These easy mini cheesecake bites are good old-fashioned cheesecake made with Philadelphia cream cheese and graham cracker crust. These mini cheesecakes taste amazing on their own or with a homemade berry sauce and they are addictive.
Now I am not sure why so many bakers have gotten away from this classic cheesecake recipe and moved on to fancier versions but this is the one and only for me. This cheesecake bites recipe is so good and really easy to make.
This is one of those recipes that I have been making for years for my family. In fact, they prefer these to most other desserts.
Normally baking a full cheesecake, whether a classic one or strawberry cheesecake can be a bit more time-consuming or a bit too heavy for a dessert. Depending on the recipe, it can also be too much cheesecake and not enough crust.
These bite-sized cheesecakes are the perfect amount.
Table of contents
Why You Will Love These
- Perfect amount: Mini bites of crunchy graham cracker crust and a light cream cheese filling are perfectly balanced desserts. It really is a much better experience and so much more manageable than a traditional large slice of cheesecake.
- Easy to serve: An added bonus with these cheesecake bites is you do not need any plates or utensils. It is 100 percent a finger food kind of dessert.
- Easy to make: When making these cheesecake bites, the steps are really easy too! As you are baking the crust, you can assemble the cheesecake batter. If you are not good at multi-tasking, no worries! It still is quick and easy.
Cheesecake Bites Ingredients
There are just the standard ingredients you will need to make these cheesecake bites.
- Cream cheese: I like to use full-fat cream cheese for the most flavor.
- Graham crackers: Regular honey graham crackers work best here!
- Butter: Unsalted butter
- Sugar: Regular granulated sugar
- Vanilla: Try to use a good quality vanilla extract.
- Egg: Large eggs
How to make cheesecake bites (step-by-step photos)
Making this mini cheesecake bites recipe could not be any simpler. They are made in a mini muffin tin to make the perfect little bites. Here are what the steps look like:
- Make the graham cracker crust for the cheesecake bites
Here you are just going to mix the ground-up graham crackers, melted butter and sugar together in a small bowl. Very easy! Every good cheesecake needs a delicious homemade graham cracker crust 🙂
- Pressing down the Cheesecake crust: Place graham cracker mixture into muffin tins and press them down.
Here you add the graham crackers crumbs to the lined muffing tins and gently press the graham crackers down. Once you have done this, you bake it for a few minutes. You will know when the graham cracker crust is ready because you will begin to smell the amazing aroma of baked graham crackers coming from the oven.
- Make the cheesecake filling.
While the graham crackers are baking, you can begin whipping together the cheesecake filling. You only need sour cream, vanilla, cream cheese, and sugar for this part.
Make sure they are all at room temperature. This will ensure that the mixture is smooth and creamy.
- Add cheesecake filling to the baked graham cracker crust in the muffin tin.
Once the graham crackers have baked for a few minutes in the oven, remove them to cool. When they are cool, grab a tablespoon and fill the mini muffin tin with the cheesecake batter.
Try to make sure they are all filled evenly. This ensures the perfect amount of cheesecake in each bite. After you have filled the muffin tin with the cheesecake batter, you bake the cheesecakes then cool.
When they are done baking and are fully cooled, you want to make sure they are refrigerated for at least four hours to set up.
Toppings For Cheesecake Bites
These easy mini cheesecakes can be eaten as is or topped with your favorite toppings like a simple berry sauce, blackberry puree, or homemade blueberry sauce if you want to make berry cheesecake bites. In the Fall, I love making my homemade cranberry sauce and using that as a topping along with my sugared cranberries.
You could also just use fresh strawberries for the topping for strawberry cheesecake bites. Choose any flavor that you prefer.
Storing
Just like our crustless pumpkin pies, or mini carrot cake cupcakes, these bite-sized cheesecakes can sit in your refrigerator during the week and you can grab one when you want a quick sweet treat. If you decide to make a double batch of these, you can freeze one of the batches for later.
