Individual Cheesecakes Recipe | My Baking Addiction (2024)

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By Jamie

on Dec 19, 2010, Updated Jul 02, 2015

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I think I may have mentioned once or… 50 times that I love cheesecake. I am also a big fan of all things miniature. If you follow MBA, you may have noticed that the lovely Katie from GoodLife Eats and I have been hosting a Holiday Recipe Exchange.

Many of the recipes that have been posted look outstanding, but there is one particular creation that immediately caught my eye. That recipe was for mini cheesecakes with cranberry topping from Tessa of the blog, Handle the Heat. I thought Tessa’s recipe for creamy vanilla flecked individual cheesecakes topped with cranberry sauce would be the perfect festive dessert to make for our holiday potluck at work.

If you have never made mini cheesecakes before, don’t be intimidated because they are pretty simple. Not to mention, they are a great addition to any potluck or holiday spread because they’re quite portable if you keep them in the cupcake liners. I hope you enjoy this recipe for mini cheesecakes as much as I did, have a great start to the week and thanks so much for stopping by!

Individual Cheesecakes with Orange-Cranberry Sauce

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Individual Cheesecakes Recipe | My Baking Addiction (3)

Ingredients:

For the Crust:

  • 1 ½ cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; melted
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon

For the Filling:

  • 3 (8 ounce) bricks of cream cheese; softened
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 vanilla bean, split in half and seeds scraped
  • 3 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream

For the Orange-Cranberry Topping:

  • 12 ounces fresh cranberries
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 cup orange juice

Directions:

For the Cheesecake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 cupcake pans with 24 paper liners.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Stir together with a fork until well blended and all dry ingredients are moistened and look like wet sand. Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Bake until just set, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack. Reduce oven temperature to 300 degrees F.
  3. In a medium bowl beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed with an electric mixer just until smooth. Beat in sugar until well incorporated. Mix in the salt and vanilla. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, add in the heavy cream. Be careful not to over-mix.
  4. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the cheesecake batter over the crust in each cupcake liner using an ice cream scoop or two spoons.
  5. Bake until the filling is just set, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and let cool to room temperature. Transfer to the refrigerator and let chill for at least 4 hours before topping and serving, preferably overnight.

For the Sauce

  1. In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, dissolve the sugar in the orange juice. Stir in the cranberries and cook until the cranberries start to pop (about 10 minutes). Remove from heat and place sauce in a bowl. Cranberry sauce will thicken as it cools.
  2. Before serving, top refrigerated cheesecakes with the cooled cranberry sauce.

adapted from Handle the HeatAll images and text © for My Baking Addiction

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63 Comments

  1. I just made these mini cheesecake for a party, they are chilling in the fridge :-p
    Can’t wait to taste them.
    Thank you for sharing this great and easy recipe =)

    Reply

    1. I hope everyone at the party enjoys them, Sarah!

  2. Sounds delicious. Can these be frozen. I live alone and would like to eat one at a time.
    Thanks

    Reply

    1. Hi, Pat! Yes, these can be frozen. You might want to consider freezing without the sauce and putting the sauce on before you enjoy. Take care!

  3. Hi , I am wanting to make these for a baby shower in 3weeks.
    I want use Reynolds cupcake liners without the cupcake pan and I want to make more than 24. Can you please help me out.
    Thank you

    Reply

    1. Hi, Christina! You can definitely use cupcake liners without the pan; just put them on a baking sheet. I would double the recipe just to make sure you have enough. I hope everyone at the shower enjoys them!

  4. Is there a way you can measure the ingredients for me with grams and not with cups? I’m from Holland and I really want to make these but I find the cups so confusing to convert!

    Reply

  5. I didn’t make the sauce. I used: Maine wild blueberry sauce, black raspberries, cherry pie filling, and home made chocolate sauce. My husband went nuts and now I am making them again this week. Don’t know whether to thank you or curse you!

    Not only do they taste great and look very cute on my plate, they also are just the perfect size.

    Reply

    1. Annie,

      Wow, those sound great! Thank you so much for stopping back and thank you for following MBA!

      Jamie

  6. I just made your mini cheesecake for my 4th of July bbq tomorrow and they are amazing. We live in Italy so cranberries are not common but lucky for me cherries are in season plus were do not have graham crackers so I just used a breakfast biscotti from Esselunga. I did not us a water bath and they were perfect. Thank you again for the great recipe my italian in laws will surly love these tomorrow.

    Reply

    1. Yvonne,

      Your substitutions sound delicious! Thank you so much for stopping back to let us know that you enjoyed the recipe. Have a wonderful day and thank you for following MBA!

