Quick Mini Cheesecake recipe with a homemade graham cracker crust, easy cheesecake filling, and a tart fruit topping! I share topping variations for these mini cheesecakes including a mini Oreo cheesecake option! This dessert literally takes under 30 minutes to make, perfect for parties, holidays, or crowds!
We love sweet cheese desserts like these cottage cheese crepes, Raspberry swirl cheesecake, and this Easy Cheesecake Recipe! A little soft cheese, eggs, and sugar can make fabulous desserts, quickly!
What are Mini Cheesecakes?
Mini cheesecake is a rich dessert made with creamy, soft cream cheese over a graham cracker cookie crust. I love classic cheesecake with cherry pie filling best, but any fruit sauce or pie filling will work! It’s basically the miniature version of this cheesecake recipe only baked in a standard muffin pan. All the same flavors, only bite-sized, and way easier to feed a crowd! This means no more mess and the cake is served in individual servings making it perfect for a grab-and-go dessert!
There are 2-ways to make these mini cheesecakes with a buttery graham cracker crust or whole chocolate Oreo cookies. The graham cracker cheesecakes are super simple, however, when I make these with Oreo cookies I like to add sour cream and vanilla extract to the cheesecake batter, to balance out the really sweet chocolate crust. I’m not sure which is easier, the chocolate crust with a whole cookie or the 3-ingredient filling with a quick graham cracker crust? I get lots of raves on the mini oreo cheesecakes too, so it would only be appropriate to include the easy variation.
Ingredients for Mini Cheesecakes:
These mini cheesecake bites have the most simple ingredients! The filling is literally 3 ingredients and the crust 2 ingredients! Add canned fruit topping and that’s it, here is everything you need to get started!
- Cheesecake Crust- is just 1 sleeve of graham crackers mixed with melted butter, that’s it! Simple as can be! You can feel free to sweeten it with 1/3 cup of granulated sugar but, I think cookies are plenty sweet already.
- Filling- get ready for this, all you need is cream cheese, eggs, and sweetened condensed milk! It’s so good this way and the sweetened condensed milk is very sweet so that acts like sugar and milk in one! You can add vanilla extract for a sweeter cake, but this is perfect as is!
- Topping- a sweet cheesecake is perfect with a tart fruit topping like cherry pie filling or fruit sauce. My favorite is cherry pie filling from a can.
How To Make Mini Cheesecakes:
You do not need to be a baker to make this recipe! A dozen mini cheesecakes are super easy to make using a regular-sized muffin pan. This is the mini cheesecake pan I highly recommend if you want to bake without liners, USA pans are really non-stick pans perfect for removing delicate cheesecakes. With minimal prep and one pan, you’ll have a dozen desserts in 20 minutes! Here is how to make this easy mini cheesecake recipe!
- Prep the crust by crushing the graham cracker cookies. Mix in the melted butter and fill each muffin tin with 2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture. Pack down using a small ladle or glass cup to compact the crust and bring the sides up. Set the mini crusts aside.
- Meanwhile, beat softened cream cheese for 30 seconds or until creamy.
- Beat in eggs for 45 seconds, scraping the sides down and beating any lumps.
- Add the condensed milk and beat for another 20 seconds. (It’s very important to not overbeat the mixture as it can curd in the oven, beat only until smooth.)
- Scoop 1/3 cup (heaping) of the cheesecake batter into each muffin cup or pour the mixture up to the rim of the tin (you want to use up all that batter and have a full piece. Gently pound down the pan and remove any air bubbles by pricking them with a toothpick.
- Bake the mini cheesecakes in the oven at 325°F (162°C) for 15-18 minutes. Mini cheesecakes are done when they puff up and are slightly jiggly in the center.
- Cool completely before decorating. Remove cheesecakes from the muffin pan and top with your favorite fruit topping or canned pie filling. Add extra fresh fruit for a fancy dessert.
- Chill and refrigerate for at least 4-12 hours before serving.
Baker’s Tip: to make soft cream cheese, microwave two blocks of cream cheese on a plate (removed from wrappers) for 45 seconds over HIGH. This will bring them to room temp quickly!
How Long To Bake Mini Cheesecakes?
How to tell if the mini cheesecake is done? To cook mini cheesecakes, you will need to preheat the oven to a medium-low temperature of 325°F (162°C.) Baking cheesecakes at a high temperature can crack open the tops and make them brown. Once the oven is preheated the mini cheesecakes can go into the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. The cheesecakes are done baking when the tops puff up and the centers are slightly jiggly. If you have cracks, it’s likely the oven temperature is too high or they are being overbaked. They should take no longer than 20 minutes to bake as they are miniature desserts.
Pro Tips For Removing Mini Cheesecakes from a Muffin Pan:
So, if you want to show off all those pretty layers of your cheesecakes and want to bake them without cupcake liners, here’s a hack to pop them out without ruining them! After the cheesecakes cool, pop them in the freezer for 1 hour. After one hour remove the muffin pan from the freezer and run a sharp knife around the sides of the cheesecakes to release them from the pan. Now you can top the cheesecakes with toppings and serve them on a serving platter!
Cheesecake Variations:
So you have been in the search of mini Cheesecakes recipes? Well, you can use this base to create different variations of this cheesecake recipe! There are so many toppings you can use to top your cheesecakes too, like spreading jam on top, making a strawberry topping, and using different flavored pie fillings. Here are 4 creative ways plus more to make these desserts from ordinary to extraordinary!
