These mini no-bake cheesecakes are formed in a muffin pan. Using only a few basic and delicious ingredients, these tiny cheesecakes set up in the refrigerator instead of the oven. They’re extra creamy and lightly sweetened just like my regular no-bake cheesecake!
So, What Are Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes?
No-bake cheesecake, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, and even my no-bake cheesecake jars are exactly that: cheesecake without the oven. I like to compare the filling to cheesecake mousse. It has a light and airy texture because it’s made with homemade whipped cream. When spooned over a graham cracker crust and refrigerated, the eggless cheesecake filling sets up beautifully.
It’s pure magic.
What it lacks in oven time, it makes up for in taste and texture:
- Thick, buttery, and crunchy graham cracker crust
- Light, creamy, and velvet-rich cheesecake filling
Though I already have a full no-bake cheesecake recipe on my website, sometimes I enjoy making it in individual muffin cups instead of a springform pan. And I figured you’d want to see how it’s done! These mini no-bake cheesecakes are simple, straightforward, and at only a few bites each, perfect for portion control.
Overview: How to Make Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
- Make room in your refrigerator. Two muffin pans need to squeeze in there!
- Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with liners. Cupcake liners are key—you won’t be able to remove the cheesecakes without them.
- Combine the crust ingredients. You need graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Butter and moist brown sugar (as opposed to regular granulated sugar) help this crust set up properly. Spoon 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of the crust mixture into each liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly.
- The next step is optional. To really ensure that these tiny crusts set up properly, I recommend a quick 5 minutes in the oven. Now I know these are NO-BAKE—and the filling still is—I simply found that the crust is sturdier after 5 minutes of baking. But if you can’t use an oven, you can definitely skip it. The crust will just be a bit crumblier.
- Make the cheesecake filling. These no-bake cheesecakes set up because we add homemade whipped cream. This is the secret to a thick sturdy filling, and we also use this trick in strawberry cream cheese pie. First, whip heavy cream into stiff peaks and set it aside. Next, combine the rest of the filling ingredients including cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
- Add filling over crusts. I’ve made these countless times and prefer piping the cheesecake filling on top of the mini crusts. You can certainly spoon the filling onto the crusts instead, but piping isn’t quite as messy. Feel free to use a piping bag with a large tip (star or round), or you can snip the corner off of a zipped-top plastic bag.
- Refrigerate until set. The mini no-bake cheesecakes set up in about 3 hours. I don’t recommend using the freezer to speed this up because the graham cracker crust will quickly freeze before the filling does. A frozen crust is difficult to bite.
By the way, if you’re looking for a baked variation, here are my regular mini cheesecakes. I even have mini margarita cheesecakes (obviously!), plus plenty more cheesecake recipes and even an easy cheesecake pie too!
Below Left: Heavy cream whipped into stiff peaks. Below Right: Smooth cheesecake filling before adding the whipped cream.
After you fold in the whipped cream, the no-bake cheesecake filling will be fluffy and airy—just like mousse. Here is a photo for a visual:
Won’t the Filling Stick to the Wrappers?
I was skeptical at first, but they don’t. As long as you follow the recipe exactly and chill the mini no-bake cheesecakes for long enough, the wrappers will neatly pull away from the filling. The cheesecakes do begin to soften up when at room temperature, so as long as you unwrap them shortly after taking them out of the refrigerator, you’re fine.
Toppings for Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
Though plain mini no-bake cheesecakes are flavorful on their own, they welcome all sorts of fun toppings. I love serving these with strawberry sauce and fresh berries. Don’t have fresh berries? Top with a spoonful of lemon curd, salted caramel, apple butter, or your favorite fruit preserves. You can also top with chocolate ganache. If using ganache, I recommend spooning a little over each mini cheesecake before refrigerating so the ganache can set up too.
3 Final Success Tips
- Whip the Heavy Cream: The most important step in this recipe is to beat cold heavy cream into peaks before folding it into the cheesecake filling. The whipped cream helps solidify the filling and its airiness creates an irresistible mousse-like consistency. (You’re basically making unsweetened, unflavored whipped cream!)
- Use Bricks of Cream Cheese: To guarantee the cheesecakes set up properly, use 8-ounce bricks of full-fat cream cheese. Do not use low-fat cream cheese or cream cheese spread that’s sold in a tub. Same success tip I recommend when making the icing for fruit pizza, too!
- Refrigerate, Don’t Freeze: You might be tempted to speed up the chilling process in the freezer, but the colder air won’t chill the cheesecakes evenly. The crust will firm up before the filling does. And trust me, you don’t want to bite into frozen crust underneath partially frozen cheesecake.
Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini cheesecakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow this recipe for perfect mini no-bake cheesecakes that set in lined muffin pans. Before beginning, read through the recipe and recipe notes below and review the success tips in the blog post above. Step 3 is optional.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: your desired toppings (see recipe Note)
Instructions
- Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator for both pans. (You refrigerate them in step 6.)
