Cheesecake Recipe With Premade Crust

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3-Step Mini Cheesecakes are simple, quick, delicious and great for serving at a party. Each mini cheesecake can be topped with your favorite fruit or topping!

single mini cheesecake topped with raspberries & blueberries

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Serve these mini cheesecakes after a dinner of Crock Pot Honey Bourbon Chicken with roasted zucchini or at your next party!

Sometimes you need a really easy dessert to serve at a party. One that will impress everyone, be easy to serve and customize, and one that won't take long to prepare. These 3-step mini cheesecakes check all those boxes!

mini cheesecake batter in mixing bowl with cracked eggs

MINI CHEESECAKES INGREDIENTS

Cream Cheese – Use room temperature. I like to use full fat.
Sugar – Granulated sugar.
Vanilla Extract – REAL vanilla extract. Not imitation, please.
Eggs – Again, make sure they're at room temperature.
Mini Graham Cracker Crusts – Use the 4 oz ready-to-use, pre-made crusts.
Fruit – Sliced blueberries, raspberries, strawberries…or whatever else you want to top your cheesecakes with.

HOW DO YOU MAKE 3-STEP MINI CHEESECAKES

Making these cheesecakes is so easy! Only 3 steps – prepare, bake, chill!

First, using room temperature ingredients, add the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Mix until well blended.

Next, add in the eggs and mix until smooth.

Finally, pour the batter evenly into 12 pre-made graham cracker crusts and bake for 20 minutes until centers are almost set.

Remove from oven, let cool, and then chill.

SHOULD MINI CHEESECAKES BE FROZEN OR REFRIGERATED

Mini cheesecakes will keep well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Longer than that you should move them to the freezer.

HOW FAR IN ADVANCE CAN MINI CHEESECAKES BE MADE

One of the best things about cheesecakes is you can make them well in advance and freeze them! If you're party prepping 2 weeks in advance, make these and freeze them for when you're ready.

HOW DO YOU FREEZE CHEESECAKE

The good news is cheesecake freezes beautifully. Once you've made these mini cheesecakes, cool them, then freeze them on a baking sheet, uncovered, until firm. Once they're fully frozen, remove them from the freezer, wrap in aluminum foil then place them in a freezer bag. Seal the bag and return it to the freezer. You can safely freeze them for a few months. When you're ready to eat them, move the cheesecakes to the fridge to let them thaw overnight.

DO I NEED TO COVER CHEESECAKE IN THE FRIDGE

Yes, you should cover cheesecake while it's chilling in the fridge.

HOW DO YOU KNOW WHEN A MINI CHEESECAKE IS DONE

You'll know your cheesecakes are done when they appear nearly set everywhere but the center. If you give the pan a gentle jiggle and only the center slightly jiggles, they're done. The center will firm up while it's cooling.

WHAT SHOULD I TOP MY CHEESECAKE WITH

Plain cheesecake is a great canvas for toppings. Basically use whatever sounds good to you! Fresh fruit (kiwi, strawberries, blueberries), whipped cream, crushed Oreos, chocolate chips, peanut butter chips…whatever makes you happy!

TOOLS TO HELP YOU MAKE 3-STEP MINI CHEESECAKES

Mixing Bowls – I always talk about how I love these with the grippy bottoms, but I really do.
Hand Mixer – As much as I love my stand mixer, I end up using my hand mixer more.
Silicone Spatulas – I have far too many of these, but I use them for EVERYTHING.
Baking Sheets – It's nice to use a baking sheet with a lip so these cheesecakes don't slide off the pan.

TIPS TO MAKE THESE MINI CHEESECAKES A SUCCESS

Start with room temperature cream cheese and eggs when making these cheesecakes. This helps the ingredients come together perfectly so you have smooth filing and not lumpy. Give them at least two hours to come to room temperature.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer. You really can't skip and get by hand mixing cheesecake.
Don't over bake! Bake cheesecake until just set so it's smooth, rich, and creamy (not dry and crumbly!).
If you don't want to use the pre-made mini graham cracker crusts, you can make these in a cupcake pan using Oreos or Nilla Wafers at the bottom for a crust variation.

NEED MORE CHEESECAKE IN YOUR LIFE? TRY THESE:

Brownie Bottom Peanut Butter Cheesecake
Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Cheesecake Bars
Triple Chocolate Cheesecake
Creme Brulee Cheesecake
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecakes

three mini cheesecake topped with raspberries & blueberries

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3-step mini cheesecakes topped with berries

3-Step Mini Cheesecakes

3-Step Mini Cheesecakes are simple, quick, delicious and great for serving at a party. Each mini cheesecake can be topped with your favorite fruit or topping!

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Cooling 3 hrs

Total Time 30 mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 12 servings

Calories 48 kcal

2 8 oz cream cheese softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs room temp
12 4 oz ready-to-use single serve graham cracker crusts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line the mini pie crusts up onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
To a large mixing bowl, add cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well blended.
Add eggs and mix until smooth.
Evenly pour the batter into each crust.
Bake for 20 minutes or until centers are almost set.
Once cooled, transfer to the fridge and let chill at least 3 hours (up to overnight).
Garnish when ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Kraft

Start with room temperature cream cheese and eggs when making these cheesecakes. This helps the ingredients come together perfectly so you have smooth filing and not lumpy. Give them at least two hours to come to room temperature.
Use a hand mixer or stand mixer. You really can't skip and get by hand mixing cheesecake.
Don't over bake! Bake cheesecake until just set so it's smooth, rich, and creamy (not dry and crumbly!).
If you don't want to use the pre-made mini graham cracker crusts, you can make these in a cupcake pan using Oreos or Nilla Wafers at the bottom for a crust variation.

Serving: 1 g Calories: 48 kcal Carbohydrates: 9 g Fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 27 mg Sodium: 15 mg Potassium: 10 mg Sugar: 8 g Vitamin A: 40 IU Calcium: 4 mg Iron: 0.2 mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Originally published September 6, 2010

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