Philadelphia Mini Cheesecake Recipe

Step 1

Prep work. Preheat the oven to 325°F / 160°C / gas mark Line a regular-size, 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

Step 2

Mix base. Mix the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a medium mixing bowl. The mixture should appear like wet sand and stick together when pinched between your fingers.

Step 3

Don’t have crumbs? If using whole graham crackers, blitz them on high in a food processor or blender until they become fine crumbs. Then add the other ingredients and blitz again until combined.

Step 4

Fill muffin pan. Divide the crumb mixture evenly between the 12 muffin pan liners (about 2 tablespoons per cup). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to press and flatten the crumbs into the bottom of each hole.

Step 5

Bake. Bake the crust for 7 minutes. Then remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes before adding the cheesecake filling.

Step 6

Beat cream cheese. In a large mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and flour until just combined and smooth. Mix on low speed to keep less air from incorporating into the mixture, which can lead to cracks.

Step 7

Add eggs. Mix in the vanilla and eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated. Scraped won the sides of the bowl after each addition. The mixture should have a texture similar to pancake batter.

Step 8

Divide the batter. Divide the batter between the muffin cups until mostly full. The cheesecake doesn’t rise much, so use it all. A cookie scoop with a lever is very handy for this job.

Step 9

Bake. Bake the mini cheesecakes for 15minutes. Then turn off the heat and leave the oven door closed for another 10minutes.

Step 10

Cool. Let your mini cheesecakes cool in the pan at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

Step 11

Chill. Cover the surface with a piece of parchment paper and then seal with a bit of plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours to fully set. Overnight is best.

Step 12

Remove muffin wrapper. Once the mini cheesecakes are fully chilled, they will be set enough to peel off the paper liner.

Step 13

Decorate. You can decorate and garnish your mini cheesecakes any way you want. To make whipped cream, add the cold cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract into a mixing bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe the whipped cream onto the tops using a large star nozzle and garnish with fresh berries. If desired, dust with powdered sugar.

Step 14

Serve. Keep the decorated cheesecake cold until ready to serve. If time allows, take them out of the fridge 30 minutes before servings. Enjoy!