Easy Mini Cheesecakes with Graham Cracker Crust

Satisfy your sweet tooth with this easy mini cheesecakes recipe! This delicious dessert is perfect for parties, holidays or as a special treat the whole family will love.

Mini Cheesecake Recipe with Graham Cracker Crust

These baked individual cheesecakes are perfect for holidays and entertaining and easy enough for an everyday dessert! You don’t even need a special cheesecake pan for this easy recipe — a regular muffin tin or muffin pan will do!

My little boy has always been obsessed with cheesecake. It started long ago when we were out for lunch, and I let him talk me into ordering a slice for dessert. Because it was so rich, we were able to divide one slice between four of us, and my son was hooked!

He pestered me to make homemade cheesecake ever since that day, and I finally gave in  — sort of. Instead of making a full cake, we made mini cheesecakes in a muffin tin. The mini desserts turned out great, and we have been making this easy dessert ever since! Try my no bake cheesecake or cherry cheesecake dip and cheesecake in the Instant Pot next!

Ingredients

You only need a few basic ingredients from your grocery store, plus a muffin tin and paper or parchment liners to make easy mini cheesecakes. Full amounts are in the printable recipe card below.

• Cream cheese — full-fat cream cheese at room temperature for easy mixing
• Sugar — white sugar
• Vanilla extract — for flavor
• Salt
• Eggs — large eggs at room temperature
• Graham crackers — for the crusts
• Butter — I prefer salted butter, but unsalted butter is fine
• Toppings — I love fresh strawberries, but any fruit or whipped cream will do

Like the Philadelphia mini cheesecakes recipe, my mini cheesecake recipe does not include sour cream. I don’t use sour cream in my regular cheesecakes either.

How to Make Mini Cheesecakes

First, make the graham cracker crust. Finely crush up graham crackers into graham cracker crumbs — you can do this with a food processor or by putting graham crackers into a freezer bag and smashing them with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin.

Add the crushed graham crackers to a large bowl and mix them with melted butter and sugar. They should be the consistency of wet sand.

Next, line a muffin tin with paper baking cups or cupcake liners. Spoon the graham crackers into the baking cups, and press to form an even layer.

Bake the crusts for 5 minutes or until light golden brown. You can start on the cheesecake batter while you wait for them to cool.

Next, make the cheesecake filling. Use an electric mixer or hand mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until creamy and smooth. Alternately, you can use a stand mixer with paddle attachment. Then, add the vanilla and then, the eggs, one at a time. Don’t over mix — otherwise, the cheesecakes may turn lumpy.

I let my little guy crack the eggs, which was brave of me. He did a good job, but I had to clean up the mess. Still, he’s learning, and that’s what counts!

Next, spoon the batter evenly over the crusts. An ice cream scoop or cookie scoop makes this part easy! The muffin cups should be about 3/4 full.

Bake Time

The nice thing about making individual cheesecakes is that they don’t take much time at all! Bake cheesecake minis for about 18 to 20 minutes.

You can tell the cheesecakes are done when they are firm around the edges and slightly golden brown. The centers may be soft, but they shouldn’t be super jiggly.

You’ll want to refrigerate the cheesecakes for about 2 hours or until they firm up more. I usually let the muffin tin cool on the counter until it’s cool enough to handle. Then, I pop it into the fridge for a couple of hours.

To serve the cheesecakes, you’ll want to carefully peel off the paper liners. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect or if the centers of the cheesecakes sink in a little.

You can fill these delicious mini cheesecakes with toppings, and nobody will care or notice!

Variations and Substitutions

There is no one way to enjoy these perfect mini cheesecakes — customize these little guys however you want! You can brighten up the flavor with a teaspoon of lemon juice or zest.

Instead of the classic cheesecake graham cracker crust, crush vanilla wafers into fine crumbs with the crackers for a little extra sweetness. Or, smash up Oreos for a tasty Oreo crust.

There’s a variety of toppings for these little cheesecakes. Fruits are always a great option — try sliced strawberries, macerated strawberries, fresh blueberries, lemon curd, kiwi slices, or cherry pie filling. Top your creamy mini cheesecakes with whipped cream, melted chocolate chips, chocolate ganache, or caramel sauce.

How to Store

Store your mini cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where they’ll last for 3 to 4 days. I would recommend storing the cakes plain and without their toppings, and just adding toppings where you’re ready to serve. This will keep things from potentially getting soggy. These cheesecakes freeze well for up to 3 months. Let them defrost in the refrigerator before eating.

Helpful Tips

The easiest way to soften cream cheese is to let it sit out for a bit before using. Add the eggs one at a time and beat gently until just mixed in. This will help prevent the cheesecake tops from cracking.

I started leaving the oven door open just slightly for about a minute after baking. This helps prevent the tops from sinking in.

Don’t leave the cheesecakes out longer than 2 hours for food safety.

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First published in 2016 and updated in 2024.