Did you know you can bake cheesecake in a muffin pan? This recipe for creamy mini cheesecakes is so simple and perfect for a small crowd. Make sure you use a standard 12-count muffin pan. For extra-mini cheesecakes baked in a mini muffin pan, see recipe Notes.
I originally published this recipe in 2018 and have since added new photos, a video, tweaks to the recipe to yield a full dozen, and additional success tips.
Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts and I have two recipes that steal my heart each time: classic cheesecake and no-bake cheesecake. Both recipes serve A LOT of people. If you love cheesecake, but don’t need an entire cheesecake in the house, try mini cheesecakes instead.
This recipe for individually sized cheesecakes is so simple and the perfect dessert to make for a smaller crowd. The classic cheesecake flavor is a great base for any of your favorite toppings, like whipped cream and berries, salted caramel, chocolate ganache, or raspberry sauce. Have fun with it!
One reader, Rachel, commented: “Wow… I knew these would be good, but I was still impressed with just how delicious they are! Super easy too, definitely making again soon. ★★★★★”
One reader, Susan, commented: “Yes, this recipe is a winner! Easy, delicious, able to be topped in so many ways! This will definitely go into “My Signature Dishes” file! Thank you! ★★★★★”
One reader, Leah, commented: “These were super easy to make and incredibly delicious. It was difficult to just eat one. 10/10. ★★★★★”
I have a few mini cheesecake recipes:
They’re simple, they’re delicious, and at only a few bites each, they’re perfect for portion control. Today’s recipe is my go-to, signature version of the classic flavor. Since first sharing it in 2018, I’ve slightly scaled it up to yield 1 full dozen thick and creamy cheesecakes.
Why You’ll Love These Mini Cheesecakes
- Quicker and easier to make than a full cheesecake
- Same creamy, velvety-smooth filling and buttery graham cracker crust you love in a classic cheesecake
- Individual grab-and-go portions are great for parties—no fork and plate required!
- Wonderful make-ahead dessert option
- Perfect base for so many different topping options—see below for some suggestions
Ingredients You Need & Why
With so few ingredients making up the filling, you can be sure that each one is there to serve a specific purpose:
- Bricks of Cream Cheese: Whichever brand you use, make sure you’re using bricks of full-fat cream cheese—not the cream cheese in a tub you would use for spreading on bagels. Same rule applies when making cream cheese frosting and strawberry cream cheese pie.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll love that this cheesecake isn’t overly sweet. Vanilla sugar would be great here, if you have some!
- Sour Cream: You need 1/4 cup of sour cream to help bind the ingredients together and smooth out the filling so it tastes creamy. It may be a small amount, but trust me when I say this is an essential ingredient.
- Vanilla Extract: Feel free to use homemade vanilla extract or even vanilla bean paste here.
- Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon juice adds freshness and depth of flavor.
- Eggs: A main ingredient in any baked cheesecake! Add them right at the end, and be sure to not over-mix the batter once the eggs are incorporated.
How to Make Cheesecake in a Muffin Pan
All we’re doing here is scaling down both the graham cracker crust and cheesecake batter from my classic cheesecake. Like the big version, pre-bake the crust, and make sure your cheesecake batter ingredients are at room temperature.
Mix up the graham cracker crust ingredients including graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. You need 8 full-sheet graham crackers for this. Firmly press a heaping Tablespoon of the crust mixture into each cupcake liner. Bake the crusts for 6 minutes, to give them a little head start.
Next, make the cheesecake filling using an electric mixer. It’s important to beat the cream cheese and sugar together until there are zero lumps; stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times as needed.
Like with most cheesecake recipes, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined before adding the next. Do not over-mix.
Expect a creamy, thick batter:
Bake the cheesecakes in a lined standard 12-count muffin pan. And if you’re looking for a version that sets in the refrigerator instead of the oven, you’ll appreciate these mini no-bake cheesecakes instead.
Want to add some flavor? Use my white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars recipe and see those recipe Notes for how to turn them into mini cheesecakes. Yum!