- Prepare the crust: If your graham crackers aren’t crumbs yet, use a food processor to pulse them into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Spoon 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of the crust mixture into each cupcake liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly.
- The next step is optional. Though it’s not required, I recommend baking the crusts for a quick 5 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. The crusts are a little sturdier this way. However, if you can’t use an oven or simply don’t want to, you can skip this step. The crust will just be a bit crumblier. If baking, let the warm crusts cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling on top.
- Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth. Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
- You can use a spoon or piping bag to transfer the filling on top of the crusts. Spoon or pipe about 2 Tablespoons of filling over each crust. I prefer piping the filling because it’s a little easier and neater. Fit your piping bag with a large star or round piping tip, then transfer the filling to the bag and pipe. (You could also use a plastic zipped-top bag. Spoon the filling inside, snip an end off a corner, and pipe.) Use the back of a spoon to smooth the tops so they are flat.
- Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes in the pans for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. If refrigerating for longer than 3 hours, I recommend covering with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with optional toppings (see recipe Note). The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30–60 minutes at room temperature.
- Cover and store leftover mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The mini cheesecakes can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving, as noted in step 6. Another way to prep these mini no-bake cheesecakes is to freeze them. Refrigerate them as directed in step 6, then remove them from the muffin pan (keep the liners on them) and line in a single layer in a large freezer-friendly container. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pans | Cupcake Liners | Food Processor | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Large Piping Tip (like Ateco 808)
- Optional Toppings: Right before serving, you can add toppings to the mini cheesecakes. You can also add the following toppings after the cheesecakes have chilled in the refrigerator for just 1–2 hours (step 6), then store the topped cheesecakes in the refrigerator for the remaining time. Use 3/4 cup strawberry sauce divided over each chilled mini cheesecake. (Spoon about 1/2 Tablespoon over each.) And/or use 1 cup mixed berries, plus a few mint leaves, divided over each for additional garnish. Instead of strawberry sauce, try the same amount of lemon curd, apple butter, or your favorite fruit preserves. You can also top with chocolate ganache. I recommend spooning a little over each mini cheesecake before refrigerating so the ganache can set up too.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens up the flavor. This cheesecake does not taste like lemon. For lemon flavored mini no-bake cheesecakes, replace the sour cream with 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (in addition to the 1 teaspoon lemon juice that it already calls for) and add 2 teaspoons lemon zest.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring the cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients guarantee a smooth cheesecake filling. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling. (The heavy cream, however, MUST be cold in order to whip into stiff peaks.)
- Non-US Readers: ​​Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 2 cups (240g) ground digestive biscuits instead (about 16 biscuits), the same amount of butter, and add a bit more sugar (about 1/2 cup, or 100g). You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers. 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.
How long can these sit out? I’m planning desserts for a party and they need to be able to sit out for a few hours before serving.
Hi Sam! We usually serve these right out of the fridge – The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
Made these with strawberry topping for a family gathering this weekend. They turned out wonderful. Everyone loved them. I did run out of graham cracker crust when I used the recommended amount for some reason. I had to divide them up to get the whole 24. And next time I am definitely piping the filling in instead of spooning it. Sally you were right.
I made these cheesecake in a jar recipe. One I followed the recipe exactly with tart cherry pie filling and the second I used Sally’s suggestion of peanut butter and topped it off with her chocolate ganache.
I also made her Vanilla Cake using a 3 inch mini cake pan and her Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting. To both I added Vanilla Paste as I really like the taste.
All desserts were delicious and everyone enjoyed them. This was my birthday treat.
Today I wish I had a few leftovers! Lol
Can Parchment Paper Be Used Instead Of Cupcake Liners ?
Hi Krystal, you can certainly try it, but be sure to flatten / fold the parchment paper so it is flush with the cupcake cavity as much as possible. Otherwise, the cheesecakes will have creases on the edges. Hope this helps!
This recipe looks amazing! I was wondering if the measurements would work the same to make this cheesecake with mangoes?
Hi Ashwini! We haven’t tested a mango version of these mini no bake cheesecakes, but mangoes would make a fabulous cheesecake topping!
Could I swirl some strawberry jam in these like your recipe for the baked cheesecake?
Hi Sarah, we haven’t tested this but you could certainly give it a try! Or, garnish the baked cheesecakes with homemade strawberry sauce. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks for the quick reply! Fingers crossed! I’ll let you know how it goes.
Question: Can I use an oreo as the bottom crust here? Thinking of mixing it up for my son’s birthday:)
Hi Kristen, Absolutely! You can use crushed Oreos instead of graham cracker crumbs (we recommend the quick baking step if using Oreos though), or use one whole Oreo as the crust. Enjoy!
hi, do you think these can be made in jars instead?
Hi Kay, we’d recommend our cheesecake jars instead!
These are wonderful! My husband is addicted. I am making them for the 3 time in 3 weeks!
Would you be able to substitute honey or maple sugar instead of the sugar in the cheesecake filling? I want to try this!!! Looks delicious
Hi Madi! We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes. Thank you!
