Super easy mini cheesecakes, with a homemade graham cracker crust, topped with chocolate sauce, strawberry sauce or fresh fruit are sure to be the show stoppers at your next big event or family gathering.
Mini cheesecakes are a lot less daunting to make as oppose to a whole cheesecake. Mini cheesecakes take less time to bake, and come in the perfect mini little bite sized portions. For someone who's never made a cheesecake before, these came out great on my first try. These cheesecakes are rich, creamy, smooth and have the perfect amount of tanginess you look for in a cheescake. Plus, they don't crack in the oven.
Let's get into the recipe now:
1. Make a graham cracker crust.
Line a muffin tin with paper cupcake liners.
To a blender, combine graham crackers (or digestive biscuits), butter and sugar and blend. You can also add a handful of your favourite nuts. I sometimes use almonds or pecans. The texture should be similar to wet sand.
For more flavour, you can also add some cinnamon or nutmeg to the mixture.
Add about 2-3 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture to the muffin liners (as you see fit depending on how thick you want the crust).
Press down the mixture using a measuring cup or the back of a spoon.
Bake on 325 degrees Farenheit for 5-6 minutes.
2. Leave out the eggs and cream cheese to bring it to room temperature.
Just leave out the cream cheese for about an hour to bring it to room temperature. It's really important to keep all ingredients at the same temperature.
3. Cream the cream cheese and sugar. Then add the sour cream.
Sour cream is what the cheesecake factory uses to give the cheesecakes more shape, adds an extra level of creaminess, moisture, a softer texture, enhanced flavour and an extra hit of sour tang. You need sour cream. Period. Cream cheese alone won't do the job. I use 14% sour cream. I recommend that you do not opt for light sour cream. Make sure you scrape down the side of the bowl periodically to make sure everything has been well combined.
4. Add the eggs last!
Adding the eggs last ensures that your cheesecakes to crack. To get uncracked cheesecakes, the eggs need to barely be whipped. So I always add them last.
5. Add about 2-3 tablespoons of the cream cheese mixture to the muffin tins.
Fill almost all the way to the top.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes at 325 degrees Farenheit on the convection setting.
They should come out a little jiggly and with sort of dome at the top. Don't worry, after they rest, this should go down. If they crack, they are getting overcooked. Allow them to chill in the fridge
Tips:
Customize your cheesecakes by swirling in some jams, chocolate sauce or opting for a different crust like an oreo crust.
Recipe
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white sugar
Optional: 2 tablespoons nuts, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Filling
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Blend graham crackers, butter and sugar in a food processor. Divide crust evenly and press into a muffin tin lined with cupcake liners.
Bake on 325 degrees for 5-6 minutes. Then set these aside to cool.
Using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Add in the sour cream and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs last and mix just until combined.
Pour about 2 tablespoons of filling in cupcake liners. Fill almost all the way to the top.
Bake for 20 minutes on 325 degrees F on the convection setting or until the cheesecakes are set.
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