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This no-fuss mini cheesecake recipe with a crunchy vanilla wafer crust is the perfect family and crowd-pleasing dessert.
These little creamy bite sized desserts are super simple to make and to bake! A rich cream cheese filling flavored is baked into mini cheesecakes in a muffin tin. Top it with fruit, chocolate or caramel!
Make ahead big batch to freeze and keep on hand for a sweet finish to any meal or coffee break.
An Easy Bite Sized Cheesecake
- Rich and decadent, cheesecake is a favorite and this recipe is super simple to make.
- Mini-cheesecakes are a quick dessert, ready to cool in under 30 minutes.
- These can be made with just about any flavorings, mix-ins, or toppings.
- These individual, easy-serve bites are ideal for party platters or potlucks.
- They keep for months in the freezer and are super fast for thawing and serving.
- Prepping and cleaning up couldn’t be easier. Everything mixes up in one bowl, and the use of mini cupcake liners means your pan will wipe clean in a flash.
Ingredients for Mini Cheesecakes
Crust – Crushed vanilla wafers are just one of the possibilities for a tasty, crunchy crust. Other options include crushed graham cracker crumbs, chocolate wafers, or Oreo cookies.
Cheesecake Filling – For the best texture, use full-fat cream cheese. Ensure the cream cheese and egg are at room temperature so it all mixes smoothly. We love the addition of a bit of almond extract but you can swap it for vanilla extract if you’d like.
Flavorings & Mix-ins – The possibilities here are endless. Mini chocolate chips, lemon or orange zest, rainbow sprinkles, or crumbled Oreos provide flavor and texture. Top them with pie filling (like blueberry, cherry, or apple).
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes
Ready in under 30 minutes, mini cheesecakes are a perfect last-minute dessert.
- Prep Crust: Mix crushed vanilla wafers with butter and press into the bottom of a mini muffin pan (as per the recipe below).
- Prep Cheesecake Batter: Beat cream cheese, egg, powdered sugar and extracts in a bowl with a hand mixer.
- Fill Muffin Pan: Place filling in a piping bag or freezer bag with a corner snipped off. Pipe into pan and bake.
- Bake & Cool: Bake until set and then cool in the fridge.
Toppings for Mini Cheesecake
These mini cheesecake bites taste can be topped with almost anything!
- Try pie filling in any flavor (we love blueberry or cherry pie filling).
- Fresh fruit like sliced strawberries can be piled.
- Drizzle with caramel sauce or even chocolate ganache.
- Stir some cinnamon into the batter and top with crushed candied pecans.
Storing Mini Cheesecakes
Mini cheesecakes are one of those desserts to keep on hand for quickie treats or when guests pop in unexpectedly. They will keep up to 4 days in the refrigerator and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months in an airtight container.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Did your family love these mini cheesecakes? Be sure to leave a rating and a comment below!
Mini Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 vanilla wafer cookies or other hard cookies such as graham cookies
- 1 ½ tablespoons butter melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon almond extract
- 1 egg room temperature
- toppings as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin pan with 18 liners.
- Crush cookies until you have ⅓ cup crumbs. Add melted butter & mix well.
- Place 1 teaspoon in each cup and press down.
- In a medium bowl combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, almond extract and egg. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy.
- Place cream cheese mixture in a zippered bag and snip off the corner. Evenly fill each well.
- Bake 15 minutes or until set. Remove from oven, cool completely and top with desired toppings.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Party Food
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Good, especially liked the lemon and almond flavors. Next time I will double the crust though.
Love how easy and simple it is to make
How can I bake these without the cupcake liners? Can I grease & flour the pan?
I haven’t tried it without so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should work just fine. I would gently run a knife along the side while they are still warm because they shrink a tiny bit when they cool and that should help get them out! Enjoy Candace!
If u were using large muffin pans what timing to bake do u think?
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. But another reader had success in a larger muffin tin and cooked them for 20-25 minutes at 325°F. If you try them I would love to hear how they turn out!