesecake can last for about a week in an airtight container. You can also freeze cheesecake by individually wrapping them with plastic wrap and storing in an airtight container.

How Do You Keep Them From Sinking?

Cheesecakes often sink a bit as they cool, which is normal. However, cheesecakes sink and crack often when they are exposed to drastic temperature changes, which is why it’s important to cool them properly.

• Once they have finished baking, turn the oven off and crack the door open. Let them cool in the open oven for about 30 minutes. Next, let them cool on the counter until they reach room temperature. Finally, chill them in the fridge until ready to serve.

How Do I Make This A Gluten Free Mini Cheesecake Recipe?

The cheesecake filling is already gluten free so to make these mini cheesecakes gluten free, all you need is to substitute gluten free graham crackers for regular ones.

Do I Need To Use A Mini Cheesecake Pan?

I prefer to use a muffin pan lined with paper liners (paper muffin cups) when making cheesecakes mini, but if you have a mini cheesecake pan, you can use that instead. It’s a bit smaller than a muffin tin so your cheesecakes will cook a bit faster.

Favorite Toppings For Cheesecake:

• Whipped Cream: I love using stabilized whipped cream, caramel whipped cream, or simply a classic homemade whipped cream recipe.
• Fresh Berries: Strawberries and raspberries are my favorite.
• Jam: Warm a bit of jam on the stove with a little water or juice to thin it out, then spoon it on top of the cheesecake and chill until ready to serve.
• Ganache: Chocolate ganache adds an extra decadence to cream cheesecake!
• Curd: Lemon curd spooned on top is so delicious!
• Caramel Sauce: Use a jarred sauce, or try this Pecan Praline Sauce.

Pro Tips For Making The Best Mini Cheesecakes:

• Room Temperature Ingredients: Room temperature ingredients are super important otherwise you will have a lumpy cheesecake. A few small lumps in the cheesecake batter is not a big deal; however, any large lumps (which come when the cream cheese is too cold) will not dissolve when baking. You will have an oddly textured cheesecake.
• Don’t Over Bake: Even though this is a simple mini cheesecake recipe, you do have to keep an eye on them as they bake. Don’t over bake cheesecake otherwise will be dry and mealy.
• Don’t Open The Oven: Try to open the oven as little as possible as they bake. The change in temperature can cause them to crack or sink.
• Carry Over Method: Finally, take the time to let the cheesecakes cool in the oven for 30 minutes with the door cracked open. This will help the cheesecakes cool properly, which will keep cracks to a minimum.

Quick and Easy Baking Tips:

• Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese. Full fat cream cheese makes the best, richest cheesecake. Also, use the brick style cream cheese. Whipped cream cheese or cream cheese in a tub does not yield the same results.
• Cool Down: Make sure to cool the mini cheesecakes slowly by letting them cool in the oven with the door cracked open. It will keep your mini cheesecakes from cracking and from sinking excessively (a little bit of sinking is normal).
• Versatile: Make these mini strawberry cheesecakes or mini raspberry cheesecakes by topping with fresh fruit. Or, you can top with curd, jam, pie filling, and chocolate.
• Crust: Not into a traditional graham cracker crust? Make these mini cheesecakes with vanilla wafers or oreos. An oreo crust or nilla wafer crust will work perfectly with classic cheesecake flavor.

Here are some other strawberry recipes to try next:

Blueberry Lemon Cream Pie

Blueberry Lemon Bread Pudding

Baked Strawberry Pie