      Jamie

  7. what size muffin pan did you use? mini cupcake or regular

    Reply

    1. Hi Tracie,
      These were made in a regular muffin tin.
      – Jamie

  8. I put my cupcake cheesecakes in a water bath, is that ok?

    Reply

    1. Fallon-
      That should be fine! I hope they worked out for you and have a great day!
      -Jamie

  9. Could I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean or will it really change the flavor of the recipe?

    Reply

    1. Amber-
      Although vanilla bean is recommended, using one teaspoon of vanilla extract in place of one vanilla bean shouldn’t change the flavor too much. Thanks for visiting and have a fantastic day!
      -Jamie

  10. What kind of liner do you use with the cheesecake cupcake? is it a standard paper liner?

    Reply

    1. Teralyn-
      Yes, just standard cupcake liners.
      -Jamie

Individual Cheesecakes Recipe | My Baking Addiction (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when mini cheesecakes are done baking? ›

You'll know they are done when you can gently touch the top of the cheesecakes and the center no longer jiggles. Let the mini cheesecakes cool on a wire rack and then refrigerate them for at least 3 hours before serving.

How many cheesecakes can you bake at once? ›

A: Yes, you can bake two cakes at the same time BUT only with fan assist so the heat can circulate around them. If you are using a conventional oven with a fan, bake them on two racks; one on the middle rack, the other on the bottom rack.

What happens when you overbeat cheesecake batter? ›

Overmixing may lead to cracks and a grainy texture

With a batter mainly composed of cream cheese, sugar, and egg yolks, you can quickly form cracks in your cheesecake with the excess air that comes from overmixing (via Cheesecakes World).

How to thicken no-bake cheesecake batter? ›

Thickener. In a no-bake cheesecake, there are three typical ways that you create structure: folding in stiffly whipped heavy cream, folding in an alternative stabilizer like Cool Whip, or gelatin.

Why do my mini cheesecakes fall in the middle? ›

Oven temperature: A fluctuation in the oven temperature can cause the cheesecake to rise too quickly and then fall in the center as it cools. Overcooking: Cooking the cheesecake for too long can cause it to become dry and crack, leading to a sunken center.

What happens if you leave cheesecake in the oven too long? ›

Eggs and milk have high protein and moisture content, and they're the primary ingredients in cheesecake, so when cheesecake is left at room temperature, conditions are ripe for bacteria to multiply. According to the USDA's Food Keeper App, cheesecake should be consumed within 5 to 7 days of refrigeration.

Should cheesecakes be baked at very high temperature? ›

For a dense, pale cheesecake, simply bake it in a 250°F (121°C) oven the entire time. The slower, gentler heat will not cause the steam-induced oven spring that occurs in the high-off-low method above and the cheesecake will remain quite dense.

What does adding an extra egg to cheesecake do? ›

As Bon Appétit shares, using too many eggs when making cheesecake can cause a big divot in the middle of the dessert. Because eggs add a luscious, creamy texture to custards and cheesecakes, some bakers might be tempted to fold in another yolk or two.

What not to do when making cheesecake? ›

16 Mistakes You're Making With Homemade Cheesecake
  1. Working with cold ingredients. Hobo_018/Getty Images. ...
  2. Using whipped cream cheese. ...
  3. Using low-fat cream cheese. ...
  4. Undermixing your cheesecake. ...
  5. Not diversifying your cheeses. ...
  6. Not being careful with your eggs. ...
  7. Only making plain cheesecake. ...
  8. Baking in anything but a springform pan.
May 29, 2023

Is it better to overcook or undercook cheesecake? ›

Avoid Overcooking

DON'T overbake. Overbaking a cheesecake can cause cracks on the surface. The center of the cheesecake should still be a little wobbly, the filling still pale, and the outer ring slightly puffy and firm. It will continue to cook as it cools and maintains that smooth and rich texture.

Can I open the oven while baking cheesecake? ›

Place the cheesecake on the top rack of the preheated oven, above the steam bath, and bake for 52-60 minutes. Do NOT open the oven to avoid temperature changes.

Can you over mix no bake cheesecake? ›

Remember to use full-fat cream cheese and heavy cream, avoid overmixing, and be patient. With a little bit of practice, you can make the perfect no-bake cheesecake every time.

Why is my no bake cheesecake not firm? ›

To get cheesecake filling to firm up completely, it needs to be refrigerated for a minimum of 6 to 8 hours.

Is bake or no bake cheesecake better? ›

They both are great in their own way. It all narrows down to your personal preferences. If you enjoy dense and velvety cake, a baked cheesecake is the one for you. Or if you crave some light and airy dessert post-dinner, go for the no-bake one.

How to tell if cheesecake is undercooked? ›

To check the doneness, open the oven door and give the pan a gentle but firm rap with a spoon to see if it wobbles. How jiggly should the cheesecake be? Well, it should wobble just slightly (you can see in our video). An underbaked cheesecake will ripple and jiggle noticeably.

How long to leave cheesecake in oven after baking? ›

Turning off the oven, opening the door, and leaving your cheesecake to cool gradually will ensure that you achieve a creamy, rich result. An hour should be sufficient, but this is only for electric ovens. With a gas oven, this method may result in the cheesecake becoming over-baked.

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