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These Mini Cheesecakes are thick, smooth and creamy, with a little tang from some sour cream! They have a vanilla wafer crust and are topped with fresh whipped cream and berries for a classic little treat!
Who doesn’t love a good mini dessert? They are easily shareable and transportable. They’re easy to make (usually). And they feel so much more guilt-free than your average full-sized treat. I have loads of mini cheesecake options, but didn’t have a simple vanilla one here for you yet, so today I am sharing my classic vanilla mini cheesecake with you! Perfect for any occasion and easy to change up!
So how do you make mini cheesecakes?
Well let’s start with the crust. I used a vanilla wafer cookie crust by grinding up the cookies in a food processor. I love the extra bit of sweet and vanilla that the cookies give the mini cheesecakes, but you could definitely swap the cookie crumbs out for graham cracker crumbs without making any other changes. Both are totally classics in my mind and so yummy!
Next up is making the filling. Just a handful of ingredients are used and you likely have most of them handy already. You’ll want your cream cheese to be room temperature to start with so that it doesn’t get all lumpy in your batter.
Add some sugar for sweetness and flour for texture and mix it all together! Next up is the sour cream and vanilla extract. The sour cream softens up the texture of the cheesecake and lends some moisture, while also adding a nice pop of tangy flavor. And then of course the vanilla is totally necessary and adds flavor.
Next up are the eggs to bind everything together and add some nice richness to the cheesecake.
How do you bake mini cheesecakes?
Unlike a full-sized vanilla cheesecake, mini cheesecakes do not require a water bath. Score! I bake them right in a cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
They also don’t need nearly as long to bake as a full-sized 9 inch cheesecake. Instead of taking almost 2 hours to go through the baking and cooling process, these take about 40 minutes. Much more friendly with your time for those days when you need cheesecake more quickly.
Once the cheesecakes are baked, they can be chilled in the fridge. I served these with a topping of fresh whipped cream and berries and oh my goodness – so good! These little mini cheesecakes are so classic and simple, but pack a LOT of flavor!
Can you freeze mini cheesecakes?
I get a lot of questions about freezing deserts, so I decided to test these out in the freezer. I froze them in a tubber ware container – some wrapped before going into the container and others unwrapped. After being frozen for about a month, I gave them a try. Delicious still! It didn’t seem to make a difference if they were wrapped prior to going into the container or not. They were slightly firmer around the edge than when they were fresh, but marginally. I also froze some with the whipped cream on them already and it froze and defrosted great. I just wouldn’t recommend freezing them with the fruit on top. Juices can run and fruit can get a little soggy after being thawed.
Check out these other fun mini cheesecakes:
Mini Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes
Mini Baileys Chocolate Cheesecakes
Mini Banana Pudding Cheesecakes
Mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Mini S’mores Cheesecakes
Mini Cherry Almond Cheesecakes
Mini Mint Chocolate Oreo Cheesecakes
Mini Strawberry Champagne Cheesecakes
Mini Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 Mini Cheesecakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Mini Cheesecakes are thick, smooth and creamy, with a little tang from some sour cream! They have a vanilla wafer crust and are topped with fresh whipped cream and berries for a classic little treat!
Ingredients
CRUST
- 1 cup (134g) vanilla wafer cookie crumbs (or graham cracker crumbs)
- 2 tbsp (26g) sugar
- 4 tbsp (56g) butter, melted
FILLING
- 12 ounces (339g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (104g) sugar
- 2 tbsp (16g) flour
- 1/2 cup (115g) sour cream
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
TOPPING
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 5 tbsp (36g) powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Fresh fruit
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°F (162°C). Add cupcake liners to a cupcake pan.
2. Combine the vanilla wafer cookies crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners (about 2 tablespoons per cup) and press into the bottoms.
3. Bake the crusts for 5 minutes then remove from oven. Allow to cool while you make the filling.
4. To make the filling, reduce oven to 300°F (148°C). In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and flour until combined (Use low speed to keep less air from getting into the batter, which can cause cracks). Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed until well combined.
6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating slowly and scraping the sides of the bowl after each addition.
7. Divide the filling between the cheesecake cups until the cups are mostly full.
8. Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes, then turn off the oven and leave the door closed for another 10 minutes.
9. Crack the oven door and allow cheesecakes to cool for 15-20 minutes, then put in the fridge to finish cooling.
10. When cheesecakes are cooled, remove them from the pan.
11. To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
12. Pipe the whipped cream onto the tops of the cheesecakes and top with fresh fruit.
13. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Keywords: how to make cheesecake, mini cheesecake recipe, sour cream cheesecake recipe
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These are so good! Have you tried to make a pineapple upside down cheesecake mini yet? That is my son’s favorite at Cheesecake Factory!
Glad you enjoy them! I haven’t tried one like that yet, but love that idea. Just added it to my list. Thanks!
