Do you know you may bake cheesecake in a muffin pan? This recipe for creamy mini cheesecakes is so easy and ideal for a small crowd. Be sure to use an ordinary 12-count muffin pan. For extra-mini cheesecakes baked in a mini muffin pan, see recipe Notes.
I initially printed this recipe in 2018 and have since added new images, a video, tweaks to the recipe to yield a full dozen, and extra success ideas.
Cheesecake is one in every of my favourite desserts and I’ve two recipes that steal my coronary heart every time: traditional cheesecake and no-bake cheesecake. Each recipes serve A LOT of individuals. In case you love cheesecake, however don’t want a whole cheesecake in the home, attempt mini cheesecakes as an alternative.
This recipe for individually sized cheesecakes is so easy and the proper dessert to make for a smaller crowd. The traditional cheesecake taste is a superb base for any of your favourite toppings, like whipped cream and berries, salted caramel, chocolate ganache, or raspberry sauce. Have enjoyable with it!
I’ve a couple of mini cheesecake recipes:
They’re easy, they’re scrumptious, and at just a few bites every, they’re excellent for portion management. As we speak’s recipe is my go-to, signature model of the traditional taste. Since first sharing it in 2018, I’ve barely scaled it as much as yield 1 full dozen thick and creamy cheesecakes.
Why You’ll Love These Mini Cheesecakes
- Faster and simpler to make than a full cheesecake
- Identical creamy, velvety-smooth filling and buttery graham cracker crust you like in a traditional cheesecake
- Particular person grab-and-go parts are nice for events—no fork and plate required!
- Great make-ahead dessert possibility
- Good base for thus many various topping choices—see beneath for some ideas
Components You Want & Why
With so few substances making up the filling, you may make certain that each is there to serve a selected goal:
- Bricks of Cream Cheese: Whichever model you employ, be sure you’re utilizing bricks of full-fat cream cheese—not the cream cheese in a bathtub you’d use for spreading on bagels. Identical rule applies when making cream cheese frosting and strawberry cream cheese pie.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll love that this cheesecake isn’t overly candy. Vanilla sugar can be nice right here, when you’ve got some!
- Bitter Cream: You want 1/4 cup of bitter cream to assist bind the substances collectively and {smooth} out the filling so it tastes creamy. It might be a small quantity, however belief me once I say that is a vital ingredient.
- Vanilla Extract: Be at liberty to make use of do-it-yourself vanilla extract and even vanilla bean paste right here.
- Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon juice provides freshness and depth of taste.
- Eggs: A foremost ingredient in any baked cheesecake! Add them proper on the finish, and remember to not over-mix the batter as soon as the eggs are included.
The way to Make Cheesecake in a Muffin Pan
All we’re doing right here is cutting down each the graham cracker crust and cheesecake batter from my traditional cheesecake. Like the large model, pre-bake the crust, and ensure your cheesecake batter substances are at room temperature.
Combine up the graham cracker crust substances together with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. You want 8 full-sheet graham crackers for this. Firmly press a heaping Tablespoon of the crust combination into every cupcake liner. Bake the crusts for six minutes, to present them slightly head begin.
Subsequent, make the cheesecake filling utilizing an electrical mixer. It’s necessary to beat the cream cheese and sugar collectively till there are zero lumps; cease and scrape down the perimeters of the bowl a couple of occasions as wanted.
Like with most cheesecake recipes, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating simply till mixed earlier than including the subsequent. Don’t over-mix.
Anticipate a creamy, thick batter:
Bake the cheesecakes in a lined customary 12-count muffin pan. And if you happen to’re searching for a model that units within the fridge as an alternative of the oven, you’ll respect these mini no-bake cheesecakes as an alternative.
Wish to add some taste? Use my white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars recipe and see these recipe Notes for the best way to flip them into mini cheesecakes. Yum!
Right here’s an Simple Cheesecake “Water Bathtub” Technique (& It’s Optionally available)
In case you’ve by no means made cheesecake earlier than, you is likely to be questioning what a water tub is and why you want one. I even have a whole submit and video tutorial devoted to The way to Make a Cheesecake Water Bathtub, if you happen to’re all for studying extra.
Baking these mini cheesecakes with a water tub is non-obligatory, however I like to recommend it as a result of it retains the cheesecakes from sinking as they cool. Cheesecakes prefer to bake in a moist surroundings, and you may create that by pouring boiling water into a big roasting pan set on the oven rack beneath the muffin pan of mini cheesecakes. Shut the oven door rapidly to entice the steam inside. This can be a less complicated model of a standard water tub, and it really works nice for these minis!
Bake the mini cheesecakes till the perimeters are set and the facilities barely jiggle if you faucet the pan, about 20 minutes.