How to serve mini cheesecake bites
These cheesecake bites are extremely tempting and a little bit of a guilty treat. I feel a lot less guilty eating these instead of an entire slice of cheesecake.
I also think they make a great dessert to serve to guests.
We love making this mini cheesecake bites recipe during the holidays along with our carrot cake, or Italian apple cake, or super moist chocolate cake, and our pizzelle recipe. That way there is something for everyone.
Common questions
Can you make these cheesecake bites ahead of time?
Yes, this mini cheesecake bites recipe is meant to be made ahead of time so they have time to cool in the fridge. They can be made up to 3 days ahead of time and still retain that great crunch in the crust.
Why does my cheesecake crack on top?
If you find that the mini cheesecake bites crack after baking, what is happening is the cheesecake was cooked for a little too long. To prevent this from happening in the future, check those cheesecakes a couple minutes before the recipe time says to since all ovens vary.
Do I need to cook cheesecake bites in a water bath like other cheesecake recipes?
No. That is the simplicity and greatness of this mini cheesecake bites recipe is that you are only adding these into a mini muffin tin and no other special baking techniques are needed. By not using a water bath, the cheesecakes will get a lightly brown top and a slight dip on top but this is a rustic simple recipe. If you prefer to cover this, then adding some whipped cream or berries on top will do the trick. You can even add some melted chocolate if you prefer.
Do you serve these mini cheesecake bites with or without the muffin liner?
This is totally up to you! If you do decide to take off the liners then make sure you do it slowly so you do not accidentally pull some of that delicious graham cracker crust with it.
Can these be frozen?
Absolutely. To freeze these cheesecake bites, just chill them fully in the fridge first then transfer them to a freezer-safe container making sure they are not stacked up but sitting next to each other in the container.
Pairing Ideas
If you are looking for ideas of what to serve with these mini cheesecake bites, here are some of our favorites:
For more Easy Dessert recipes:
If you love these mini cheesecake bites, you may also like these:
Easy Mini Cheesecake Bites
Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!
Equipment
- mini muffin tin
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- â…” cup graham cracker crumbs You can pulse full size graham crackers in a food processor or smash them up well in a ziploc bag
- 2 tablespoon melted unsalted butter
- 1 ½ tablespoon granulated white sugar If you like a more decadent dessert you can use brown sugar instead of regular granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or ⅛ teaspoon regular salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature This is one full block of cream cheese. You should take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before you are ready to use it.
- ¼ cup sour cream or mascarpone cheese full fat works best. If you decide to use Italian Mascarpone then make sure it is at room temperature
- ¼ cup granulated white sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees
Making the graham cracker crust
- In a large bowl, add your ground graham crackers, melted butter, salt and sugar and mix well
- Line your mini muffin tin with mini muffin liners. If you do not have liners then grease the well of the muffin tray.
- Now scoop one good heaping teaspoon of your crust into each of the wells
- Do this until all of the crust is used up
- With the end of a wooden spoon or something similar in shape, press the crust into the wells of the tin well until it looks pressed and firm and the crust comes up of the sides a little bit. I use a bit of a rotating motion to push the crust up the sides of the cupcake liner a little bit.
- Place the crust in the pre-heated oven for 4-5 minutes. then remove and let cool.
Cheesecake Filling
- In a medium bowl, add your room temperature cream cheese, egg, sour cream, vanilla and sugar and mix really well until it becomes silky smooth (about 2 minutes with a mixer or about 4 minutes with a whisk)
- Take a heaping tablespoon of your cheesecake filling and place on top of the graham cracker crust. Keep doing this until all of the filling is used up. If there is any left over then evenly distribute it to all of the wells.
Baking
- Bake for 16-18 minutes or until you cannot see the center jiggle when you give the pan a light shake. Oven temperatures vary so start checking those cheesecakes at around 16 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cheesecakes cool completely in the pan. (The cheesecake will not be ready to eat until it has chilled so if you grab a test one to try just remember that the consistency will change and firm up once it is cold)
- Once the cheesecake have come to room temperature, place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight to completely chill and set up.
