A couple years ago my friend Anna (who is an incredibly talented at cakes!) started a baking club for her girls and some friends. They would play and learn to bake something new and always come home with a yummy treat. It became the highlight of Clara’s month! When Anna moved away I promised my girls we could start a baking club of our own and so we did- twice now in our two different homes. It’s always a huge mess but so much fun and I love seeing how excited they get about creating something delicious!

We made these mini cheesecakes for baking club earlier this year (before we all went into isolation). They were simple enough to bake with 5 kids and because they’re so tiny, they’re quick to set up. And they were a huge hit! I didn’t photograph them then, so we made them again last weekend and we still think they’re the best. I stretched the recipe to make 12, but if you want them a little larger just fill 9 muffin cups. We sprinkled some with mini chocolate chips before they went into the oven and the rest we left plain and served with homemade whipped cream and fresh berries.

Mini Cheesecakes

INGREDIENTS

Graham Cracker Crust:
2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 4-5 full sheet graham crackers)
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 Tbsp. sugar

Cheesecake:
one 8-ounce block full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice (optional, but recommended)
1 large egg, at room temperature

topping suggestions: mini chocolate chips, salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, fresh fruit or maraschino cherries, homemade whipped cream, or raspberry sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with 9-12 liners. This recipe yields only 9-12 mini cheesecakes, (depending how full you fill them). 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.
2. 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.
3. 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. (If you want to add mini chocolate chips, sprinkle some on top before you bake the cheesecakes.)
4. Bake until the edges are set and the centers only slightly jiggle, about 18-20 minutes.
5. 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 at least 2 hours and up to 1 day. If chilling for longer than 2 hours, loosely cover the cheesecakes. The cheesecakes will slightly sink in the middle as they chill. It gives you room for toppings!
6. Once chilled, add toppings and serve. Cover and store leftover cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Makes 9-12 mini cheesecakes.

(Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)