Berries and cream were made for each other and nothing celebrates these two flavors quite like strawberry cheesecake. Bake up some bite-sized beauty with this fresh and flavorful Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe!
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If you’re looking for a fun and fresh take on dessert, look no further! These bright and creamy Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Bites will blow you away with style and flavor! These small sweet bites are the perfect medley of berries and cream to please any palette. From weekend sweets to party treats these Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes are the dessert you have been waiting for!
They're not just another strawberry topped mini cheesecake but rather a one with a delightful strawberry filling inside and a buttery graham cracker crust. A homemade strawberry sauce is twirled into the cheesecake for pure heaven in every bite! These are my kids favorite dessert and we make this every other week. Hope this will become one of your family favorite desserts too!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- No Water Bath Needed - If this technique has held you back from making cheesecakes, don't worry. This delicious cheesecake recipe doesn't require a water bath. Plus they're ready in just 15 minutes in the oven.
- Fast and Flavorful- This delicious recipe is so full of flavors with fresh strawberry sauce! They bake faster than a regular-sized cheesecake. These tiny bites sing with the flavor of tangy, sweet cheese and bright, fresh strawberries inside and out.
- Party-Pleaser - The best part of these small cheesecakes is how shareable and fun they are! They make the perfect dessert for a potluck or a party, especially during strawberry season. Serve these at your next party and watch them fly off the plate!
- Easy and Economical - Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes are so easy to make because they use things you probably already have! No special equipment is needed either! With less than ten easy ingredients these mini cheesecakes come together to make delicious magic.
Ingredients
- Graham Crackers - These flavorful crackers make up the crust. You can use pre-made crumbs when available. Alternatively, pulse some graham cracker sheets in a food processor or smash them in a plastic bag into fine crumbs.
- Butter - You will need melted butter. It helps hold the crust together. You can use unsalted butter too but add a pinch of salt along with it.
- Granulated Sugar - Adds sweetness to the graham cracker crust, cheesecake filling, and strawberry sauce.
- Cream Cheese - Key ingredient in cheesecake. Choose bricks not spreadable containers. Optionally swap regular cream cheese for low-fat to cut the calories in this sweet.
- Sour Cream - Sour cream brings a lovely sweet tangy flavor to the cheesecakes. Take the sour cream out about a half hour early so it comes to room temperature.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla brings a smooth sweet flavor to the cheesecake filling. Choose a pure vanilla extract or substitute this ingredient for vanilla bean paste or fresh vanilla bean, if desired.
- Large Egg - Lightly beaten eggs brings airiness, fattiness, and rise to these tasty mini cheesecakes.
- Strawberries - Fresh sliced strawberries bring so much fresh fruity flavor to these decadent little bites. Use them to top your mini cheesecake. For the strawberry sauce, you can use fresh or frozen strawberries.
- Lemon juice - Totally optional, but you can use a teaspoon of lemon juice in the cheesecake batter or strawberry sauce to bring out fresh flavours more.
How to Make Mini Strawberry Cheesecake
*Scroll below for the printable recipe card and ingredient measurements.
Make the Strawberry Topping and Filling:
Step One - Add the strawberries and sugar to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until most of the water has evaporated and the strawberries are soft.
Step Two - Mash the strawberries with the back of a spoon or a fork and set aside to cool.
Make the Crust:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-muffin pan with muffin or cupcake liners.
Step One & Two - If you have graham cracker sheets instead of crumbs, pulse them in a food processor until fine. Or put the graham cracker sheets in a zip lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. In a small bowl, mix crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until it's crumbly.
Step Three & Four - Place about 1.5 tablespoons of the crumb mixture in each muffin liner and press down into the pan until it’s even and firm.
Make the Cheesecake:
Step One - For the creamy cheesecake filling, into a large bowl add room temperature cream cheese, sour cream and sugar. Beat on high speed with a hand mixer.
Step Two & Three - Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract and beat on low speed till just combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Don’t over beat.
Step Four - Pour the filling equally onto the crust in 12 muffin liners.
