Mini Cheesecakes-Sallys Baking Addiction*

By srumbel

Today's recipe yields 9-10 mini cheesecakes. They're simple, straightforward, and at only a few bites each, they're awesome for portion control.
from sallysbakingaddiction.com

Ingredients

• Graham Cracker Crust
• 2/3 2/3 4-5 cup (65g) graham cracker crumbs (about 4-5 full sheet graham crackers)
• 2 2 2 Tablespoons (29g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1 1 Tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
• Cheesecake
• 8-ounce 8-ounce to one 8-ounce block (226g) full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 1/4 1/4 cup (60g) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/2 1/2 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
• 1 1 1 large egg, at room temperature
• topping suggestions: salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry compote, chocolate ganache, red wine chocolate ganache, fresh fruit or maraschino cherries, homemade whipped cream, or raspberry sauce

Details

Preparation time 20mins
Cooking time 195mins

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-count muffin pan with 9-10 liners. This recipe yields only 9-10 mini cheesecakes, so there will be 2-3 empty. You could skip the liners and spray the pan with non-stick spray or grease with butter, but the mini cheesecakes are pretty stubborn to release from the pan. I recommend using liners to make things easier.

Make the crust: Combine all of the crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Mixture will be sandy. Firmly press a heaping Tablespoon of crust mixture into each liner. (I use closer to 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of crust per mini cheesecake.) Pre-bake for 5 minutes.

Make the filling: Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice then beat until fully combined. On medium speed, add the egg and beat just until combined. Batter will be thick. Divide the batter between all the liners. It's about 1 Tablespoon per cheesecake.

Bake until the edges are set and the centers only slightly jiggle, about 18-20 minutes.

Set the pan on a wire rack and allow cheesecakes to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for 2 hours. The cheesecakes will slightly sink in the middle. It gives you room for toppings!

Once chilled, add toppings and serve. Cover and store leftover cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Make ahead tip: Prepare the cheesecakes through step 3 up to 2-3 days in advance. Cover unbaked cheesecakes and store in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Continue with step 4. Freeze individual baked cheesecakes for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.


RECIPE NOTES

Interested in baking more than 9 mini cheesecakes? This recipe is fantastic for doubling, tripling, or quadrupling. Simply double, triple, or quadruple each ingredient, including in the crust.

For super mini cheesecakes, follow these directions: Line a 24-count mini muffin pan with mini muffin liners or grease with nonstick spray or butter. For easy and seamless removal from the pan, using liners is preferable. Make the crust and cheesecake batter as directed.

Press 2 teaspoons of crust into each mini muffin liner. Pre-bake at 350°F (177°C) for 4 minutes. Remove from the oven and fill each with cheesecake batter. Bake for 10-11 minutes or until the cheesecakes appear set on top. Continue with step 6 in this recipe. Yields approximately 30 super mini cheesecakes.

Non-US readers: With the help of other non-US readers who do not have access to graham crackers, here is a basic crust recipe you can follow for these mini cheesecakes. 110g digestive biscuits + 45g butter + no sugar. Grind the digestive biscuits into crumbs, melt the butter, and mix with the crumbs. Press into liners and pre-bake as directed in step 2.


YIELD
9-10 individual cheesecakes