Hi, can I substitute sour cream with whipping cream? TIA
Yes, you can. You just might need a few more minutes of baking time.
if i wanted to add coffee how would i go about that
I have struggled with cheesecake in the past, but I must say that these tasty little cakes came out flawless! It is a buttery, creamy, delicious, cheesecake that is spot on for any occasion. My family gave it great reviews. I’m excited to try the mini chocolate cheesecake next. Decadence to please any taste bud. My daughter likes raspberry cheesecake. Wonder if you can alter this recipe to make it a raspberry cheesecake. ?
Thanks for sharing! 🌺
I’m so glad they were a hit! You can certainly add some fresh raspberries to them. I’d recommend about 2/3 a cup of chopped raspberries.
★★★★★
I made these yesterday and they are exceptionally good! I made them with an oreo crust. And topped with strawberries and blueberries. Delicious! All of them did crack – they ended up with big fault lines. Not sure why. All my ingredients were room temperature and I only mixed on low speed per the instructions. So not sure why that happened. Luckily I covered the cracks with fruit! But they tasted great!
★★★★★
They may have baked too long. I’m glad you enjoyed them!
Thanks, Lindsay! I will bake them a few minutes less next time. Love your recipes!
★★★★★
My kids loved the cheesecake! You’re recipes are the best! Thank you!
So glad to hear that!
I was wondering why there needs to be flour in the cheesecakes? i’ve never made any with flour?
It’s a texture thing. You could certainly leave it out, but if you’ve never tried it why not give it a shot once?
Can you store the cream cheese batter over night and assemble the next day?
I have honestly never tried that, but since the cream cheese would firm back up again in the fridge, it seems like that would make it difficult to work with the next morning.
Any need to have a steam source to keep thr minis from cracking?
Not with the minis. I mean, you could use something if you like, but it’s not necessary.
So if I did want to use the actual mini cupcake pan not the standard cupcake size can I still use the same cooking time?
★★★★★
Since they are about half the size, you would want to reduce the baking time. I haven’t made any that small to know what that should be, but roughly half the baking time might be a place to start.
Can I use a kitchenaid stand mixer? Also, with the Paddle attachment or the whisk attachment?
Yes, that is what I use. You would use the paddle attachment for the cheesecake and the whisk for the whipped cream.
These came out awesome! I topped them with
Whipped cream and chocolate covered strawberries… they were amazing. Thank You!
★★★★★
So glad to hear it! Thanks Kelly!
How can I replace eggs in this recipe?
I haven’t worked with egg replacements before. I’ve seen some at the grocery store on the baking aisle though, if you wanted to try one of those.
Thank you.. Will try and let you know what works❤️
I made these for mothers day. Used silicone muffin cups and pan and they worked great, popped out nicely after cooling. With the exception that didn’t add sugar to the crust (try to reduce sugar for my mom) I followed the recipe to a tee.
When I opened the oven to cool I was a little worried as they didn’t look set in the middle. But by the time they finished cooling they were perfect!
This is definitely the best cheesecake I’ve ever made, and possibly the best I’ve tasted.
★★★★★
These are so quick and easy to make. I used silicone baking cups and topped half with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips and toffee bits before baking. They look so professional and taste amazing! The baking/setting times were spot on. Thank you for such a great recipe!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hi, I’ve made several of your recipes. They have all been successful.
I plan on making the cheesecake cupcakes today.
If I don’t want to use the sour cream, can I increase on the cream cheese?
Typically I would suggest replacing the sour cream with yogurt. I haven’t tried using additional cream cheese before.
Hi Lindsay. I’m from India where sour cream isn’t readily available. What could we use as an alternative? Will yogurt/curd work as well ?
Yes, yogurt should be fine
Hi! Just check my cheesecakes after the 10 min being in the oven off, is it normal that they’re very watery like pudding texture?
No, that’s not normal. When you turn off the oven to start the cooling process, the centers should already be set.
Hi LIndsay,
I use many of your mini and regular size cheesecake recipes, they are the best! Thank you. I was wondering, I would like to try making a few of your mini cheesecake recipes in a mini cupcake pan. To make them two bite size, for a shower. What do you suggest I change the baking time to? Thank you in advance.
★★★★★
Hmm I haven’t ever made them that small. I’d try cutting the time by about half. So glad to hear you’ve enjoyed them!
How long will the whipped cream stay before breaking down? I am making these for a bridal shower and was wondering if I piped the whipped cream in the morning would it last until the afternoon?
Yes, as long as you use the full amount of powdered sugar to stabilize it, it’ll last just fine.
Made these Sunday to test them out before making a batch for a fundraiser! May I say the best ever and my coworkers loved them also!
★★★★★
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
Hi would you happen to know the nutrition information on these? I’m dieting now, and love cheesecake. These would be a great evening snack! Thanks!