Here’s an Easy Cheesecake “Water Bath” Method (& It’s Optional)
If you’ve never made cheesecake before, you might be wondering what a water bath is and why you need one. I actually have an entire post and video tutorial dedicated to How to Make a Cheesecake Water Bath, if you’re interested in learning more.
Baking these mini cheesecakes with a water bath is optional, but I recommend it because it keeps the cheesecakes from sinking as they cool. Cheesecakes like to bake in a humid environment, and you can create that by pouring boiling water into a large roasting pan set on the oven rack below the muffin pan of mini cheesecakes. Close the oven door quickly to trap the steam inside. This is a simpler version of a traditional water bath, and it works great for these minis!
Bake the mini cheesecakes until the edges are set and the centers slightly jiggle when you tap the pan, about 20 minutes.
Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow the mini cheesecakes to cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours.
And even if your mini cheesecakes do sink down after baking (some sinkage is always expected!), this just gives you plenty of room for…
Cheesecake Toppings:
- Strawberry Sauce, Raspberry Sauce, or Blueberry Sauce
- Lemon Curd
- Homemade Whipped Cream and fresh berries/mint
- Homemade Salted Caramel
- Chocolate Ganache
Mini Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 15 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Bake deliciously creamy mini cheesecakes in a muffin pan! This easy recipe yields a dozen individual cheesecakes that are perfect for portion control. Use a standard 12-count muffin pan. For extra mini cheesecakes baked in a mini muffin pan, see recipe note.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup (120g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sheet graham crackers)
- 2 Tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons (43g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a standard 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Make the crust: Combine all of the crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Mixture will be sandy. Firmly press a heaping Tablespoon of crust mixture into each liner. Bake the crusts for 6 minutes.
- Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined before adding the next. Do not over-mix. Divide the batter among the liners, filling each all the way to the top. (It’s OK if the crust is still warm.)
- Optional Water Bath (prevents cheesecakes from excess sinking; skip this step if desired): Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place a large metal baking or roasting pan (I usually use a 9×13-inch baking pan—do not use glass) on the bottom oven rack of the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into pan, about 1 inch deep. Immediately place the cheesecakes on the center rack. Close oven to trap the steam inside. This unique water bath adds steam to the oven without having the muffin pan sit inside the water itself, which is a traditional water bath method used for full-size cheesecakes.
- Bake until the edges are set and the centers slightly jiggle when you tap the pan, about 20 minutes.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow cheesecakes to cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. (Or place in the freezer for 1 hour to speed things up.) If chilling in the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours, loosely cover the cheesecakes. Even if you used the water bath method in step 4, the cheesecakes will slightly sink as they cool.
- Top the cheesecakes: I used Wilton 1M tip for piping whipped cream on the pictured mini cheesecakes. Garnish with berries, mint, and/or other toppings suggested in recipe Notes. Whipped cream can be made and piped/spread on mini cheesecakes up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate decorated cheesecakes until ready to serve.
- Cover and store leftover cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: Prepare the cheesecakes through Step 3 up to 2–3 days in advance. Cover unbaked cheesecakes and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Continue with Step 4. Freeze individual baked cheesecakes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pan | Cupcake Liners | Food Processor | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Cooling Rack
- Topping Suggestions: Salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, red wine chocolate ganache, fresh berries and mint, and/or homemade whipped cream.
- Super Mini Cheesecakes: Line a 24-count mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners or grease with nonstick spray or butter. For easy and seamless removal from the pan, using liners is preferable. Make the crust and cheesecake batter as directed. Press 2 teaspoons of crust into each mini muffin liner. Pre-bake at 350°F (177°C) for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and fill each with cheesecake batter. Bake for 10–11 minutes or until the cheesecakes appear set on top. Continue with Step 6 in this recipe. Yields approximately 30 super mini cheesecakes.
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? 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, combine with sugar, then stir in the melted butter. Press into liners and pre-bake as directed in Step 2. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.
