Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Indulge in the delightful goodness of mini strawberry cheesecakes! These bite-sized treasures feature a velvety strawberry cream cheese filling nestled in a buttery graham cracker crust, all topped with a luscious, sweet strawberry sauce. Perfect for any occasion, these mini desserts are easy to make and absolutely irresistible!
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup (120 g) graham cracker crumbs, about 8 full-sheets
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the filling
- ¾ cup (25 g) freeze dried strawberries
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 16 ounces (452 g) cream cheese, softened
- ½ cup (113 g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
For the topping
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 16 ounces (453 g) strawberries, stemmed and chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Instructions
Make the crust
- Move the oven rack to the lower third position (1 notch below the center of the oven) and heat the oven to 325°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
- Evenly distribute the mixture between all 12 liners, about 1.5 tablespoons in each cup. Use a ¼-cup measuring cup or small glass to firmly press it down into one even layer.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool while you make the filling.
Make the filling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 300°F.
- In a food processor or blender, combine the freeze-dried strawberries and sugar, and process them until you get a fine powder.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer beat the cream cheese and strawberry sugar together until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sour cream and vanilla, beat on low speed until smooth. Using a silicone spatula, gently stir in the eggs just until combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter between all 12 liners in the muffin pan, filling each one almost all the way to the top.
- Bake for 15-20, or until the tops of the cheesecakes puff up and look set. The edges should be completely set, but the center will still be just a little bit jiggly when shaken. If they look too underdone, continue baking 5-10 minutes longer.
- Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and cool in the pan for 1 hour. Carefully remove from the pan and refrigerate in an airtight container for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Make the topping
- Combine the sugar, strawberries, and lemon juice in a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat for 5-8 minutes, until bubbling. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 until sauce has thickened.
- Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool to room temperature. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Top each cheesecake with 1 tablespoon of strawberry sauce just before serving.
Notes
- Graham crackers: To make this recipe a little easier, you can use store-bought graham cracker crumbs. You can also try your favorite cookie in place of graham crackers.
- Freeze-dried strawberries: These can be found on the aisle with the dried fruit at your local grocery store. You can also purchase them on Amazon.
- Cream cheese: Make sure to use brick-style cream cheese and not cream cheese spread in a tub. I recommend using full-fat cream cheese for the best results.
- Sour cream: Full-fat sour cream works best in this recipe. You may use an equal amount of plain Greek yogurt instead.
- Room temperature ingredients: Make sure the cold ingredients are brought to room temperature. Set everything out at least 1 hour before using. Remove the cream cheese from the package and slice it into cubes. If the cream cheese is still cold, the fill will not be smooth.
- How to tell mini cheesecakes are done baking: Set edges and jiggly centers are signs of perfectly cooked cheesecakes. They will continue to set up as they cool and chill in the refrigerator.
- Mini cheesecake pan: You can use a mini cheesecake pan for this recipe. However, since the cavities are a little smaller than a muffin pan, I recommend making 16 instead of 12.
- Storage: Store mini cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freeze: Mini cheesecakes will freeze well for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the refrigerator.