Do you know you’ll be able to 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 a typical 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 photographs, 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 the event you love cheesecake, however don’t want a whole cheesecake in the home, attempt mini cheesecakes as a substitute.
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 good 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 just a few mini cheesecake recipes:
They’re easy, they’re scrumptious, and at only some bites every, they’re good 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!
- Fantastic make-ahead dessert possibility
- Good base for therefore many various topping choices—see under for some options
Substances You Want & Why
With so few elements making up the filling, you’ll be able to make sure that every one is there to serve a selected objective:
- Bricks of Cream Cheese: Whichever model you utilize, ensure you’re utilizing bricks of full-fat cream cheese—not the cream cheese in a bath 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 could be nice right here, when you’ve got some!
- Bitter Cream: You want 1/4 cup of bitter cream to assist bind the elements 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 necessary ingredient.
- Vanilla Extract: Be happy to make use of home made vanilla extract and even vanilla bean paste right here.
- Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon juice provides freshness and depth of taste.
- Eggs: A important ingredient in any baked cheesecake! Add them proper on the finish, and make sure you 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 elements are at room temperature.
Combine up the graham cracker crust elements 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 a bit 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 edges of the bowl just a few instances as wanted.
Like with most cheesecake recipes, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating simply till mixed earlier than including the following. Don’t over-mix.
Count on a creamy, thick batter:
Bake the cheesecakes in a lined normal 12-count muffin pan. And when you’re searching for a model that units within the fridge as a substitute of the oven, you’ll respect these mini no-bake cheesecakes as a substitute.
Wish to add some taste? Use my white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars recipe and see these recipe Notes for find out how to flip them into mini cheesecakes. Yum!
Right here’s an Straightforward Cheesecake “Water Bathtub” Methodology (& It’s Non-compulsory)
In the event you’ve by no means made cheesecake earlier than, you may be questioning what a water bathtub is and why you want one. I even have a whole publish and video tutorial devoted to The way to Make a Cheesecake Water Bathtub, when you’re fascinated by studying extra.
Baking these mini cheesecakes with a water bathtub 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 damp setting, and you’ll create that by pouring boiling water into a big roasting pan set on the oven rack under the muffin pan of mini cheesecakes. Shut the oven door shortly to lure the steam inside. This can be a less complicated model of a conventional water bathtub, and it really works nice for these minis!
Bake the mini cheesecakes till the perimeters are set and the facilities barely jiggle whenever 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 a minimum of 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 straightforward recipe yields a dozen particular person cheesecakes which might be good for portion management. Use a typical 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 a typical 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the crust: Mix the entire crust elements in a medium bowl. Combination will likely 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 velocity 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 totally mixed. With the mixer working on medium velocity, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating simply till mixed earlier than including the following. 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.)
- Non-compulsory 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 bathtub, so ensure you boil sufficient. Place a big metallic baking or roasting pan (I normally 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 lure the steam inside. This distinctive water bathtub provides steam to the oven with out having the muffin pan sit contained in the water itself, which is a conventional water bathtub technique used for full-size cheesecakes.
- Bake till the perimeters are set and the facilities barely jiggle whenever 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 a minimum of 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 when you used the water bathtub technique 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 steered in recipe Notes. Whipped cream may be made and piped/unfold on mini cheesecakes as much as 24 hours prematurely. Refrigerate adorned 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 Step 3 as much as 2–3 days prematurely. 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, recent berries and mint, and/or home made whipped cream.
- Tremendous Mini Cheesecakes: Line a 24-count mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners or grease with nonstick spray or butter. For simple and seamless removing 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 high. 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 bath in nations outdoors of the US is a bit completely 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.