Why you will love this Individual Cheesecake recipe
Before we get to the land of perfectly chocolate-glazed mini cheesecakes with heart strawberry cut-outs, we have to start at the beginning. We all love loaf pan cheesecake. However, we can all over-do it on cheesecake, am I right? This is not true for the mini egg cheesecake, however–that never gets old. I’ve been playing with my recipe for small batch mini cheesecakes made in muffin cups for probably a decade. To be exact–since the time my roommate in college made these by dropping in a nilla wafer instead of bothering with a crust. (I went to college before Pinterest existed, and yes, I am so very old). This is the method I use for my mini strawberry cheesecakes, by the way. The gracious thing about mini cheesecakes in muffin cups is that you can’t really over-do it. Especially when you’re only making a small batch. This recipe makes just 4 mini cheesecakes with graham cracker crust. Two mini cheesecake cupcakes for you, two mini cheesecake cupcakes for me, and then none for tomorrow when we should get back to our January diets. But, this roundup makes it hard!
Best Ever Mini Cheesecake Recipe
Yes, we’re making a small batch of graham cracker crumbs to make the crusts for these mini cheesecakes. It’s so very worth it, especially if you’re the type who happens to think the crust is the best part. Beyond that, you should know that I always flavor my cheesecake with vanilla and freshly squeezed lemon juice. The unique combination of vanilla sweetness with lemon juice gives it just the right amount of tang. I also always use an egg for fluffiness. If you don’t want chocolate on top, try using my microwave lemon curd on top instead!
Small Cheesecake ingredients
Graham Crackers. We need ½ cup of graham cracker crumbs, which you can buy from a box. If you would like to make them yourself, use 3 whole graham cracker sheets that you crush in a food processor until they are the texture of coarse sand. Butter. We need two tablespoons of melted butter to turn the graham crackers into a crust. Cream Cheese. Just 4 ounces of cream cheese that has been chopped and left out at room temperature to soften completely. If cream cheese isn’t fully soft, it can be lumpy in the cheesecake batter, and the lumps will not melt or bake out. Use only room temperature cream cheese for making cheesecake. Do not use whipped cream cheese for a baked cheesecake. It’s only okay to use whipped cream cheese is when you’re not cooking it, like for the frosting of my sugar cookie bars. Granulated Sugar. Vanilla Extract. Lemon Juice. We only need one-half of a teaspoon of lemon juice, so it doesn’t have to be freshly squeezed. Bottled lemon juice is fine here. Egg. One large egg that is at room temperature. If you forgot to take it out, just place it in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes while you make the rest of the recipe.
For topping the mini cheesecakes:
Chocolate Chips. You can use semisweet chocolate chips or a bar of your favorite chocolate that you chop into small pieces. Coconut Oil. If you want that crisp chocolate shell, you need to use coconut oil. I use virigin coconut oil, because I like the coconut flavor that it imparts. If you want the glaze to be more melty and soft (like in my mini chocolate cake), then use heavy cream instead of coconut oil. Fresh Strawberries. This is optional, but if you use a tiny heart cutter, you can make the cutest little strawberry hearts like you see in the photos. Sliced strawberries are also just fine on top, as are raspberries and blueberries!
How to make Mini Cheesecakes
How to store Individual Cheesecake
Can mini cheesecakes be frozen?
Yes, you can absolutely freeze mini cheesecakes! In fact, I prefer to eat them straight from the freezer at midnight before bed. To do this, place them on a small baking sheet, and slide it into the freezer. After 2 hours, remove them, wrap them in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 6 months. You can freeze them with the chocolate topping or without, it doesn’t matter! If you want to eat them cold but not frozen, place them in the fridge overnight to defrost and then serve. Make-Ahead: These can be baked and frozen ahead of time. Once cool, place them on a small baking sheet, and slide it into the freezer. After 2 hours, remove them, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag for up to 6 months. You can freeze them with the chocolate topping or without, it doesn’t matter! To serve, thaw in the fridge overnight.