- Updated in 2025: This recipe was updated to scale up to 1 full dozen cheesecakes. To make the old version, use 2/3 cup (65g) graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tbsp (29g) melted unsalted butter, and 1 Tbsp sugar for the crust. For the filling, use 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese, 1/4 cup (50g) sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract, and 1 egg. The sour cream and lemon juice remain the same. Use the same baking and cooling instructions. Makes 9 cheesecakes that aren’t quite as thick.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally! I’ve made these numerous times before, but I received a special request to make them with Biscoff. I am going to switch out the crust for Biscoff cookies and plan to do a Biscoff cookie butter drizzle. What could I do with the filling to tie it all together? I feel like the lemon flavor may be a bit off. Thank you!
Hi Allison! That sounds incredible. I would simply leave out the lemon juice. And instead of white granulated sugar, use brown (same amount). That would tie in VERY nicely with the biscoff.
Made these once and they were fabulous and easy to make. Looking to make them more fall like. How can I make them into pumpkin mini cheesecakes? Thank you
Here’s our Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes recipe, Lauren!
These are so easy! Followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfectly. It’s the perfect size for a little post dinner treat. We put whipped cream on top and caramel sauce.
Great do recommend but can I make them with gluten free graham crackers instead
That shouldn’t be a problem, Aria!
These are SO easy and SO delicious! I don’t use a waterbath and it sinks a little to fit my (Sally”s) homemade Lemon Curd.
Hers is TRULY the easiest and BEST lemon curd!!!
I get requests for them all the time!!
I have gluten free graham crumbs and would love to make a chocolate graham crust for these mini’s, can you advise? Thanks so much!
Hi KC, you can definitely use your gluten-free graham crumbs here! We haven’t tested trying to make the crust chocolate, so aren’t sure what to recommend here. If you try something, let us know!
Hi Sally, I would love to do these as pumpkin, can you please advise?
Here’s our Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes recipe, Janaki!
I made these for a dinner I hosted and everybody loved them! I used the strawberry topping. One person said they were the some of the best cheesecakes they’ve had.
I’ve only made no-bake cheesecakes before and this recipe was really easy to follow
These taste great!! But, mine came out cracked on top and then sunk in the middle after taking them out of the oven. I was so bummed 🙁 I made a strawberry topping to cover that up, but would also like to serve them without a topping in case guests prefer it that way. What can I do different to make these look picture perfect without having to cover the apperance with a topping? Please help, thanks.
Hi Dusty, we’re happy to help troubleshoot. A little sinking is completely normal with these mini cheesecakes, but if they were cracked, is it possible that they were over baked a bit? For next time, we’d try reducing the bake time by a minute or two to see if that helps. Be careful not to overmix the batter, too, as that can cause it to crack when baked. We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi! Can I use a mini cheesecake pan with 12 cups? And would I be able to do double the recipe or should I do two batches? Thanks!
Hi Kelly, yes you can! For best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling.
Hi can I double this recipe?
Hi Kim, for best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling.
Why do we use lemon juice on this recipe?
Hi Damon, A splash of lemon juice adds freshness and depth of flavor here. You could leave it out if needed, but the flavor may be a little lacking.
Love these – it’s my go-to ( as many of Sally’s recipes are) and can be adorned with a variety of fun fruits, toppings, and whipped cream.
Question: have you ever experimented with a cream cheese-cottage cheese combination for a twist. I only have 1 – 8 oz bar of cream cheese and wondering if I could blend and sub full fat cottage cheese for the 2nd bar?
Hi Lisa, we’re so glad they are a favorite! We haven’t tested it, but we fear they won’t set up without the full amount of cream cheese. If you decide to test it, please do let us know how it goes.
Can you take these out of the cupcake wrappers and put them on a tray so they can just be picked up and eaten?
Definitely!
Are you sure 16 oz cheese which will be equal to two bricks Philadelphia cream cheese? Looks a lot to me.
Hi Sukhjiwan, that is correct! A block of Philadelphia cream cheese is 8 ounces.
Would there be any adjustments to your Confetti Cheesecake recipe in order to use it for mini cheesecakes?
Hi Heidi, no adjustments needed; you can simply follow these baking instructions using that batter.
Made these for my husband tonight, they turned out great! Going to set aside half in the freezer to serve when friends visit next weekend.