★★★★★
I don’t, I’m sorry. There are a lot of online calculators though that might be helpful.
Hi there! Just wondering what kind of liners you use (silicone, paper, foil)? And do you remove them yourself before serving?
I use paper liners. You could remove them or leave them on – really a preference. I’d probably leave them on, just because it’s a little cleaner and easier to pick up/transport.
I made this recipe all ready for our church picnic, and they devoured them. I used a dollop of cool whip, and a cherry or two from canned pie filling, they were beautiful as well as delicious. Getting ready to make them again for our March birthdays get together. Your recipe taste like when you go to a fine restaurant and order cheesecake from the menu. This will always be my favorite recipe
Thank You for sharing it. When I made them the first time, it was my first time on this site.
★★★★★
Wonderful! I’m so glad you all enjoyed!
Can you put the whipped cream and fruit on the night before? Will the whipped cream hold up?
Yes, it will.
I’ve made ones similar to this but wasn’t crazy about the taste if the cheesecake (didn’t taste sweet enough) so I’m looking forward to trying this recipe! The other recipe called for spraying the cupcake liners with pam. Is that not needed? I want to remove the liners prior to serving.
You shouldn’t need to spray the pan if you are using cupcake liners. If you don’t want to use the liners, it should be okay as long as you use a good non-stick spray. The liners are nice for handling when you remove them so stuff doesn’t stick to your fingers. I hope you enjoy!
This recipe is amazing! I doubled the recipe for a large gathering and it did not disappoint. Even my non dessert lover friends were going for seconds. So easy and so pretty. Cheesecake is so creamy and the fresh whipped cream was the perfect, light topping. Will definitely be making these again.
★★★★★
That’s awesome! So glad you all enjoyed the cheesecakes! 🙂
These turned out so good! Made them on the weekend and I’ve already made a second batch! Normally I don’t prefer plain cheesecake but these are amazing without anything even on them! 🙂
★★★★★
Wonderful! I’m so glad you enjoyed the cheesecakes! 🙂
Best Mini Cheesecake recipe! My husband needed a dessert for a work party so I doubled the recipe to get 24 beautiful little cheesecakes. Sooo easy and absolutely delicious and creamy. I used canned strawberry pie filling for the topping. The topping options are truly endless. I love recipes that have individual servings already in place so nothing has to be cut or served.
Lindsay, everything you make is just so beautiful! Baking is my passion (and stress reliever) and I love being able to create something people enjoy. All of your recipes are perfectly written and easy to follow. I love that you list the ingredients in grams as using a kitchen scale helps to ensure you’re using the correct amount of each ingredient.
★★★★★
So glad to hear that! Thanks Julie!
Can you make them without the cupcake liners and just prep the pan to not stick?
As long as she uses a good non-stick spray it should be ok. The liners are also nice for handling when you remove them so stuff doesn’t stick to your fingers. I hope you enjoy!
Heaven in a bite! Hard to stop eating! I made this recipe in a mini-muffin pan size and they are perfect for finger food desserts at a party. I topped with a fresh blueberry. Love all your recipes!
★★★★★
Great idea! I’m glad you enjoyed the mini cheesecakes and recipes!
Made them with a graham cracker crust, since that’s what I had ingredients for. Delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
I have just pinned these beautiful cheesecakes! New to your site but I am in love. Your photography is incredible! So crisp and clear. I am now officially craving cheesecake!
★★★★★
Thank you! I”m so glad you’ve enjoyed the blog!
Can these be made the evening before needed and kept refrigerated, of course. Thank you.
Absolutely!
Can you use cornstarch instead of flour to make them.gluten free? I would also use gf vanilla wafers. Thanks!
That should be fine.
I tried this recipe using a non-stick mini cheesecake pan. The recipe made 18 mini cheesecakes.
The instructions, as they are written for the cupcake pan cheesecakes, worked perfectly.
I’ve tried many recipes and this one works the very best with the non-stick mini pans.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!
I assume this recipe makes 12 mini cheesecakes – standard cupcake pan? Thanks!
Yes, you can find the amount it makes in the pink recipe card just under the title and the pan I used is linked in the first instruction. Thanks Diane!
Can these be made crustless? Thanks!
That should be fine.
Hello how do you prevent the liners from sticking?
You can spray them with a nonstick baking spray. It doesn’t keep them from sticking completely, but it does a pretty good job.
Good Evening Ms. Lindsay, Interested In Knowing Do You Cater?
I don’t, but thank you!
Hey Beautuful! First thank you for all of the delectable recipes. Lindsay what I want to know is the cupcake tin size. Is it the regular or mini size that should be used. Thanks Hattie
A regular sized cupcake pan. They are “mini” because they aren’t a full sized 9 inch cheesecake.
Thank you for your quick response!
These look sooo cute and summery!! Thanks for sharing! ????
Thank Lila! I hope you get a chance to try them!