Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

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These mini strawberry cheesecakes have graham cracker crusts and a thick, creamy vanilla cheesecake filling topped with a sweet strawberry sauce made with real fruit! The perfect dessert for strawberry fans to kick off summer!

Why You’ll Love These Miniature Strawberry Cheesecakes

If you love strawberries and cheesecake as much as I do, these mini strawberry cheesecakes will definitely become a favorite! Here’s what makes these mini strawberry cheesecakes so 100% worth your attention.

• The best filling. The classic vanilla filling for these mini cheesecakes is so smooth and creamy and has great flavor. It’s the same base as my vanilla mini cheesecakes. It really is the perfect cheesecake filling.
• Big strawberry flavor. The strawberry topping on these cheesecakes is to die for. Chunks of fresh strawberries swim in a thick, smooth strawberry sauce made from real fruit.
• Quick and easy. When compared to my full-sized strawberry cheesecake, these mini cheesecakes are a walk in the park. No water bath needed and the whole baking and cooling process only takes 40 minutes. Way easier than 2 hours for the full-sized version.
• Single-serve. Looking for the perfect sharable dessert? These mini cheesecakes are it. Bring a platter (or two) full of them and watch as they disappear, each perfectly portioned in its own little wrapper. No slicing and serving necessary.

Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions

Gather your ingredients and tie on your apron. Here’s what you’ll need to turn this strawberry mini cheesecake recipe into a dreamy reality. Don’t forget to scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.

Crust

• Graham cracker crumbs – Vanilla wafer cookie crumbs will also do the trick.
• Sugar – I used granulated sugar but brown sugar would be fun if you are looking for a slightly richer crust.
• Unsalted butter – Salted butter is also fine. Use what you have on hand.

Filling

• Cream cheese – Allow the cream cheese to soften to room temperature before beginning. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself with a lumpy filling. Also be sure to use brick-style full fat cream cheese. Other versions will result in a thinner filling.
• Sugar
• All-purpose flour – A 1:1 gluten-free flour will also work. Cornstarch (in half the amount) is another gluten free alternative.
• Sour cream – The sour cream breaks up the richness of the cream cheese, lightening the dessert.
• Vanilla extract
• Eggs – You want to start with room-temperature eggs. If the eggs are too cold, they will not mix easily into the batter, which can lead to over-mixing. Over-mixing can give you cracked cheesecakes.

Strawberry Topping

• Strawberries – I used fresh strawberries but you could use frozen. Just thaw them and pat them dry first. Also keep in mind that thawed fruit tends to be softer and more mushy, so they won’t be as each to cut.
• Sugar
• Cornstarch – The cornstarch works to thicken the topping.
• Vanilla extract
• Quartered strawberries – Fresh is best but you can use frozen strawberries. Again, just thaw them thoroughly and pat them dry first. And keep in mind the texture difference.

How To Make Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes

Ready to learn how to make the best mini cheesecakes ever? Here’s a quick look at how to do it. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for more thorough instructions.

To make the cheesecakes

• Prep. Preheat the oven to 325°F and add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan.
• Make the crust. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter and press 2 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Bake for 5 minutes.
• Reduce the oven temperature. Turn the oven to 300°F.

• Make the filling. Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on low speed. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla followed by the eggs, one at a time.

• Bake. Fill each cupcake liner with cheesecake filling and bake for 15 minutes.
• Cool gradually. Turn the oven off and leave the door closed for 10 minutes. Crack the oven door and allow cheesecakes to cool for 15-20 minutes in the oven.
• Chill. Chill in the fridge for 3-4 hours.

For the strawberry topping

• Puree. Puree the chopped strawberries in a food processor and strain if desired.
• Thicken. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan and stir in the strawberry puree. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

• Put it all together. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and quartered strawberries.
• Cool. Allow the topping to cool in the fridge for 2-3 hours.
• Decorate the cheesecakes. Remove the cooled cheesecakes from the pan and top with the cooled strawberry topping.

Tips for Success

I did all of the trial and error for you. All you have to do is follow these simple tips and tricks and you’ll find yourself with perfect mini strawberry cheesecakes.

• Room temperature cream cheese. Allow the cream cheese to soften at room temperature before beginning. Otherwise, your filling will turn out lumpy. You can cut it into cubes or slices to help it soften more quickly.
• Mix slowly and not too much. When making the filling, keep the mixer at low speed and mix just until everything is combined. If you mix at too high a speed (or for too long), you will introduce excess air into the batter. This can cause the cheesecakes to crack as they bake.
• Scrape the bowl. As you mix ingredients into the cheesecake batter, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. You want to make sure all of the ingredients make it into the batter so you don’t get lumps.
• Cool gradually. Don’t just take the cheesecakes out of the oven right. Allow them to cool in the closed oven (after turning it off) for a bit. Then crack the oven door and leave them inside for a bit longer. This slow cooling process will help keep the cheesecakes from cracking. They will also continue to cook and firm up as they cool.
• Don’t overcook the strawberry topping. Bring the strawberry topping to a boil slowly over medium heat. Once it’s there, you only want to let it boil for 1 minute. Cooking the topping too hot or for too long can break down the cornstarch and have the opposite effect and your sauce will end up too thin.

How To Store Mini Cheesecakes

Arrange the cheesecakes in a single layer in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.

What Size Pan for Mini Cheesecakes?

I’m asked about pan size for mini cheesecakes pretty often. They are called “mini” because they aren’t a full-sized 9-inch cheesecake. But they aren’t made in a mini muffin pan, they are made in a regular sized muffin pan.

More Easy Cheesecake Recipes

Looking for more cheesecake inspiration? You’ve come to the right place. Here are just a few recipes that I am loving with right now.

• Best New York Style Cheesecake
• Chocolate Cheesecake
• Strawberry Brownie Cheesecake
• Easy Cheesecake Recipe
• Fruit Cheesecake Sugar Cookie Cups
• No Bake Oreo Cheesecake

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