This easy mini strawberry cheesecakes recipe makes perfect little favorite bite-sized desserts, and the recipe is so simple.
I made these miniature cheesecakes with fresh strawberries, but you can prepare them with whatever berries you have on hand such as raspberries, blackberries or blueberries.
If you love the flavor of fresh, juicy strawberries, be sure to check out my “berry” delicious recipes for Strawberry Cheesecake Dip, Strawberry and Cream Tart and Strawberry Filled Cupcakes.
For this batch, I used standard muffin tins and liners to make 12 small strawberry cheesecake bites, which were perfect for our dinner party of 6 guests.
People really seem to love bite sized desserts! Mini Raspberry Custard Tarts, Flourless Mini Chocolate Cakes, Mini Gingerbread Cheesecakes and Individual Banana Pudding Cups are more favorite mini dessert recipes.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Delicious flavors and textures: The combination of sweetened cream cheese filling, strawberry jam, fresh strawberries and crispy vanilla wafers is so tasty!
Easy recipe: With a prep time of just 20 minutes, this recipe is perfect for those times when you want to whip up a tasty dessert fast. The cheesecakes can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to serve.
Customizable: While the recipe calls for fresh strawberries, you can easily substitute other fresh berries, such as raspberries or blueberries, to create your own unique twist on this delectable dessert.
Perfect portion size: These mini cheesecakes are the perfect size for a single serving, making them ideal for entertaining or for a sweet treat after dinner. You can easily double the recipe for a bigger crowd.
Key Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what you’ll need to make these baby strawberry cheesecakes:
- 12 regular size vanilla wafer cookies – like Nilla Vanilla Wafers. You can substitute gluten-free vanilla cookies if you like.
- 8 ounces full fat cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk – whole milk or 2% works best
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup strawberry jam
- 12 medium fresh strawberries
How to Choose and Store Fresh Strawberries
Perhaps you’ve bought fresh strawberries at the grocery store and discovered some pale pink, unripe berries when you opened the container. You might have wondered: do fresh strawberries continue to ripen?
The answer is, unfortunately, no. Once the strawberries are picked, they won’t ripen further or turn more red. So when you’re choosing them at the store, look for a container that has as many ripe berries as possible.
I try to buy organic strawberries if they’re available, since conventionally grown strawberries are usually on the annual Dirty Dozen list for excessive pesticides.
Fresh strawberries don’t keep very well, so I suggest buying them as close to your occasion as possible. Store them in the refrigerator, and don’t wash the beautiful berries until right before you use them.
Equipment for this Recipe
Here’s the kitchen equipment you’ll need to make these baby cheesecakes:
- 1 12-cup muffin pan
- 12 regular cupcake liners
- 1 large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer or stand mixer
- 1 wire cooling rack
Step by Step Directions
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper or foil baking liners. Place one vanilla wafer in each cup, flat side down.
STEP TWO: In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg, milk, salt and vanilla on low speed, just until combined. (Don’t overmix, for best results.)
Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, stir, and pour the creamy cheesecake filling in an even layer in the prepared muffin cups. They will each be about 3/4 full.
STEP THREE: Bake until the cheesecake batter is set in the middle, about 20 minutes.
Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature.
STEP FOUR: Top each cheesecake with a heaping teaspoon strawberry jam and spread with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until ready to serve.
STEP FIVE: Just before serving, top each little cheesecake with a fresh strawberry half.
If you want it to look fancy, you can cut little slices through the berry about 7/8 of the way through and gently fan the berry on top of the strawberry topping if you like.
Serve and enjoy!
How to Store Mini Cheesecakes
Mini cheesecakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Want to make them ahead of time and freeze? For longer storage, they can be frozen. Place in an airtight container, or wrap tightly and place in a freezer bag, for up to 2 months.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Just before serving, garnish with fresh strawberry halves.
Want to Make Really Small Cheesecakes?
Pro Tip: If you want to make smaller cheesecakes, you can use mini muffin tins and liners, and mini size vanilla wafers. This recipe will make about 24 tiny cheesecakes.
Reduce your baking time by 2 minutes.
FAQs
Because of their small size and short baking time, you don’t need to cook them in a water bath.
Over-mixing the filling can incorporate too much air, causing the little cheesecakes to rise too much in the oven and then collapse as they cool. Just mix the filling until the ingredients are well combined, and don’t beat any further.
Rapid cooling can also cause sinking centers. Always let the baby cheesecakes cool to room temperature before refrigerating.
After baking, these small cheesecakes should cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours or overnight to fully set and develop the best texture.
Mini cheesecakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. For longer storage, they can be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to 2 months. Just thaw in the fridge and garnish with strawberries before serving.
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Printable Recipe Card
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Equipment
- 12-cup muffin pan
- 12 mini muffin cup liners
- 1 Large mixing bowl
- 1 Wire cooling rack
- 12 paper cupcake liners
Ingredients
- 12 vanilla wafer cookies
- 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2/3 cup strawberry jam
- 6 medium strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 12 muffin cups with paper or foil baking liners. Place one vanilla wafer in each cup.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sugar on high speed until smooth. Beat in the egg, milk, salt and vanilla on low speed, just until combined. (Don’t overmix, for best results.)Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, stir, and pour the creamy cheesecake filling in an even layer in the prepared muffin cups. They will each be about 3/4 full.
- Bake until the cheesecake batter is set in the middle, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack to room temperature.
- Top each cheesecake with a heaping teaspoon strawberry jam and spread with a spoon. Cover with plastic wrap or place in an airtight container, and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until ready to serve.
- Just before serving, top each little cheesecake with a fresh strawberry half. Makes 12 mini cheesecakes.
Notes
Nutrition
If you make these miniature treats, I’d berry much love to hear what you think!
Note: This post was originally published on April 2, 2023. It has since been updated with new photos, an updated recipe, tips, and FAQs.
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Eliza Cross is the creator of Happy Simple Living, where she shares ideas to help busy people simplify cooking, gardening, holidays, home, and money. She is also the award-winning author of 17 cookbooks, including Small Bites and 101 Things To Do With Bacon.
Enjoyed these for dessert last night and they were a sweet success! Cute, easy and delicious; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
Perfect, refreshing and delightful bites of heavenly creamy cheesecake with strawberries. Yummy!
Kathleen, thank you so much for your kind words! So glad you liked the recipe. ~Eliza
Looks amazing and tastes equally amazing!
These were so tasty and I love that they are portion controlled. They’re so good I definitely want to eat more than one though!
Such a perfect little dessert. I’ll definitely be making these over and over again!
These little cheesecakes are so cute and perfect for serving a crowd alongside other desserts, like at a potluck. Super easy to make too!
So tasty! It was the perfect portion and a great way to use up all my strawberries.
This mini cheesecake recipe is foolproof! Easy to make, creamy, and delicious. A delightful dessert for any occasion
Such a cute fun little dessert. I love that they’re already personal size for easy serving