Wow!! Really knocked away by this simple and delicious recipe!! These mini cheesecake tarts are soo light and perfectly balanced!! I used your blueberry topping for this and it was just the perfect dessert for our Easter dessert! Every recipe by you is just amazing!!
Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Dee Dee! We’re so happy to hear that these mini cheesecakes were a hit for your Easter celebration. Thank you so much for making them!
THIS WAS SO GOOD!!!!
If you find your filling is not seting up, adding some cheesecake Jello pudding in really makes them firm!
This recipe is excellent. I’ve made the mini cheesecakes twice – once for work and once for a party. Both times people raved about them and they were gone within minutes. This recipe is a keeper and so easy.
I know these are titled “Mini”…but is this using a regular size muffin tin pan or the mini?
Use a regular sized muffin tin for these mini no-bake cheesecakes, Christine!
I loved this recipe!!! It was delicious with your lemon curd. Thanks so much!!!!!!!!
Did you pre-bake the crusts? When I made this recipe I pre-baked half the crusts and left the other half alone. The ones I didn’t bake were very crumbly. If you pre-baked them then you probably made a slight mis-measurment with the graham cracker crumbs and your crust was too dry.
thanks! i think the measurements may have been my issue – i remember going off the weight of an “average” one off the pack, i did the pre-bake!
Was wondering if I could make this recipe in the 4 oz mini canning jars instead of muffin tins?
Hi! Mine are setting up in the ‘fridge as I write this. I made 12 muffins and one 6-inch cheesecake. I followed your recipe to a tee (which is rather unlike me as I always need to change something) but they are not quite sturdy! I whipped my cream to firm peaks, the cream was cold, the cream cheese was in the blocks, etc, etc. It’s been about 8 hours…will another 8 hours do anything more to firm them up?
ALSO – do you serve them STRAIGHT out of the ‘fridge or do you let them come to room temperature before serving?
Hi Monika, We usually serve these right out of the fridge – The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30-60 minutes at room temperature. Any chance you were you using lower fat ingredients? The full fat guarantees the cheesecakes are sturdy enough to set up properly (they will still have an airy texture more like mousse rather than being more dense like a baked cheesecake). But either way chilling longer should definitely help!
Can i make ths without Whipping cream?
Hi Celeste, we wouldn’t recommend it. The whipped cream helps solidify the filling and its airiness creates an irresistible mousse-like consistency. You can use store-bought whipped topping in place of making your own, if desired.
Hi Sally, i would like to make this recipe in a 6″ round baking tin, may i know the ingredients proportion? My friend is allergic to eggs and chocolate, i m glad i have found this recipe! If i would like to bake this cake, what temperature would you recommend to bake it and for how long?
Thank you!
Hi Cynthia, This is the cake version of these mini cheesecakes. We haven’t tested it but you can try cutting the recipe in half for a 6 inch springform pan. It’s a no-bake cheesecake so you don’t need to bake it. If you are looking for the baked cheesecake try this classic cheesecake recipe.
I would love to make a gingerbread version for Christmas by swapping molasses for some of the sugar, using typical spicing for gingerbread and maybe eliminating the lemon. Any suggestions for proportions?
Hi Pat, That sounds delicious but we have never tested this recipe with molasses (the spices will be fine!). Let us know if you try anything!
This recipe is to die for! I had to adapt it to a low carb diet and was only making these for myself so I halved the recipe and instead of graham cracker crust, I used keto almond butter cookies that I already baked and crumbled those as the crust plus of course Swerve sweeteners instead of sugar. They came out so yummy and the fact that I can freeze them is ideal because the temptation to eat all of them is real! These will make a perfect Thanksgiving dessert and I may try making pumpkin ones as well!
Hi Sally,
I was planning on making this recipe soon but is there something I could substitute for the graham crackers? could I use oreos? or something along the line of that? and is there a way to ensure that the base doesn’t get too hard?
Hi Maraia, You can use crushed Oreos instead of graham cracker crumbs. (We recommend the quick baking step if using Oreos though.)
I Made this with the lemon curd topping. Delicious!
Hi Sally
After 3 hours can they be taken out of muffin pan and stored (covered) in the fridge. So i can use the muffin pan for something else
Hi Sally
How long will these last at room temperature. I am in a country where its cold at the moment. Thank you
A couples hours is just fine!
I wanted to make the larger no bake cheesecake but made the mini ones to take to the office. They are SO easy to prepare! Made the strawberry sauce for on top and it was perfect! Delicious!!
Yum! These were perfect! I made some without the crust, too, to accommodate the GF diet and they were great with fresh strawberries on top. Thanks for another great recipe that I can make for company without trying it ahead of time!!
I got a lot of complements on this recipe. I used blueberry pie filling as a topping. Even suggestions to either put it in a pie crust or to make it as a bigger version in like a 9×13 dish.
Didn’t have graham crackers so I used Oreos instead, turned out delicious!!!