Thank you for the easy instructions. Will definitely be looking up more of your recipes
So I have like muffin pans but I also have like really mini muffin pans and I want to use those so was just wondering if I should cook them at a different temp or time
See recipe Notes for details on making super mini cheesecakes, Lil!
Hey sorry but I actually can’t find the notes
The Notes are under the written recipe and the video tutorial: Super Mini Cheesecakes: Line a 24-count mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners or grease with nonstick spray or butter. For easy and seamless removal from the pan, using liners is preferable. Make the crust and cheesecake batter as directed. Press 2 teaspoons of crust into each mini muffin liner. Pre-bake at 350°F (177°C) for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and fill each with cheesecake batter. Bake for 10–11 minutes or until the cheesecakes appear set on top. Continue with Step 6 in this recipe. Yields approximately 30 super mini cheesecakes.
Delicious! I have made the Mini Cheesecakes three times and they seem to taste better each time. A family and guest favorite.
Do you have a preferred lemon curd and meringue recipe for the mini cheesecakes?
Hi Josette, here is our favorite lemon curd recipe and here is our meringue frosting recipe. We’re so glad you loved the cheesecakes!
Delicious! I have made the Mini Cheesecakes three times and they seem to taste better each time. A family and guest favorite.
Do you have a preferred lemon curd and meringue recipe for the mini cheesecakes?
Here’s our lemon curd recipe and our meringue frosting recipe, Josette!
Any more notes for non-american novice bakers? Are size 12 muffin pans the same everywhere? Thank youu <3
Hi Sophia! There may be some variation, but it shouldn’t be an issue for this recipe. Just make sure to keep an eye on them as they bake in case they’re baking faster or slower than intended. Happy baking!
Not sure what I did wrong, if anything. But I had way too much crust and filling. And when I baked, the cheesecake was expanding over the cups and splitting. I did use the steam bath on the lower level. I’m hoping they will shrink back down a bit as they cool. But right now I think I might have to trim the tops in order to remove them from pan and transfer to a storage container.
Hi Amanda, that’s so strange! Happy to help troubleshoot. Were you using a standard-size 12-cup muffin pan?
Same thing happened to me. I only used half of the crumbs in order to fit all of the cream cheese filling I had to bake them about 4 -5 minutes longer.
I have made the mini cheese cakes countless times. They are so delicious and not too sweet. One of the toppings I make is lemon butter and serve with berries.. So quick to make and I thank you for the recipe.. They are certainly a hit and everyone wants the recipe…
So easy, tastes wonderful, big hit with friends. I will be making a lot of these for sure. I served it with Sally’s strawberry sauce and a bit of whipped cream!! So yummy.
Hello, I want to make this recipe with my leftover cream cheese. I don’t have a full break, but half of it. Can I split every ingredient in half? Will it change anything?
Hi Ana, you can halve the ingredients for a half batch. Enjoy!
Wonderful recipe! People were swallowing them whole lol
Yummy! I like chocolate, so I replaced the graham crackers with semisweet chocolate cookies and added mini chocolate chips. My guests LOVED them, and so did I.
One question, can you freeze them?
Hi Jean, Yes! Freeze individual baked cheesecakes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
Hi Sally, I love your mini cheesecakes, and was planning to make them again for a party and have different toppings available for the guests to put on if they choose. Would your salted caramel sauce recipe work, as far as having it in a bowl for guests to add to their mini cheesecake? Or would it no longer be thin enough for guests to drizzle on, on their own?
Hi Jodi, that should work!
Can I use vanilla wafers instead of graham cracker crust ? I have to make 35 of them
We haven’t tested that, but let us know if you do!
Super easy and super delicious! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Made these for the 2nd time and both times they turned out amazing. Making them a day ahead enhanced the flavors. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed them! Thank you, Sally, for your wonderful recipes !
Hello,
I am planning on making this with kids tomorrow, hopefully I hear back from you. I am wondering if we can add chocolate to recipe?
Thanks
Hi Chad, you could add some chocolate chips. I recommend mini chocolate chips (around 3/4 cup), so there are more in each bite. Melted chocolate could also work, I’m just not sure how much without testing it myself.