- Once it is fully chilled you can remove them from the pan and enjoy them as is or add your favorite topping.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition Values are estimates only.
See full nutrition disclaimer here
Daniel says
Absolutely delicious! Came out great
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed them! They're our favorite bite sized dessert 🙂
Jessica says
These cheesecakes were the perfect little dessert bites for our party. Loved them!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that!
Gwen says
Loved these! Super delicious and easy to follow instructions.
Jodi says
Made these twice and they are super easy and come together so quick. Family loved! Thanks for the great recipe!
Melissa says
So glad you are enjoying them!
Camilla says
Lovely recipe. Great mini dessert for parties and everyone always enjoys them.
Melissa says
So glad to hear that!
Mary says
Made these several times for parties. Everyone loved them. I do sometimes have some that crack. What am I doing wrong?
Melissa says
Hi Mary. So glad to you are enjoying them 🙂 If they are sometimes cracking after baking, you can try removing them from the oven a minute or two earlier.
Kevin says
Love these! Easy and tasty and I’ll definitely be making them again
Dana says
I was looking for an easy recipe for cheesecake bites so I decided to try these and I’m glad I did! They were so good and we ate them all the first night 🙂
Thank you!
Melissa says
Love hearing that Dana!
Chloe B says
My family loved these cheesecake bites! Can’t wait to make them again.
Melissa says
So happy to hear that Chloe! Thanks so much for sharing.
Eve says
This was exactly what I was looking for and so easy to make! The instructions were so easy and everyone enjoyed them.
So happy I found your site.
Melissa says
Hi Eve. Thank you so much for sharing and I am so glad everyone enjoyed them 🙂
Kyle says
These cheesecake bites were amazing!! Easy to make too. Great recipe
Melissa says
I am so glad you enjoyed it!
Jahaira says
Made these and we absolutely loved them! They were super easy to make and a huge hit. My honey wants me to make a full size one ? Is there a way to do this ?
Melissa says
Hi Jahaira. I am so glad you both enjoyed it. I haven't tried this recipe in a full size pan (although it is planned for the future!).
Kerns says
Doubled the recipe and made these in a regular size muffin tin and they turned out delicious. Quick and easy recipe and so so tasty!! Ty! 🙂
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Carol Edwards says
Can you freeze these mini cheesecakes. And can I substitute graham crackers for vanilla wafers since that is what’ve have on hand.
Melissa says
Hi Carol. Yes, to both. We've included instructions for freezing the cheesecake in the notes section of the recipe. Hope this helps 🙂
Zee says
Second time making these and they are amazing! It makes the best party dessert for gatherings and everyone loves them.
Great recipe!
Melissa says
Hi Zee. I'm so glad you are enjoying them!
Laura says
So delicious!
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Brenda says
These cheesecake bites were a hit with the whole family. They were perfect for an easy dessert that I could make ahead of time and really delicious!
Melissa says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them Brenda!
Dee says
These little cheesecakes are my go to dessert for all occasions. They’re so easy to make and everyone loves them!
Melissa says
I love hearing that! Thanks so much for sharing Dee 🙂
Andy says
Easy, tasty and everyone loved them!
Melissa says
Love hearing that!
Sophi says
These little cheesecake bites were delicious. I made this for my boyfriend and I and we finished the whole pan 🙂
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed them! They go fast around here too 🙂
Jamy says
Such a great recipe. I made these mini cheesecake bites for a Birthday and it was loved by everyone. The berry sauce was delicious too.
Melissa says
So glad to hear that Jamy! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Susan says
These were so delicious! Can’t wait to make them again.
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed them Susan 🙂
Tim H says
I love old fashioned cheesecake but not the hassle of baking a whole one so I tried this recipe, and they were great.
