Mini Cherry Cheesecakes – Fun and adorable mini cheesecakes have a crunchy graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake filling, and are topped with cherry pie filling but you can top them with anything you’d like! EASY, sure to impress, and mini food always tastes BETTER!
Bite-Sized Cherry Cheesecakes
These easy-to-make mini cheesecakes are sure to impress!
They’re perfect for company or entertaining, especially after a big meal when you want something sweet but nothing too big.
The cheesecakes are also casual enough that you can set them out if you’re having a get-together and people can graze by and help themselves when they’re ready for dessert.
Crunchy graham cracker crust is topped with a smooth and creamy filling and I topped the mini cheesecakes with cherry pie filling but you can use any flavor you’d like. I gave some flavor variation suggestions below.
Ingredients in Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
Ingredients in Mini Cherry CheesecakesFor the mini cheesecakes, you’ll need the following easy-to-find and common fridge and pantry ingredients:
Crust
- Graham crackers, about 6 crackers
- Unsalted butter
- Granulated sugar
Filling
- Cream cheese
- Granulated sugar
- Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Large egg
- Lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
Topping
- Cherry pie filling
How To Make Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
Preheat your oven and line a 12-count mini cupcake pan with liners.
Crush graham crackers in a food processor, add melted butter and granulated sugar, and process again. You want the crumbs to be really fine.
You could also use approximately 3/4 cup store bought graham cracker crumbs sold in the baking aisle usually.
Evenly divide the graham cracker crumbs to each liner and gently pack them down.
Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or handheld electric mixer, beat together very well softened cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
Once smooth, add the Greek yogurt, egg, lemon juice, and vanilla, and mix again.
Evenly add the cheesecake filling on top of the crusts and bake for about 17 to 20 minutes.
Turn off the oven and open the oven door and allow the cheesecakes to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
Remove from the oven, allow them to set at room temperature for 1 more hour before chilling and enjoying.
You can add the cherry pie filling either before you chill them in the fridge or immediately before serving.
Flavor Variations for Mini Cheesecakes
If you’re a lemon dessert lover, you can easily make lemony cheesecakes by adding some lemon zest to the cream cheese and sugar mixture. I would go with 1 to 2 teaspoons.
You can also top with lemon curd rather than the cherries.
Additionally, in that same vein, you could also top your bite-sized cheesecakes with other pie fillings such as peach or apple.
If you’re a chocolate fan, top with chocolate ganache, Nutella, or even whipped topping with peanut butter.
Cream Cheese for Cheesecake
It is extremely important that your cream cheese is SOFT.
You should pull it out of your refrigerator at least 2 hours before making, but 4 hours is better.
Also, you need to use brick-style cream cheese. More “spreadable” versions of cream cheese sold in tubs isn’t recommended because the cheesecake won’t set up properly.
I have only made the recipe with full-fat cream cheese and can’t say whether reduced or fat free cream cheese will work. I definitely don’t recommend fat-free. Reduced fat may work but I would just use full fat to be safe.
Tips for the Best Bite-Sized Cheesecakes
The egg does not need to be at room temperature, but it can be.
You can store the cheesecakes airtight in the refrigerator for up to 3 days but note that the crust will become soft after a day or so.
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Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Crust
- 3 ounces graham crackers, about 6 crackers (or about 3/4 cup store bought graham cracker crumbs)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Filling
- 8 ounces brick style cream cheese, very well softened*
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- Cherry pie filling, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and line a 12-count mini cupcake pan with liners.
- Crust - Crush the graham crackers in a food processor, add the melted butter and granulated sugar, and process again until the crumbs are very fine.
- Evenly divide the graham cracker crumbs among each liner and gently pack them down; set aside.
- Filling - Using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or handheld electric mixer), beat together the cream cheese and sugar on medium speed until smooth.
- Once the mixture is smooth, add the Greek yogurt or sour cream, egg, lemon juice, vanilla, and beat again on medium speed until smooth.
- Evenly divide the filling mixture (about 1 tablespoon) to the top of the crusts.
- Bake for 17 to 20 minutes, then turn off the oven and open the oven door and allow the cheesecakes to cool in the oven for 1 hour.
- Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cheesecakes to sit in the pan on a wire rack at room temperature for 1 more hour.
- Place the cheesecakes in the fridge and allow to chill for about 1 hour, or as desired, before serving.
- Topping - You can add the cherry filling, as desired, either before you place the cheesecakes in the fridge or after right before serving them.
- Cheesecakes will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4 days noting the crust will soften after about 1 day.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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