These mini strawberry cheesecakes feature a buttery graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake filling, and a fresh strawberry sauce!
This recipe was originally published in June of 2021, but was updated on April 4, 2023 with newer content and fresh pictures.
These strawberry swirl mini cheesecakes are such an easy treat to make using a muffin pan. There is no water bath required and they bake so much quicker than a regular sized cheesecake.
The homemade strawberry sauce is swirled into the cheesecake batter before baking. Then, I like to top the chilled cheesecakes with even more sauce!
Looking for more strawberry desserts? Then check out these: strawberry cinnamon rolls, strawberry banana cake, and strawberry glaze pie.
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Why You'll Love These Cheesecakes
- They have a homemade graham cracker crust.
- The cheesecake filling is super smooth and creamy.
- All you need are simple ingredients.
- The strawberry sauce is added to the top of each cheesecake before baking.
- They make for a perfect springtime or summer dessert!
These individual cheesecakes are a perfect dessert to make during strawberry season. If it's not quite that time of the year, you could also use frozen strawberries!
Ingredients Needed
Here are some notes on the ingredients we'll be using. For the full ingredients list, look at the recipe card below.
- Strawberries: Fresh strawberries are what I used. The brighter red they are, the better!
- Lemon Juice: Adds a bit of tartness to the strawberries.
- Graham Crackers: The main component of the crust. Use a food processor to pulse into crumbs.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter.
- Cream Cheese: Brick-style, NOT the spreadable kind.
- Yogurt: You can use either vanilla or plain yogurt. You could also substitute this ingredient for sour cream if that's what you have at home.
Instructions
Here are the step by step instructions on how to make this mini strawberry cheesecake recipe.
Step 1: Strawberry topping. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, mix together the diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
Occasionally stir until thickened and the berries have broken down (about 15 minutes). Place into a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator.
Step 2: Make the crust. Use a food processor to crumble the graham crackers into fine crumbs.
Then combine the crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl.
Step 3: Bake the crust. Disperse the graham cracker crumbs into each cupcake liner, pressing down firmly. Bake for 8 minutes in a 325 degree oven and set aside to cool.
Step 4: Beat the cream cheese. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the cream cheese and sugar on high speed until smooth.
Step 5: Add the wet ingredients. Add the yogurt and vanilla extract on medium speed and mix until combined. Then mix in the egg just until combined. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold in any loose ingredients.
Step 6: Assemble. Evenly distribute the cheesecake mixture over the crust. Add ½ tablespoon of the strawberry mixture to the top of each cheesecake and use a toothpick to create the swirl pattern.
Step 7: Bake. Bake the mini cheesecakes for 15-20 minutes.
Chill for 45 minutes on the counter and then for 3 hours in the refrigerator.
Storage Tips
Keep any leftover cheesecakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If leaving in the muffin pan, cover them with plastic wrap or aluminum foil.
Expert Baking Tips
- Muffin Pan: This recipe can easily be made in a 12-count muffin pan. I recommend lining your muffin cups with cupcake liners, but if you don’t have any, use non-stick spray to generously grease each cup.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Remove the cream cheese, yogurt, and eggs from the refrigerator 1 hour before you want to start baking.
- Strawberry Swirl: Use a toothpick to swirl the strawberries into the unbaked cheesecake batter.
- Bake Time: Be sure that the cheesecakes are completely set and baked through before chilling on the counter. They should bake anywhere between 15-20 minutes.
- Completely Chill: It's very important that you allow the cheesecakes to cool at room temperature for 45 minutes before placing them into the refrigerator to chill for another 3 hours. The cheesecakes need time to set before serving.
Recipe FAQs
The cheesecakes are done baking when they barely jiggle when moving the pan. You can also touch the centers and if it's firm, they're done.
Yes you can. Just be sure to dice them up before cooking them down in a saucepan.
Yes! This is a perfect dessert to make the night before. Simply let the cheesecakes chill overnight and then serve the next day.
If you made this recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below. I love hearing from you! Also, please tag me on Instagram and check out my Pinterest for even more recipe ideas.
It brings me so much joy to see you make my recipes. 🙂
Happy Baking!
More Cheesecake Recipes
📖 Recipe
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Equipment
- 12-count muffin pan
- Food Processor
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients:
Strawberry Sauce
- 2 cups strawberries, diced (about 13 medium-sized strawberries)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
Graham Cracker Crust
- 7 graham cracker sheets, crumbs (about 1 cup)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake
- 12 ounces block-style cream cheese, room temperature
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup yogurt (plain or vanilla), room temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Instructions:
Strawberry Sauce
- Combine the diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Use a rubber spatula to stir the strawberries as they cook. As the sauce starts to boil, use your spatula to break up some of the strawberries into smaller chunks.
- Cook the sauce until thickened (about 15 minutes) and then remove the pan from the heat. Pour the sauce into a heat-safe bowl and place it into the refrigerator to chill as you make the other components of the cheesecake.
Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat the oven 325 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- Place the graham cracker sheets into a food processor or blender and pulse until fine crumbs. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, and salt.
- Evenly disperse the graham cracker crumbs into the cupcake liners, pressing down firmly (use your fingers or a ¼ measuring cup). Bake for 8 minutes and set aside to cool while making the cheesecake filling.
Cheesecake
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer using the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese and sugar on high speed until smooth (about 1-2 minutes). Scrape the sides of the bowl a few times during this process.
- Add the yogurt and vanilla extract and mix on medium speed until combined. Then add the egg and mix just until incorporated. Remove the bowl from the stand and use a rubber spatula to gently fold in any loose pieces.
- Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling into the cupcake liners, covering the graham cracker crust (I used my 1.5 tablespoon cookie scoop). Scoop a ½ tablespoon of the strawberry sauce over each cheesecake and use a toothpick to create a swirl pattern.
- Place the muffin pan into the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops of the cheesecakes are set (if the cheesecakes jiggle when shaken, they're not done yet).
- Allow the cheesecakes to cool for 45 minutes on the counter and then cover the entire muffin pan with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill for 3 hours. Serve your cheesecakes with the extra strawberry sauce (optional).
- Keep any leftover mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes:
Nutrition
My friend was turning 30 and so I texted her husband what her favourite dessert was. He said cheesecake which is great except I have never made a cheesecake in my life. I searched through a number of recipes and decided I liked this one the best. Love the mini cheesecake idea which is easier for a larger group. I made these today and they turned out great!! Everyone loved them. I doubled the recipe and it worked beautifully. I cooked them till the centre was 65C (150F).
Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Anika! Thanks so much for trying this recipe! I really love this mini cheesecake recipe and I'm SO GLAD everyone loved them! 🙂
Do you think I can make these in MINI muffin pans? I wanted the miniature, petite size to be cuter and go farther.
Yes, definitely! We've done this at bigger family gatherings and they're always so fun! Just check them after 8-10 minutes.
Thank you for the quick and easy recipe! My daughter is turning 1 tomorrow and the theme is "Berry First Birthday" so these will be perfect!
Aww happy birthday to your daughter! Enjoy!
Can I use sour cream instead of yogurt?
Hi Debbie! Yes, you can substitute the yogurt for sour cream. 🙂
Can I freeze them and serve them a week or 2 later? I have fresh strawberries that need to be used but don’t need the cheesecakes until later.
Hi Hayward! Yes, you can freeze them for up to 2 months. Just make sure the cheesecakes are completely cooled and set in the refrigerator. Place them in an airtight container and freeze until you need them!
These are FANTASTIC! Twice folks thought they were store bought. My family loves them.
Yay!! Happy to hear that, Helene! My family also loves cheesecake, so I'm glad yours did too!