Step Five - Add a teaspoon of strawberry sauce into the middle of each cheesecake.
Step Six - Swirl the strawberry sauce gently into the cheesecake mixture with a small fork or a toothpick.
Step Seven - Bake cheesecake in the oven at 350˚F for about 15-17 minutes. When done, the edges will be set and the middle jiggly. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
Serve : Cover and let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours before eating. Spoon the remaining strawberry sauce on top of each cheesecake and garnish with sliced strawberries. Alternatively, you can top these cheesecakes with whipped cream.
Expert Tips
- Take the cream cheese out of the fridge before getting started to allow it to soften. This makes it much easier to work with and helps prevent sinking.
- Don't over beat the cheesecake batter after adding eggs. You want to beat until just combined to prevent cracks.
- If you bake often, consider investing in silicone muffin cup liners. They are reusable and will save these tasty mini cheesecakes from sticking!
- Chill the mini cheesecakes at least for 2 to 3 hours before enjoying.
How to Know When Mini Cheesecake is Done?
When your mini cheesecakes are done they will be fluffy and set around the edges. The cakes might have a little jiggle still, especially near the jammy middle, and that’s okay. They will continue cooking in the pan after coming out of the oven and set up nicely.
How Do You Keep Mini Cheesecakes From Sinking?
There is nothing more disappointing than making a beautiful cheesecake only to watch it sink while it cools. This is a side effect of air raising the batter as it bakes then leaking out as it cools. Here are couple of things you can do to keep your cheesecake from sinking or cracking.
- Bring your dairy ingredients to room temperature before mixing.
- Don't over beat the mixture after adding the eggs. Beat till just combined.
- Also, after spooning the cheesecake batter on to the crusts, bang the muffin tin on the counter gently a couple of times to get rid of any air bubbles that may have formed in the batter.
Storage
Cheesecakes taste best when they're chilled. They also keep nice and fresh in the refrigerator. Allow the mini cheesecakes to cool completely and then place them in an airtight container.
Store the cheesecakes in the fridge for up to a week.
How Do You Freeze Mini Cheesecakes?
If you want to keep the cheesecakes a little longer or make extra for future use, this recipe is perfect for freezing! Here’s how:
- Wrap each individual mini cheesecake in plastic wrap and then again in foil.
- Place each wrapped mini cheesecake into a large freezer-safe bag.
- Press out the excess air, seal, and label the bag with the content and date.
- Store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
How To Defrost
To thaw the Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes, place them in the fridge for 8-12 hours before serving. Store the thawed cheesecake in the fridge for up to 4 days and never refreeze.
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Recipe
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes With Strawberry Filling
Equipment
- Stand Mixer/Hand Beater
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs about 8 sheets crushed
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
- 12 oz cream cheese 1.5 blocks
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- 2 eggs medium
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Strawberry Sauce
- 2 cup strawberries sliced
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 6 strawberries cut in half to garnish optional
Instructions
Make the Strawberry Filling/Sauce
- Add the strawberries and sugar to a saucepan and cook over medium-high heat until most of the water has evaporated and the strawberries are soft.
- Mash the strawberries with the back of a spoon or a fork and set aside to cool.
Make the Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 12-muffin tin with muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl, mix crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until it's crumbly.
- Place about 1.5 tablespoons of the crumb mixture in each muffin liner and press down into the pan until it’s even and firm.
Make the Cheesecake
- Into a large mixing bowl add room temperature cream cheese, sour cream and sugar and beat with an electric mixer (or a stand mixer). Add beaten eggs and vanilla extract and beat till just combined and the mixture is smooth and creamy. Don’t over beat.
- Pour the filling equally onto the crust in 12 muffin liners. Add a teaspoon of strawberry sauce into the middle of each cheesecake. Swirl the strawberry sauce gently into the cheesecake mixture with a fork.
- Bake in the oven at 350˚F for about 15-17 minutes. When done, the edges will be set and the middle jiggly. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely.
- Cover and let it chill in the fridge for a couple of hours. Top the cheesecakes with the remaining strawberry sauce and halved strawberries before serving.
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