Set the pan on a cooling rack and permit the mini cheesecakes to chill at room temperature for 45 minutes, then switch to the fridge and chill for no less than 2 hours.
And even when your mini cheesecakes do sink down after baking (some sinkage is at all times anticipated!), this simply provides you loads of room for…
Cheesecake Toppings:
Description
Bake deliciously creamy mini cheesecakes in a muffin pan! This simple recipe yields a dozen particular person cheesecakes which can be excellent for portion management. Use an ordinary 12-count muffin pan. For further mini cheesecakes baked in a mini muffin pan, see recipe be aware.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line an ordinary 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the crust: Mix all the crust substances in a medium bowl. Combination shall be sandy. Firmly press a heaping Tablespoon of crust combination into every liner. Bake the crusts for six minutes.
- Make the filling: Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar collectively on medium-high pace in a big bowl till the combination is totally {smooth} and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the bitter cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, and beat till absolutely mixed. With the mixer operating on medium pace, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating simply till mixed earlier than including the subsequent. Don’t over-mix. Divide the batter among the many liners, filling every all the way in which to the highest. (It’s OK if the crust remains to be heat.)
- Optionally available Water Bathtub (prevents cheesecakes from extra sinking; skip this step if desired): Boil a pot of water. You want 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water tub, so be sure you boil sufficient. Place a big steel baking or roasting pan (I often use a 9×13-inch baking pan—don’t use glass) on the underside oven rack of the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into pan, about 1 inch deep. Instantly place the cheesecakes on the middle rack. Shut oven to entice the steam inside. This distinctive water tub provides steam to the oven with out having the muffin pan sit contained in the water itself, which is a standard water tub methodology used for full-size cheesecakes.
- Bake till the perimeters are set and the facilities barely jiggle if you faucet the pan, about 20 minutes.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and permit cheesecakes to chill at room temperature for 45 minutes, then switch to the fridge and chill for no less than 2 hours and as much as 24 hours. (Or place within the freezer for 1 hour to hurry issues up.) If chilling within the fridge for longer than 2 hours, loosely cowl the cheesecakes. Even if you happen to used the water tub methodology in step 4, the cheesecakes will barely sink as they cool.
- Prime the cheesecakes: I used Wilton 1M tip for piping whipped cream on the pictured mini cheesecakes. Garnish with berries, mint, and/or different toppings urged in recipe Notes. Whipped cream will be made and piped/unfold on mini cheesecakes as much as 24 hours upfront. Refrigerate embellished cheesecakes till able to serve.
- Cowl and retailer leftover cheesecakes within the fridge for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward Directions: Put together the cheesecakes by way of Step 3 as much as 2–3 days upfront. Cowl unbaked cheesecakes and retailer within the fridge till able to bake. Proceed with Step 4. Freeze particular person baked cheesecakes for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than serving.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Meals Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electrical Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Topping Solutions: Salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, crimson wine chocolate ganache, contemporary berries and mint, and/or do-it-yourself whipped cream.
- Tremendous Mini Cheesecakes: Line a 24-count mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners or grease with nonstick spray or butter. For straightforward and seamless elimination from the pan, utilizing liners is preferable. Make the crust and cheesecake batter as directed. Press 2 teaspoons of crust into every mini muffin liner. Pre-bake at 350°F (177°C) for 4 minutes. Take away from the oven and fill every with cheesecake batter. Bake for 10–11 minutes or till the cheesecakes seem set on prime. Proceed with Step 6 on this recipe. Yields roughly 30 tremendous mini cheesecakes.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers the place you reside? Use these measurements for a biscuit crumb crust for these mini cheesecakes: 1 cup (105g) digestive biscuit crumbs (7 biscuits) + 30g butter, melted + 2 Tablespoons (25g) sugar. Grind the biscuits into crumbs, mix with sugar, then stir within the melted butter. Press into liners and pre-bake as directed in Step 2. And from what I perceive, spreadable cream cheese offered in a bathtub in international locations outdoors of the US is slightly totally different from the spreadable cream cheese within the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and extra stable and needs to be OK to make cheesecake. I’ve no expertise with it, however that is what I’ve heard from different non-US readers.
- Up to date in 2025: This recipe was up to date to scale as much as 1 full dozen cheesecakes. To make the outdated model, use 2/3 cup (65g) graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp (29g) melted unsalted butter, and 1 Tbsp sugar for the crust. For the filling, use 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, 1/4 cup (50g) sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 egg. The bitter cream and lemon juice stay the identical. Use the identical baking and cooling directions. Makes 9 cheesecakes that aren’t fairly as thick.
