Easy Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
These mini strawberry cheesecakes are by far one of my favorite bite size desserts for holidays, dinner parties, picnics, and brunches at home! The cheesecake is ridiculously creamy with a pop of lemon, specks of vanilla bean, and a spiked strawberry topping. Oof, they are the best!
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 10 full graham cracker sheets
- 50 grams granulated sugar (1/4 cup)
- 86 grams unsalted butter, melted & cooled (6 Tablespoons)
Cheesecake Filling
- 28 grams unsalted butter, softened (2 Tablespoons)
- 132 grams granulated sugar (2/3 cup)
- 454 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (16 ounces)
- 152 grams full-fat sour cream, room temperature (2/3 cup)
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
Strawberry Topping
- 227 grams fresh strawberries (1/2 pound)
- 18 grams granulated sugar (1 1/2 Tablespoons)
- 8 milliliters limoncello or orange juice (1/2 Tablespoon)
Equipment
- Food processor or rolling pin
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- Mini cheesecake pan or standard cupcake pan with liners
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). Lightly grease a mini cheesecake pan with butter or baking spray. Or if you're using a standard cupcake pan, line the cups with paper liners for easy removal. (See the Recipe Notes for more details on using a cupcake pan.)
- Add the graham cracker sheets to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until you have semi-fine crumbs. You should end up with around 1 1/2 cups of crumbs (148 grams). Add the sugar and melted butter. Pulse until the graham crackers are finely ground and you have a thick dough.
- Evenly divide the graham cracker mixture into the mini cheesecake cups, about 2 Tablespoons per cup (or 1 1/2 Tablespoons per cupcake liner). Using a pastry tamper or spoon, press the mixture evenly into the bottom of the cups. Bake for 5-6 minutes, until the crusts are toasty and light golden-brown. Let the crusts cool completely while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- Fill an oven-safe pan (like a small cake pan) with a few inches of water. Set aside.
- Add the butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until the mixture is sandy. Add the cream cheese and beat until the cream cheese is light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl every once in a while.
- Mix in the sour cream, lemon zest, and vanilla bean paste. Then, add the eggs and beat just until the filling is well-combined. Using a #20 cookie scoop, evenly divide the filling between the cooled crusts, about 3 Tablespoons per cup (or 2 Tablespoons per cupcake liner). Use a butter knife to smooth the filling evenly over the crusts.
- Place the mini cheesecake pan (or cupcake pan) on the middle rack of the oven and set the pan of water on the rack under the mini cheesecakes. Bake at 325°F (163°C) for 15-18 minutes, or until the edges are set and the centers are still a bit wobbly (but not liquid-y).
- Once the cheesecakes are baked, turn off the oven and crack the oven door. Let the mini cheesecakes cool for 30-60 minutes in the oven to keep the tops from cracking. Then, cover the pan and refrigerate the cheesecakes for another 3-4 hours or until the filling is completely set.
Strawberry Topping
- De-stem the strawberries and slice them into quarters. Add the sugar and limoncello. Toss the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Right before serving, spoon the strawberry mixture over the chilled cheesecakes. Enjoy!
Notes
If you don't have a food processor, you can also place the graham crackers in a zipper bag and use a rolling pin to crush them into fine crumbs. Then, mix the crust together by hand.
It’s important that all of the ingredients are room temperature when you mix the filling. This will help it come out smooth and creamy.
If you want a thicker topping, skip the fresh strawberries. You can use this strawberry compote or coulis instead!
If you’re using a cupcake pan instead of a mini cheesecake pan, you will end up with closer to 18 cheesecakes. Start checking for doneness around 14 minutes.
I think the cheesecakes taste best when they’re room temperature. Just take them out of the fridge about about 20-30 minutes before serving.
Serving: 1cheesecake, Calories: 360kcal, Carbohydrates: 30g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 25g, Saturated Fat: 14g, Cholesterol: 97mg, Sodium: 212mg, Potassium: 130mg, Fiber: 0.8g, Sugar: 22g, Vitamin C: 11mg, Calcium: 69mg, Iron: 0.8mg
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