Want to make an easy, but impressive dessert that everyone will love? I’ve got just the thing: Easy Mini Cheesecakes! These delicious cheesecakes are lightly sweet, tangy, and velvety smooth with a crunchy graham cracker crust. The texture is light and creamy! It’s the best cheesecake you’ll ever eat and in handy single portion sizes. While the flavor will knock your socks off, it’s the unique mini cheesecake pan that really makes this special-occasion worthy. Just last week I made 8 dozen for my daughter-in-law’s baby shower. This week I’ll make 4 dozen for a family gathering. Each pan holds one dozen and the recipe below makes 2 dozen. Click the link for the Chicago Metallic 12 Cup Mini Cheesecake Pan available on Amazon. (As an Amazon associate, I make a small commission on purchases from my links at no cost to you.)
I love this pan! It has removable disks in the bottom of each cup which make the cheesecakes easy to get out of the pan. Just push straight up through the hole in the bottom of each one. I don’t even bother with having to loosen them first. The pans are great for fancy brownie creations, too! Any dessert where you would use a springform pan would work with these mini pans. I plan to experiment and create more recipes to share soon.
Even without the mini cheesecake pan, you can make these incredible confections by using a cupcake/muffin tin and cupcake liners. They will taste just as incredible, but will have a different look and flatter shape. If you choose to use the cupcake/muffin pan, use the regular size and not the mini for better results. My favorite cupcake/muffin pan is the Wilton Nonstick 12-Cup Muffin Pan. These versatile pans are great for everything from cupcakes and muffins (of course) to portable breakfast quiches and peanut butter cups. I’ll post some of my favorites soon!
Prepping the Ingredients
When you get ready to make these mini cheesecakes, you’ll need to start with room temperature ingredients. Sometimes I forget to set out my cream cheese to soften, or maybe I am just anxious to get started. In those instances, I prepare a large bowl with warm, but not too hot, water. I drop the unopened foil blocks of cream cheese into the warm water for about 5 minutes. I toss the two eggs in there, too. That usually does the trick!
For the graham cracker crust, I suggest using a food processor for prep. But you can also toss the graham crackers in a gallon ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin. You can also buy prepared graham cracker crumbs. Do whatever works best for you. I just prefer making my own crumbs.
I also prefer a stand mixer for making the filling, but a hand mixer will work, too. I think it’s easier to get the cream cheese smooth with the paddle attachment of a solid stand mixer. If you need a great standmixer, the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer is my choice for quality and ease of use. It is not cheap, but should be considered an investment for your kitchen.
When you make these mini cheesecakes, send me a photo or tag me on Facebook or Instagram and shwo me your success! Enjoy!
Easy to Make Mini Cheesecakes
Equipment
- Food Processor optional for crust
- 2 Mini Cheesecake Pans recommended
- Stand mixer (or hand mixer)
Ingredients
Crust
- 12 graham cracker sheets (1.5 cups crumbs)
- 4 tablespoons sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake Filling
- 24 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature (3 pkgs, 8 ounces each)
- ⅔ cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature
Instructions
Crust
- Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Spray mini cheesecake pan with non-stick spray or brush with olive oil or oil of your choice. If using a cupcake/muffin pan, insert cupcake liners instead.
- Crush graham crackers in food processor until fine crumbs form.
- Add sugar and melted butter and pulse until completely blended.
- Use about 1 tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs per cup. Press crumbs down firmly and evenly. I use the bottom of a shot glass or small spoon for this.
- Bake 8-10 minutes until set. Let cool completely while you make the filling. Keep oven set at 325 degrees.
Cheesecake filling
- Add cream cheese to bowl of a stand mixer. Use paddle attachment to beat cream cheese on low just until smooth. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl to get all the cream cheese incorporated.
- Add sour cream and beat to blend thoroughly about 1 minute. Scrape side and bottom again and after each additional ingredient.
- Add sugar and beat until smooth, about another minute.
- Add one egg and vanilla. Beat on low until well mixed, about 20 seconds.
- Repeat with remaining egg.
- Fill mini cheesecake pans by dividing filling equally among the cups.
- Bake 18-20 minutes or until almost set. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
- Mini cheesecakes keep 4-5 days in the refrigerator and 1 month in the freezer. If frozen, let thaw in refigerator before serving. Enjoy!
Do you think melted chocolate could be added to make chocolate cheesecakes?
Yes, Pam! You can add melted and cooled semisweet, dark, or milk chocolate to the batter for chocolate cheesecake. Start with 1 cup for light chocolate flavor and adjust from there to increase the desired chocolate flavor. Let me know how you like it!