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    Home ยป Desserts ยป Cheesecake

    Mini Cheesecakes

    June 22, 2022 By Sam 266 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    collage of mini cheesecake, top image close up with strawberry on top, bottom image of wrapper taken off.

    You can make this easy recipe for Mini Cheesecakes in HALF the time a full-sized cheesecake takes! They’re creamy, super smooth, and perfectly portioned–great for parties! Recipe includes a how-to video.

    mini cheesecakes topped with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry

    Full-Sized Flavor in a Bite-Sized Treat

    While most of us love a classic, full-sized cheesecake recipe, making one does have some drawbacks. They take a long time to bake (over an hour), sometimes require require a messy water bath (although mine does not!) and take a long time to cool (at least 6 hours!). You have to worry about cracks AND your springform pan leaking, and while I’d never say that it isn’t worth the effort, sometimes you just want something easier…like these mini cheesecakes.

    Mini cheesecakes are the much simpler, muffin tin version of a regular cheesecake. They’re quick and easy, creamy, sweet and subtly tangy, and just all around delicious–just like the full-sized version! BUT they take less than half the time to make! ๐Ÿ˜ฒ Plus, they’re already portioned out into individual servings, so no one is on slicing duty. Win-win.

    Why You’ll Love Mini Cheesecakes:

    • So quick compared to a regular cheesecake: less than 20 minutes to bake and only a few hours to cool.
    • Can be made on today’s graham cracker crust, or you can change things up and use a half batch of my Oreo crust instead.
    • Can handle a few mini chocolate chips or broken Oreo pieces (for an Oreo cheesecake or chocolate cheesecake flair) in the batter, if you need a chocolate kick.
    • Easily doubles to make 24 mini cheesecakes!

    What You Need

    close-up view of cheesecake batter in a cupcake liners

    Just a few simple ingredients come together to make these nice and easy mini cheesecakes. Here are the important ones:

    • Cream cheese. As with my other cheesecake recipes, I don’t recommend using tub-style or low-fat cream cheese. Stick with the block-style, full-fat kind for best results!
    • Sour cream. To me, you simply can’t make cheesecake without sour cream. It is an essential flavor element that adds a perfect richness. Full-fat Greek yogurt could also work in a pinch.
    • Butter. Unlike most of my other recipes, I recommend using salted butter for today’s cheesecake crust. If you only have unsalted, that will work too; just remember to add โ…› teaspoon of salt!

    SAM’S TIP: While they’re great plain, these cheesecakes also taste wonderful topped with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit, chocolate ganache (with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt for good measure!), hot fudge sauce, blueberry sauce (or just about any fruit sauce), or homemade caramel sauce.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How to Make Mini Cheesecakes

    overhead view of graham cracker crumbs being pressed into a muffin pan
    1. Combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar, then add the melted butter and stir until combined.
    2. Press crust into 12 lined cupcake tins and set aside.
    3. Stir the cream cheese until smooth, then add sugar and stir again.
    4. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and salt and mix until well combined, then add the eggs one at a time.
    5. Divide the batter among your cupcake liners and bake for 17-20 minutes.
    6. Let the cheesecakes cool to room temperature, then remove them from the pan and chill in the fridge for 2-3 hours before serving.

    SAM’S TIP: Do NOT over-bake! Overbaking is the easiest way to ruin any cheesecake; if it spends too much time in the oven, the texture will be dry, mealy and even crumbly–not smooth and creamy! Watch your cheesecakes carefully, make sure your oven temperature is accurate (I keep two inexpensive oven thermometers in my oven at all times), and check your cheesecakes a few minutes before they’re supposed to be done.

    small, individual cheesecake served in a cupcake liner topped with whipped cream and a strawberry

    Frequently Asked Questions

    How do you keep mini cheesecakes from sinking?

    Just like a regular-sized cheesecake, the mini version also needs to cool slowly. Don’t bring them out of the oven and throw them right in the fridge; instead, let them cool in a warm place (preferably on top of your oven) until they reach room temperature, then chill them.

    How do you know when mini cheesecakes are done?

    They’re done when the centers bounce back to the touch and the edges may be a light golden brown. I usually check mine at 17 minutes; remember, do NOT overbake or they could become mealy and dry!

    How long will mini cheesecakes last?

    They’ll keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. If you’d like to freeze them, follow the instructions for cooling and chilling first, and then wrap in plastic and freeze in an airtight container for several months.

    small, individual cheesecake served in a cupcake liner topped with chocolate ganache and sea salt

    I’d love to hear how you top or decorate yours; let me know in the comments below!

    Enjoy!

    Letโ€™s bake together! Iโ€™ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

    mini cheesecakes topped with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry

    Mini Cheesecakes

    Creamy, perfectly flavored Mini Cheesecakes that make a great addition to any party or get-together. This simple recipe yields the BEST tasting mini cheesecakes!
    Be sure to check out the how-to VIDEO just below the recipe!
    5 from 119 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 18 minutes minutes
    Chilling Time: 3 hours hours
    Total Time: 3 hours hours 38 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes
    Calories: 262kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Graham cracker crust:

    • ยพ cup (85 g) graham cracker crumbs
    • 1 ยฝ Tablespoons granulated sugar
    • 4 Tablespoons salted butter melted

    Mini Cheesecakes:

    • 16 oz (455 g) softened cream cheese
    • ยฝ cup (100 g) sugar
    • ยฝ cup (80 g) sour cream
    • ยพ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • โ…› teaspoon salt
    • 2 large eggs lightly beaten, room temperature preferred

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Cupcake pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325F (160C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.
    • In a medium-sized bowl stir together graham cracker crumbs and 1 ยฝ Tablespoons sugar. Add melted butter and stir again until ingredients are moistened and completely combined.
      ยพ cup (85 g) graham cracker crumbs, 1 ยฝ Tablespoons granulated sugar, 4 Tablespoons salted butter
    • Portion about 2-3 teaspoons of the crust mixture into each liner in your prepared muffin tin. Use a spoon or the (clean) bottom of a ยผ cup measuring cup to tamp down crumbs so they are evenly packed into the bottom of each liner. Set aside while you prepare your mini cheesecake filling.

