These Mini Lemon Cheesecakes are quick and easy to make and bake in a cupcake or muffin pan. The lemon zest and juice give them a delicious and refreshing flavor!
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Why You'll Love This Dessert
Lemon desserts are bright, refreshing, and delicious. Exactly what I am craving right now! Make it in a mini form and they are instantly cute! These Mini Lemon Cheesecakes are so easy to make, with just a handful of simple ingredients. The crust is sturdy and crunchy and the filling is perfectly creamy, tangy and sweet. Bonus points, you can make the cheesecakes up to 2 days in advance!
Perfect little treats for Spring or Summer parties, bridal showers, birthday celebrations, and any get-togethers you can think of. Mini cheesecakes are bound to be a hit!
Ingredients:
- cream cheese
- lemon
- granulated sugar
- vanilla extract
- sour cream
- all-purpose flour
- egg
- graham crackers
- butter
How to make mini lemon cheesecakes?
- Start by making the crust: place graham crackers in a food processor with sugar. Process until fine.
- Add melted butter and pulse a few times.
- Mix cream cheese in a mixing bowl.
- Add vanilla, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix in well.
- Add flour and sour cream and mix in.
- Add egg and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Divide graham cracker crust mixture between 12 cupcake liners, in a cupcake pan. Bake for 5 minutes.
- Pour filling over crust. Bake cheesecakes for 18 minutes.
- Cool cheesecakes in room temperature, then chill in the fridge.
- Decorate cheesecakes with whipped cream and pieces of lemon slices.
How long to bake mini cheesecakes?
Mini cheesecakes bake really quickly. For the best creamy, smooth texture, make sure not to over-bake them. I set my timer to 17 minutes, then added one more minute. Every oven is different so start with 17 minutes, then add more if needed.
Why you should use cupcake liners to make mini cheesecakes:
I always use parchment paper liners when making mini cheesecakes. They ensure easy lift out of the pan and virtually no clean-up left. Also, you need to chill the cheesecakes and it's easier to do that if you can place them on a plate, then place the whole muffin pan in the fridge.
If you want to use liners with a cute print, keep in mind that many of them will stick to your cupcakes, muffins, or mini cheesecakes. You can double line by placing the printed liners first, then add parchment paper ones. That way the cheesecakes won't stick and you can still have cute looking treats!
How to decorate mini lemon cheesecakes?
My favorite way to dress up cheesecake and mini cheesecakes is with whipped cream. It's light and creamy and it complements the dessert really well. The finishing touch is a piece of a lemon slice. That's all you need!
You can also use lemon curd, yellow sprinkles, white chocolate topping, etc.
Best tips:
- Make sure to take the cream cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before making this recipe; it should be very soft for the best cheesecake texture.
- You will need 1 fresh lemon, for the zest and for the juice (you only need the juice from ½ of the lemon);
- For best results, make sure the egg is at room temperature before mixing in with the filling; this should be the last ingredient to add to the cheesecake mixture;
- Bake the crust. I like to bake the crust first for 5 minutes, to make sure it does not crumble;
- To divide the graham crackers mixture evenly among 12 liners, add 1 teaspoon at a time into each liner; repeat until all mixture is used;
- To divide the cheesecake batter evenly among 12 liners, pour 1 tablespoon at a time into each liner, then make a second round.
Recipe FAQs:
Absolutely! Mini cheesecakes, just like whole cheesecake, taste better after chilling for a few hours. You can make these little treats up to 2 days in advance!
Yes, mini cheesecakes freeze really well. Place them in a freezer bag for up to 3 months.
You can use vanilla wafers, chocolate sandwich cookies or shortbread cookies.
More dessert recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
Easy Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
Ingredients
for the crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
for the filling:
- 8 oz cream cheese softened
- 1 lemon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit.
- Line a cupcake pan with liners. I recommend parchment paper liners to prevent sticking.
- In a small food processor, place graham crackers and sugar. Process until fine.1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Melt butter and pour over the cracker crumbs. Pulse until mixed.2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Divide the crust mixture among 12 liners, one teaspoon of the mixture at a time. Repeat until all is used.
- Bake crust for 5 minutes.
- Zest the whole lemon. Slice it in half and juice only one half. Cut the other half into slices for decorating.1 lemon
- In a large mixing bowl, mix cream cheese for 20 seconds with an electric hand mixer.8 oz cream cheese
- Add sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla. Mix well until creamy.½ cup granulated sugar, ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add sour cream and flour and mix in well.2 tablespoons sour cream, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add egg and mix just until incorporated. Do not overmix.1 large egg
- Pour 1 tablespoon of cheesecake batter over crust in each liner. Repeat until all filling is used.
- Bake cheesecakes for 17 minutes; add 2 to 3 minutes more if needed. The tops of cheesecakes should look set.
- Cool cheesecakes at room temperature for 20 minutes or so. Place on a plate and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
- Decorate cheesecakes before serving.
Notes
- My favorite way to dress up cheesecake and mini cheesecakes is with whipped cream. It’s light and creamy and it complements the dessert really well. I whipped 4 ounces of heavy whipping cream for this recipe. The finishing touch is a piece of a lemon slice.
- Make sure to take the cream cheese out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before making this recipe; it should be very soft for the best cheesecake texture.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
Diana says
These turned out delicious! Perfect texture, not overly sweet, tangy, and really good. Thank you!
Heidi Schaffer says
Perfect little bites! And super easy to make!