Have these classic mini baked cheesecakes ready by the hour. Baked in 6 jumbo muffin tins (or 12 regular cups), these individual cheesecakes are simply perfect to serve to your guests or as midweek post-dinner treat!
The first cheesecakes I made were always non-bake, partially because I hadn’t yet heard of baked cheesecakes, and partially because should I have known, the teenage me would’ve freaked a little at all the commotion that surrounds baked cheesecakes.
Everything from water baths to claims of the best tips & hacks, I think I would’ve recoiled and whipped up a batch of brownies to destress. It’s my thing. I was, after all, just a high school girl slightly obsessed with baking.
Fast forward to now, baking a cheesecake is just as therapeutic as baking any other treat; but this only came through lots of practice. If you’re looking for a starting recipe, these fool-proof baked mini cheesecakes are just that.
So, how do you bake mini cheesecakes?
The recipe is so simple – it’s practically fool proof. I adapted it from Taste’s Food Editor Tracy Rutherford to include a proper cheesecake base.
The great thing about making mini cheesecakes, is you don’t need a water bath, and you don’t have to bake it for long! Simply line your muffin tin with paper liners, add the cheesecake base and flatten. Add the cheesecake mixture and bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. If you don’t have a tin with 6 jumbo cups, you can use a 12 cup muffin tin and reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes.
I left the oven door 1/2 open to let them cool slowly, but you can take them right out and leave in the pan on the bench to cool to room temperature. Wait at least 10 minutes before removing them from the pan to put on a cooling rack, or in the fridge if you’re in a hurry.
What toppings go well on cheesecake?
These are amazing topped with whipped cream, seasonal berries, or my personal favourite, a bit of the cheesecake crust, lightly toasted in a pan and served on top as a “crumble”. Other ideas include:
- A mixed seasonal fruit salad topping.
- Chocolate ganache (which can be made with white, milk or dark chocolate to change up the flavours).
- Jelly with sliced fruits, poured onto the cheesecakes and set in the fridge.
- Dulce de leche or caramel.
- Frosting of choice, such as peanut butter frosting.
- A homemade sauce – including strawberry, blueberry or even a hot fudge sauce.
- Macerated fruit of choice.
Honestly, the ideas are endless, it’s up to you to settle on a flavour – and what a hard task that is! 😉
Can you freeze mini cheesecakes?
I get you. Snag one out of the freezer and dessert is done. That’s a real dream right there. The good news is you can definitely freeze these cheesecakes, simply wrap in plastic wrap and place in a container to avoid freezer burn. Simply defrost on the counter when you’re in the mood and enjoy. Do not freeze for more than 4 weeks as the cheesecake’s final texture may change with a long freeze time, and don’t freeze these with fruit toppings as they will get soggy after being thawed.
Top Tips
I’ve put together some of my top tips to help you get the perfect mini cheesecakes.
- Use a good quality cream cheese, such as Philadelphia Cream Cheese, to produce the tastiest bake.
- Line your muffin tin (or jumbo muffin tin) with paper liners to help you remove the mini cheesecakes from the pan.
- Leave the cheesecakes to cool for at least 10 minutes before removing from the pan. This helps them keep their shape during the cooling process.
- Correctly bake the individual cheesecakes. To tell if a cheesecake is ready, gently shake the pan (with oven mitts) while it rests on the oven rack. An under baked cheesecake will jiggle in the centre. A perfectly baked cheesecake wobbles slightly in the centre.
You can also head on over to my Ricotta Cheesecake post for more detailed information on how to stop cheesecakes from cracking and sinking.
Mini Baked Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Cheesecake Filling
- 250 grams cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla essence
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp lemon juice, see notes
Cheesecake Crust
- 9 plain sweet biscuits
- 60 grams butter, melted
Garnishes (optional)
- seasonal berries
- icing sugar
Instructions
- Prepare a 6 cup muffin tin by lining with paper liners. Ensure your muffin tin has no less than a 1/2 cup capacity per muffin.
- Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan forced) or 350°F (325°C fan forced).
- Add biscuits to a ziplock bag and crush with a rollin pin to fine crumbs. Add crushed biscuits and melted butter into a bowl and stir well to combine.
- Spoon into prepared muffin tin and flatten using a spatula, or the bottom of a glass. Set aside.
- Beat softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and lemon juice with electric beaters until smooth.Add eggs and beat again until well combined.
- Spoon cream cheese mixture evenly into prepared cases and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until the centre wobbles lightly.Set aside to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to wire rack to cool completely. You may choose to open the oven door (halfway) and allow the cheesecakes to cool slowly inside the oven.
- Once cheesecakes are at room temperature, garnish with berries and icing sugar.
Notes
- Use a regular 12 cup muffin tin and reduce baking time by about 5 minutes if you don't have a 6 cup jumbo muffin tin.
- You can easily substitute lemon juice with your favourite flavour. For example, you can substitute one tablespoon of freshly brewed espresso for a coffee cheesecake.
Tried it? Let me know if you liked it!
Go on and rate the recipe in the comments below. And Don’t forget to tag your creations on Instagram with @tilgoldenbrown #tilgoldenbrown so I can feature them! ❤️
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