If you like cheesecake, you’ll LOVE this easy no bake recipe!
Creamy, dreamy cheesecake sits atop a vanilla wafer cookie in a single serving cup. Top them off with your favorite pie filling or topping for an easy dessert.
These mini Cheesecake Cups are great to make ahead of time for a party and freeze well. Pull out a few to serve whenever you need a treat!
An Easy Make Ahead Dessert
- Perfect for a crowd, everyone can just grab and go.
- A handful of ingredients and just three steps make these extra fast!
- Top with pie filling, fresh fruit, or your own favorite toppings like caramel sauce.
- Use mini cups for cheesecake shooters or even silicone cupcake liners for small dessert bites.
- Whole vanilla wafers don’t even have to be crushed, just pop one each into the bottom of the plastic cups.
Ingredients & Variations
CHEESECAKE Cheesecake has a sweet and tangy flavor made by mixing cream cheese, powdered sugar, heavy cream, and a splash of vanilla. Since this is a no-bake cheesecake, no eggs are needed.
CRUST Whole vanilla wafers don’t even have to be crushed, just pop one into the bottom of each cup. They can even be broken, no one can tell. No Vanilla wafers? Try graham cracker crumbs mixed with a little bit of melted butter, crushed oreo cookies, or any crushed cookie you have on hand.
TOPPINGS Anything goes! Choose one or more (or all?) of these favorite toppings: Pie filling like cherry, blueberry, raspberry, lemon, strawberry, or apple. Use fresh fruit if you’d prefer. Caramel, chocolate sauce or even bits of edible cookie dough.
Variations
- Add flavorings like almond extract, orange or lemon zest, or even a squeeze of lemon juice to the cheesecake batter.
- Swirl in some caramel sauce, chocolate syrup, honey, or your favorite fruit preserve right into the cheesecake mix.
- Mix up the cookie crust by using crushed chocolate wafer cookies, or DIY a no-bake graham cracker crust.
- Chocolate chips, candies, crushed cookies, sprinkles, or fresh berries all make colorful and tasty additions.
How to Make Cheesecake Cups
Make these mini cheesecake cups for a quick and easy dessert!
- Beat cream cheese until fluffy.
- In a separate bowl make whipped cream. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese (per the recipe below).
- Place a vanilla wafer cookie in the bottom of each cup and pipe the cheesecake into each cup.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Tips for Creamy Cheesecake
- Short on time? Swap the whipped cream and sugar for whipped topping (like Cool Whip).
- Allow the cheesecake to refrigerate at least 1 hour, longer is better. This will soften the cookie so it becomes crust like.
- Prepping for a party? These can be made up to 4 days ahead of time and topped before serving or prepared up to 2 months ahead of time and frozen.
- Use small 4oz mason jars instead of plastic cups for a reusable option!
Individual Desserts for a Crowd
- Apple Hand Pies – delicious hot or cold
- Peanut Butter Cookie Cups – only 2 ingredients
- Mini Chocolate Icebox Cakes – no baking required
- Grandpa’s Banana Cupcakes – so moist & fluffy
- Oreo Dirt Cups – a kid favorite
Did you make these Easy Cheesecake Cups? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Easy Cheesecake Cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 16 vanilla wafers or more as needed
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 can pie filling cherry, strawberry, or blueberry
Instructions
- Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until combined. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream on low until for 1 minute. Add cornstarch and turn mixer onto high and beat an additional 3-4 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Fold whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.
- Place one wafer on the bottom of each cup then fill with the cheesecake filling until 1" from the top of the cup.
- Spoon the desired pie filling on top. Chill at least 1 hour and serve.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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I made these for a ladies luncheon and they were a huge hit! A couple of ladies even asked to take one home to their hubbies.
I was unable to find the 4 ounce clear cups at my store so I used 5.5 ounce clear snack cups with lids, which really came in handy as I had to transport them to the luncheon’s location. I also used an 8 ounce tub of Cool Whip instead of the heavy cream and powdered sugar but I still used the cornstarch to firm up the mixture (mixed it in with the cream cheese instead of the Cool Whip), and I think that really did help give the cheesecake mixture the right body. I used my wire whip on my mixer to mix the Cool Whip in to the cream cheese as that seem to help make the consistency smoother. Like suggested, I made them the day before I needed them and I think that really help meld the flavors.
I would definitely make these again. They were super easy to make and seem rather elegant.
So glad you loved these Nancy!
Hi there…
You’ve given me an idea with this one. :)
Since it’s close to the Independence Holiday I’m going to use Cherry and Blueberry topping to get a RED WHITE & BLUE theme going.
I didn’t want to use the stand by cool whip because I need to make these ahead of time before serving.
Who doesn’t like cheesecake? lol
That sounds like such a fun idea, Kim! Thanks for sharing.
Can’t wait to try this. If I were to use unflavored gelatin as a stabilizer would 1 tsp be enough? Am planning on making this for a party in a tropical place.
I have only tried this as written, you could check the package of gelatin to see if there is any information there.
Why use cornstarch in something you’re not cooking? It jut stays gritty. It doesn’t thicken or anything.
I don’t find it to be gritty in the amount used. Cornstarch is added to stabilize the whipped cream (so it doesn’t fall or get weepy).
This recipe is so easy and so delicious! Made a batch for my Bunco group and everyone loved them!
That is great, Denise! So glad they enjoyed it.
Can graham cracker crumbs be used in this?
Yes, they can!