by Diana Rattray
Make these delightful mini cheesecakes for a special occasion or everyday treat. The individual cheesecakes are extremely easy to make. Store-bought vanilla wafers form the crust for these irresistible cakes, and fruit pie filling or preserves make up the topping. All you have to do is beat the cream cheese filling mixture, which consists of only 4 ingredients: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. That’s it!
These little cheesecakes are also versatile and be customized with ingredients you have on hand. If you don’t have a fruity topping, drizzle them with chocolate or caramel sauce. Or serve them plain with fresh fruit.
The recipe makes a big batch of 36, so they’re perfect for a party or gathering. Or scale it down by half and make 18. If you have too many, they freeze beautifully! Just wrap the plain cheesecakes in plastic wrap and foil, transfer them to freezer bags, and freeze them until you have a craving.
Recipe Variations
- Chocolate Swirl: Swirl fruit puree or jam into the cheesecake batter before pour it into the muffin cups.
- Chocolate Chip: Add mini chocolate chips to the batter, or sprinkle them over the batter just before baking.
- Oreo Crust: Replace the vanilla wafer crust with crushed chocolate sandwich cookies.
- Praline: Replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar. Serve with a chopped pecan and caramel topping.
- Lemon Curd: Add lemon zest to the batter and finish each mini cheesecake with a lemon curd topping.
Mini Cheesecakes With Fruit Topping
These individual cheesecakes are perfect for a party or gathering. Top them with pie filling, preserves, lemon curd, or an ice cream topping.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 30 servings 1x
- Category: Desserts, Cakes, Appetizers, Cheesecakes
- Method: Bake
Ingredients
- 4 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 30 vanilla wafers
- 2 21-ounce cans cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 F.
- Line 36 muffin cups with paper liners.
- In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each paper-lined muffin cup; spoon the cream cheese mixture over the wafers, filling the muffin cups nearly full.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or until set.
- The cheesecakes will sink slightly in the center, leaving plenty of room for the filling.
- To serve, top each with about 1 tablespoon of pie filling or use another favorite topping, such as lemon curd or preserves.
