These Mini Cheesecake Cups with a graham cracker crust are the perfect single-serve dessert that can be customized for the entire family! Grab some ramekins to bake them in, cool, and top with your favorite toppings. You'll absolutely love having a treat like this on the go!
Using ramekins makes baking cheesecake (and other mini desserts) a breeze. This mini cheesecake recipe is a fun activity that the entire family can get involved in... but they'll disappear so fast, you may want to make extras!
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per serving (equals 1 slice): $0.88
- Total Cost (4 ramekins): $3.51
- Those Other Guys: $9.99 per slice
Ingredients
- Softened Cream Cheese - Set your cream cheese blocks on the counter and let them soften to room temperature. This ensures you can easily whisk everything together for a silky smooth batter.
- Granulated Sugar - This recipe actually has a really small amount of sugar, so the cheesecakes aren't overly sweet!
- Eggs - A couple of eggs (tip: also bring these to room temp before baking) helps create a smooth batter & a really light & fluffy final product when baked.
- Vanilla Extract - Just a teaspoon or so of vanilla is all you need; it shines in these simple desserts!
- Graham Crackers - A cheesecake isn't complete without a graham cracker crust. This recipe is actually a great way to use up leftover graham crackers that may have gone a little stale.
- Coconut Oil - We're using coconut oil to bring the crust together.
Variations and Substitutions
Toppings: Go crazy with the toppings - I love a good fruit topping on cheesecake, so I normally like to add strawberry preserves or blueberry jam. You can also go with chopped candy, nuts, crushed cookies, drizzled chocolate, or salted caramel... the possibilities are endless!
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes in a Ramekin Cup
Step 1: Start by adding your crushed graham crackers to a mixing bowl with coconut oil.
Mix well, until the bowl looks like wet sand.
Step 2: Divide the graham cracker mixture into 4 even portions, and pour them into 8 ounce oven-safe ramekins.
Use the back of a spoon to pack everything tightly. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes, then remove.
Step 3: While the crusts are baking, take softened cream cheese and add it to a bowl with two eggs, sugar, and vanilla.
Whisk well (by hand or using a hand mixer) until the filling is silky smooth.
Step 4: Pour the cheesecake batter onto the parbaked crusts, leaving about a half inch of space at the top.
Pour some water onto the sheet pan beneath your ramekins.
Bake for 25 - 28 minutes, until the cheesecakes are just set. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, and then top and serve!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Bake in a water bath. When you bake the ramekins on a sheet pan that is filled with water, it creates a water bath. This helps avoid the cheesecakes from cracking too much in the oven.
- But if you don't... get creative with toppings. The cheesecake toppings will cover up any imperfections!
Recipe FAQs
This recipe uses 8 ounce, oven-safe ramekins. You can find these online or at your local grocery store.
My ramekins come with lids that fit perfectly on top! If you don't have those, simply wrap with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Not this recipe! It has eggs in the ingredients, which help the cheesecake set up perfectly.
For a no-bake mini cheesecake, leave out your eggs and add in heavy cream and a bit of sour cream. Whisk well with a hand mixer, then refrigerate until fully set.
Other Sweets and Treats You'll Love!
If you tried this Mini Cheesecake Cups Recipe, or any other recipe on my website, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you! Thanks for visiting!
Mini Cheesecake Cups
Equipment
- 2 Mixing Bowls
- Spoon
- 4 8 oz. Ramekins oven-safe
- Whisk or hand mixer with whisk attachment
- Baking Sheet with high sides
Ingredients
- 4 count graham cracker sheets crushed
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 count eggs room temperature
Instructions
- Set your cream cheese and eggs on the counter until they are room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- In a small bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and coconut oil until combined. It will look like wet sand when you are done.4 count graham cracker sheets, 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- Get your ramekins out and divide the graham cracker mix into 4 portions.
- Spoon the mix into the bottom of your ramekins and use the back of a spoon to pack tightly.
- Parbake the crusts for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven.
- While those are cooking - In a large bowl, add your softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Whisk until silky smooth.16 ounces cream cheese, ¼ cup granulated white sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 count eggs
- Pour the cheesecake mixture into 8 oz. ramekins, leaving about a half inch of space at the top.
- Place the filled ramekins on a baking tray with a lip and pour about 2 cups of water on the bottom of the tray.This creates steam in the oven to reduce the chance of your cheesecakes cracking.
- Bake for about 25 - 28 minutes. Cheesecakes will be lightly golden-brown on the top and the middle will be just set.
- Remove the pan, and let the cheesecakes cool for about 10 minutes. Top with your favorite toppings (fruit, caramel, nuts, and/or whipped cream) and enjoy!
Kimberly says
This was amazing! It was simple, delicious, and it was much easier having this as a self serve portion sized option! Thank you!
Shani W. says
I'm so glad you loved them, Kimberly! Thank you for commenting!