So much easier than a big cheesecake and just as good!
Melissa says
Love hearing that 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Reda says
Easy tasty and everyone loved them!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that!
Leslie B says
We made these for a party we were attending and they were everyone’s favorite!
Very easy recipe and they are really good.
Melissa says
I'm so glad to hear that 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Mahri says
So delicious!
Melissa says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them Mahri 🙂
Gina says
Just made these cheesecake bites and they turned out amazing! The whole family loved them.
Melissa says
I'm so glad to hear that Gina 🙂
Sammy says
We’ve made this many times now and everyone loves it!
Melissa says
Love hearing that! Thanks so much for sharing 🙂
Fiona says
Second time making them and they are delicious
Melissa says
So glad you are enjoying them Fiona 🙂
James says
They were perfect!
Melissa says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Mahri says
This was my first time making cheesecake bites and it came out amazing. My family loves cheesecake and these little cheesecakes were the perfect dessert to make for them.
I also made the berry topping and it was so good.
Melissa says
I am so glad your first time making cheesecake bites was a success!
Cheryl L says
These cheesecake bites are absolutely delicious. They made a great dessert for our party!
Melissa says
Love hearing that!
Jenna says
Delicious!
Melissa says
Hi Jenna. Glad you enjoyed them 🙂
Amber says
So scrumptious! Delicious and easy to make
Melissa says
Hi Amber.
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Jessica says
These mini cheesecakes were so delicious!
Melissa says
I'm so glad you enjoyed them!
Karen k says
A huge hit at the holiday party.
Melissa says
Love hearing that 🙂
Diana says
I love these!!
Melissa says
Love hearing that!
Karen says
I also made berry sauce with strawberries and blueberries. This mini cheesecake recipe will now be a forever go-to. Super delicious and pretty easy. Thank you for publishing.
Melissa says
I am so glad 🙂
Patty Laskodi says
How long do these keep for in fridge?
Melissa says
I like to store them for no more than 2 days to make sure the crust stays crisp 🙂
Lana says
They were so good!
Melissa says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Zara says
Hi! Have you ever done these in regular muffin tins instead of the mini size? Would love to know cooking times for that!
Melissa says
Hi Zara. We haven' tried it yet but plan to soon!
Jan says
I did a double batch and put them in a regular muffin pan (24). I started checking them at 18 mins and let them cook until they didn’t jiggle. About 10 more mins m/l
Melissa says
Hi Jan. Thanks so much for sharing! I hope you enjoyed them 🙂
Melissa says
Hi Sherri. This recipe is for those who are using a mini muffin tin (24 mini muffin wells in the tin). I hope this helps 🙂
JB says
Made these for a gathering and everyone loved them!
Melissa says
So glad everyone enjoyed them 🙂
Ginny says
I’ve made these three times now and they are so good!
Melissa says
Love hearing that 🙂
Brianna says
Love these!
Melissa says
So glad to hear that 🙂
Danielle says
So good!
Elle says
So delicious! Love these mini cheesecake bites
Amaya says
Very delicious! Made them with the brown sugar crust version and they were devoured 🙂
Isabella says
This was amazing! They were gone after the first night. Definitely will be making these again!
Sarah S says
How many mini cheesecakes does this recipe make?
Melissa says
Hi.
It makes 24 mini cheesecake bites 🙂
Sara g says
Wonderful cheese cupcakes but I like cream cheese from a bag at a cheese/deli store, not the philly brick. It is a bit wetter but much tastier. I put cinnamon in the crust too 🙂
Melissa says
Hi Sara,
I am so glad you liked them! That cream cheese sounds heavenly 🙂 I will be on the lookout for this next time I am at the deli.
Melissa says
So glad to hear that Sarah!
MJS says
These were very good and easy to make. However, next time I will cut in half the amount of salt added to the graham cracker crust.
Melissa says
Glad you enjoyed them!