    Cheesecake

    • Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl and use an electric mixer) and stir on low speed until smooth and creamy (donโ€™t whip the cream cheese or excessively beat it, you donโ€™t want to incorporate too much air into the batter).
      16 oz (455 g) softened cream cheese
    • Add sugar and stir again until well-combined.
      ยฝ cup (100 g) sugar
    • Add sour cream, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir until ingredients are well-combined, pausing occasionally to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl so there are no lumps.
      ยฝ cup (80 g) sour cream, ยพ teaspoon vanilla extract, โ…› teaspoon salt
    • Gradually add eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated. Keep the mixer on low-speed and do not over-beat. Once again scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and stir on low-speed once more to ensure ingredients are completely combined.
      2 large eggs
    • Evenly divide batter into muffin tin liners (I like to use an ice cream scoop with a lever release to do this, just makes it easy!).
    • Transfer to 325F (160C) oven and bake for 17-20 minutes or until edges are just beginning to turn a very light golden brown and centers are set. Do not over-bake or the texture will be dry and mealy.
    • Allow cheesecakes to cool completely to room temperature and then gently remove each mini cheesecake from muffin tin. Transfer to refrigerator and chill completely (about 2-3 hours) before serving.
    • If desired, top with whipped cream, strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, or chocolate ganache!

    Notes

    Doubling

    This recipe can be doubled without issue or alteration.ย 

    Storing

    Mini cheesecakes can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. These mini cheesecakes also freeze well and can be kept frozen (in an airtight container) for several months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1mini cheesecake (does not include any additional toppings) | Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 79mg | Sodium: 226mg | Potassium: 79mg | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 6000IU | Calcium: 380mg | Iron: 0.4mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lisa

      January 30, 2024 at 6:52 pm

      would doing this recipe in a jumbo muffin pan 6 cheesecakes work?

      Reply
      • Sam

        January 31, 2024 at 1:00 pm

        Hi Lisa! I’m not sure how many jumbo muffin tins it will fill, but it could certainly work. Your bake time will be longer. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Lisa Boyea

          January 31, 2024 at 1:51 pm

          Thank you very much!

    2. Teri

      December 18, 2023 at 5:18 am

      If I wanted to make these peppermint for the holidays how much peppermint extract would you recommend?

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 19, 2023 at 2:20 pm

        Hi Teri! I would recommend 1/4-1/2 teaspoon. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Teri

          December 26, 2023 at 2:20 am

          5 stars
          Thanks Sam!
          I used 1/2 tsp and it was perfect.

    3. Tressa

      December 05, 2023 at 7:00 pm

      5 stars
      This is the 3rd recipe I’ve tried for mini cheesecakes, and it’s far and away the winner. Perfect flavor and texture.

      Now, let’s see what happens when I merge this with your keylime cheesecake recipe. If I add 2/3 of the lime curd to these and cut the sour cream in the cheesecake base . . .?

      Let’s see.
      Thanks – great stuff here!

      Reply
      • Sam

        December 11, 2023 at 9:30 pm

        I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much! I’m not sure what mixing with the keylime cheesecake would do, but let me know how it goes if you do try it. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Tressa

          December 12, 2023 at 11:05 am

          Your lime curd worked beautifully with mini’s. I used almost all of it, half the sour cream called for. In hindsite, I might add a bit of finely minced lime zest — but they are delish! You really know your cheesecake! Thanks a million!

        • Sam

          December 12, 2023 at 11:06 am

          I’m so glad they turned out! ๐Ÿ™‚

    4. Angela

      November 13, 2023 at 6:02 pm

      This recipe is for muffin tins right? I just want to make sure to use the correct size.

      Reply
      • Sam

        November 14, 2023 at 2:01 pm

        Correct. Enjoy! ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
    5. Tonia

      October 10, 2023 at 12:05 pm

      Can you make these without the crust?

      Reply
      • Sam

        October 11, 2023 at 12:30 pm

        Hi Tonia! You’ll definitely want to put them in a cupcake liner, but that should work. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Ross

          December 08, 2023 at 8:38 am

          4 stars
          I did this with mini cupcakes, I would double the crust recipe so as not to run out at muffin cup #20 of 24, lol

    6. Jennifer

      August 13, 2023 at 6:56 pm

      Hi Sam,

      I would like to make these in small glass jars (same size as what you have made). Besides watching bake times, do you have any suggestions?

      Reply
      • Sam

        August 14, 2023 at 12:38 pm

        Hi Jennifer! I would just watch them to make sure they don’t overcook. ๐Ÿ™‚

        Reply
        • Karen

          August 18, 2023 at 11:41 am

          Would I need ro make any adjustments for 1 inch mini cheesecakes?

        • Sam

          August 18, 2023 at 1:08 pm

          Only on the bake time. ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Denise

        March 10, 2024 at 2:12 pm

        I am a new baker and got tired of just making cookies so I came across this recipe and decided to make it,I didnโ€™t have gram crackers but I had a gram cracker pie shell so I broke it up and put it in the bottom of each muffin liner and this recipe is AMAZING!

        Reply
    7. Jenny

      July 03, 2023 at 4:41 pm

      5 stars
      I make this all the time and everyone loves them. Super easy and adaptable.

      Reply
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