Mini Cheesecakes ~ Nilla Wafer crust with a rich and creamy cheesecake filling topped with fresh fruit or your whatever you choose. Simple, no fail recipe!
I may have a thing for individual desserts: Boozy Brownies, Mini Strawberry Pies, Baklava Cups, S’Mores Cookie Cups – to name a few.
Handheld, no forks required and easy to make. This Mini Cheesecakes recipe comes from my husband’s aunt, whose desserts remain the standard by which all baked goods are judged. She always had a warm hug and a supply of Nilla Wafers for everyone. I can’t see a box without thinking of her.
Mini Cheesecakes are incredibly easy to customize from Easter to every holiday you whip out the red, white and blue and anytime in between.
What’s in Mini Cheesecakes?
Nilla Wafers
full fat cream cheese softened to room temp
granulated sugar
eggs
lemon zest
vanilla extract
Tips for great cheesecake:
- Make sure the cream cheese is room temperature before you start baking.
- The batter should be smooth and creamy for the best cheesecakes.
- You do not want the cheesecakes to crack before you take them out of the oven. They’re finished baking when the very center is still slightly soft/jiggly.
How to make mini cheesecakes:
Preheat the oven to 350° then line 24 regular size muffin cups with paper liners. Place one Nilla Wafer cookie into the bottom of each cup then set aside.
In a medium size bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups then bake 18-20 minutes. Remove from the oven then cool completely.
How to know when Mini Cheesecakes are done:
To know when the cheesecakes are done, gently shake the muffin tin. They should look like they’re almost set with only a small area in the middle of each that jiggles slightly. This area will firm up during carry-over cooking while they’re cooling.
Topping Ideas:
How you top these Mini Cheesecakes is up to you!
- Toasted coconut and jelly beans for a cute Easter dessert
- Fresh seasonal fruit
- Canned cherry pie filling
- Lemon curd
- Crushed candy bars
- Whipped Cream
Enjoy!
If you tried this Mini Cheesecakes recipe or any other on the blog then I’d love to hear from you with a comment or star rating!
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Mini Cheesecakes
Equipment
- full size muffin tin
Ingredients
- 24 Nilla Wafer cookies
- 2 packages full fat cream cheese 8 ounces EACH
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Bring cream to room temperature then preheat the oven to 350°. Line 24 regular size muffin cups with paper liners then place one Nilla Wafer cookie into the bottom of each cup and set aside.
- In a medium size bowl, beat the room temperature cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon zest and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups and bake 18-20 minutes then remove from the oven and cool completely. Top with your favorites such as fresh or canned fruit - or see other suggestions in the body of this post.
How to tell when the cheesecakes are done:
- Gently shake the muffin tin. They should look like they’re almost set with only a small area in the middle of each that jiggles slightly. The center area will firm up during carry-over cooking while they’re cooling.