Easy Mini Cheesecakes (2024)

These creamy mini cheesecakes are inspired by none other than.. the Cheesecake Factory! This recipe has more than 17 million views on our Youtube (as this post is published) and is also one of our readers' favourites.

We have uncountable messages and emails from our viewers and readers saying how they loved it as it's so easy and never fails. Many have also started selling these and they become one of their customers' favourites also.

We can't express enough how happy, grateful and satisfied we feel to know all the stories and feedback. This recipe truly has a soft spot in our hearts.

Recipe Highlights

Texture and flavour - Creamy luscious filling with a crunchy base. The mildly sweet filling with delicious cream cheese flavour goes amazing with the contrast of the base that has a touch of saltiness to it. Amazing combo!

Level - Super easy, even for beginners. No water bath is needed.

Size - 12 mini cheesecakes, muffin size.

Occasion - I hate to limit these beauties to any occasion as they are perfect for any time, more when you want to impress somebody who's a cheesecake lover.

Lets Talk Ingredients

Digestive biscuits - Don't get taken aback by their name. We're based in Europe and instead of graham crackers, we use digestive biscuits which are easier to find. Honestly, I love the touch of saltiness from the biscuits, it's a nice contrast flavour.

SUBSTITUTION: Use graham crackers or any other similar biscuits.

Cream cheese - Use full fat, block ones. Not the ones for spreading on toasts, alright?

Sugar - Granulated sugar. Add a bit more if you want to use confectioner sugar as it's not as sweet as granulated. Or adjust to your liking.

SUBSTITUTIONS: Any dry sweetener will work. Add 30% more if you're using erythritol. The same amount for brown and coconut sugar but just know that they'll make the cheesecakes colour darker.

NOTE: I don't recommend using liquid sweetener as it'll affect the texture (too liquid).

All-purpose flour - I know it's not conventional but this small amount of flour will help prevent cracks, which is a huge no-no in baked cheesecakes.

Sour cream - Use full fat, please. We are making cheesecakes here. Go big or go home?

SUBSTITUTION: Use the same amount of full-fat unsweetened Greek yogurt.

Why This Recipe Has More Than 17 Million YouTube Views

These are the feedbacks that we keep getting from everybody who's made this recipe:

Super easy - Many who've never baked a cake, let alone made a baked cheesecake (which we know is tricky), have successfully made this recipe on the first try. No fancy method is needed here.

It works - The recipe never fails. I know it's difficult to find reliable recipes in the internet world but no recipes are published here on our website without me testing them first. We're also known for our reliable recipes here, just letting you know. What you see is what you get.

No water bath - Baked cheesecakes usually need a water bath to cook properly and beautifully. This recipe doesn't need it. Less hassle with great results.

Easy ingredients - No fancy ingredients here. So if you follow exactly my recipe or tips for ingredient substitutions above, then you'll nail it every single time.

Quick cooking time - Only 15 minutes in the oven, yep.

How To Prevent Cracks In Cheesecakes

Baked cheesecakes are considered a success if there's no crack on them. Right? And also when they maintain the flat top, or in other words, they don't deflate when they come out from the oven. Here's how you can easily achieve those:

Room temperature - Ingredients should be at room temperature. This is so that they mix easily with each other.

Don't over-mix - Never, at any point, in any of my baked cheesecake recipes, should you over-mix the filling. Less is extremely more in this case. Over mixing will whip in the air, which will cause the filling to inflate and crack in the oven.

Low speed - Use the lowest speed on your handheld or stand mixer. Remember, we don't want to over-mix.

Low temperature - Not all ovens are made the same. Yours could be hotter than mine, and vice versa. Use a portable oven thermometer to get the accurate temperature, it's very affordable. The high temperature will make them inflate, deflate and crack.

Conventional - Use conventional mode (without fan-assisted) as it'll keep the temperature stable-low. Lower by 20-25 degrees if you're using a convection oven.

Don't overbake - With the correct temperature, they take only 15 minutes to cook. Not more. They should still wiggle in the center when you lightly shake the pan. Over baking will cause them to crack.

Great Cheesecakes Need Time

Making these cheesecakes is super easy and quick. But we want that depth in flavour in our cheesecakes, right?

And we can achieve that by giving some time for the wonderful flavours to blend with each other. Chill the baked room temperature cheesecakes in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours. Preferably 8 hours. Trust me, you'll appreciate it.

Can I Put Them At Room Temperature For A Long Time?

The answer is, no.

All cheesecakes either baked or no-bake, are better-kept chill to maintain their structure. You can have these out on the table for a maximum of 30 minutes, not more.

If for some reason you want them to be longer than that, I'd recommend you freeze them for 1-2 hours, so that they hold longer at room temperature.

Can I Freeze Them?

Yes, you can. I do it all the time.

Place on a tray and freeze for 1 hour. Then put them in an airtight container and back in the freezer, for up to 6 months.

Thaw in the fridge.

More Recipes

• The BEST double chocolate cheesecake
• Fudgy pumpkin cheesecake brownies
• Pecan cheesecake bars
• Whole normal sized Cheesecake Factory inspired
• Cinnamon roll flavoured cheesecake

Recipe Video

📖 Recipe

Originally published on Feb 16, 2019. Updated with improved text and pictures on Aug 11, 2021.