- Mini Pumpkin Cheesecake: omit 8 oz of cream cheese and replace it with 1 cup of pumpkin puree. Add 1 tsp of pumpkin spice and vanilla extract to the batter towards the end.
- Mini Oreo Cheesecakes- line a muffin pan with liners and place one full oreo cookie to the bottom of each cupcake liner. Add 1/2 cup sour cream and 1/2 T of vanilla extract after mixing in the condensed milk and beat until smooth. Pour batter into the rim of the liners and bake as directed. Top with Whipped cream and crushed Oreos.
- Chocolate Cheesecake bites- add 3/4 cup of melted chocolate to the batter.
- Keylime Cheesecake Bites- add 1/4 cup of sour cream, 3 Tablespoons of lime juice, 1 teaspoon of lime zest, and vanilla to the batter. Can add a couple of drops of green food coloring.
- Apple Crisp Mini Cheesecakes- top with a can of apple pie filling and your favorite cobbler crumb topping!
- Turtle Cheesecakes- top the cheesecakes with caramel sauce, pecans, and chocolate ganache.
How To Serve Mini Cheesecakes:
Mini-baked cheesecakes make a simple and delicious dessert! This recipe for mini cheesecakes is best served along with hot tea or coffee. You can definitely add a fruit platter or serve this alongside a fruit salad. These are rich desserts so one can be very filling. They would go great served on these small appetizer plates that you can set at the end of your buffet table if hosting. Here are some ideas for serving mini cheesecakes, not just with pie filling;
- With hot tea or coffee
- A thick Fruit sauce or fruit salad
- Whipped cream and crushed oreo cookies or chopped fruits
- A sour cream topping of 1 cup of Daisy sour cream, 3 tablespoons of granulated sugar, and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Whip and spread over tops.
- Dolloped Cool Whip with a pie filling of choice
- Pie filling and additional fresh fruit (pie fillings are usually thickened with a glaze, I like to add additional fresh fruit to make it look fuller and vibrant.)
More Cheese Desserts:
Whether you like this mini cheesecake recipe or want to explore more desserts using cheese, here are ideas.
FAQ:
How Long Do Mini Cheesecakes Last in the Fridge?
Leftover Mini cheesecakes are good in the fridge for up to 4 days, so keep out as many as you’ll think you’ll eat and freeze the rest. Keep the cheesecakes in an airtight container or wrapped gently with plastic wrap to not smudge the fruit topping. A neat tip, to keep the topping from smudging is to insert toothpicks into some of the cheesecakes and place the plastic wrap over the toothpicks.
Can You Freeze Mini Cheesecakes?
Yes! Mini cheesecakes can be frozen for up to 3 months in a freezer.
To freeze mini cheesecakes, try to leave them un-topped so the fruit topping doesn’t get ruined after the freezer. They freeze best arranged in a single layer inside a gallon freezer bag and placed on a flat surface in the freezer, if you don’t have that space simply flash-freeze them on a tray and transfer them into a freezer bag. There best kept frozen for up to 3 months.
Tips for Making Mini Cheesecakes:
- Freeze mini cheesecakes in the muffin pan before removing them so they pop out without getting damaged.
- Leave the muffin pan unlined to see the pretty cheesecake layers.
- After topping mini cheesecakes with cherry pie filling insert a few different fresh fruits over the pie filling for a pop of color and flavor. Blackberries and raspberries look stunning!
- Skip the graham cracker crust and simply use a whole Oreo cookie as the crust!
- Add vanilla extract for a sweeter cheesecake.
- Don’t overbeat mini cheesecake batter, I always try to beat the ingredients together until it’s just blended or mixed well. Over-beaten cheesecakes look curdled after baking.
- Always chill cheesecakes after baking, they are best served cold and firm.
- Use a non-stick muffin pan if you are not using cupcake liners for the mini cheesecakes.
- To keep mini cheesecakes from sinking, bake until the tops look puffed up. If little cracks start appearing they are done. Mini cheesecakes can tend to collapse if the batter is too runny or not strengthened properly.
- Bake at a low oven temperature to avoid rapid rise and cracks.
- To soften cream cheese fast, simply microwave 2 pounds (unwrapped) for 45 seconds on HIGH.
How To Make Mini Cheesecakes:
Mini Cheesecake Recipe
Equipment
- 1 USA muffin pan (a non-stick standard muffin pan)
- 1 set of measuring cups and spoons
- 1 small ladle or cup (for packing the graham cracker crumbs in the pan)
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 3/4 cup graham crackers crumbs (1 sleeve, crushed)
- 5 1/2 Tbsp butter (melted)
Filling:
- 2 eggs
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk (1 can)
Topping:
- 21 oz cherry pie filling
- fresh fruit for garnish (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F. Meanwhile, make the crust and mix the crumbs with melted butter.- Pack 2 tablespoons of the crumbs into each muffin tin. I like to use a small ladle to press the crumbs against the tin or use a tiny glass. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese for 30 seconds or until smooth. Then beat in the eggs and mix for 45 seconds, scraping down the sides and beating until there are no more lumps.
- Add the condensed milk and beat for 20 seconds until smooth and creamy (do not overbeat.)
- Scoop 1/3 cup of batter into each prepared muffin tin and gently pound to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until tops puff up and the centers are slightly jiggly.
- Cool completely. Dollop with a heaping tablespoon of cherry pie filling and garnish with fresh fruit if desired. Chill before serving (about 4-12 hours before serving.)
