Perfect for sharing at a party, these mini cheesecakes are so simple and quick to make with minimal clean up required! Customise them to whatever toppings or biscuits you have on hand, or devour them as is- the options and variations are endless and all absolutely delicious!
How To Put These Mini Cheesecakes Together
As for most cheesecakes, there are two main parts to this recipe- the base and the cheesecake itself.
The Base
This is basically a mix of crushed biscuits and melted butter, mixed together to form that delicious biscuit base we all love. My favourite biscuits to use are digestives but these can be easily substituted with other types of biscuits (see variations below). I like to use my food processor to quickly and evenly break up the biscuits before mixing in the melted butter, but you could easily break up the biscuits by hand by placing them into a ziplock and beating with a rolling pin or similar object (make sure you put something down like a tea towel underneath the bag to protect your bench top first though).
If you’re wondering if you can omit the base (i.e. if you’re trying to save a few calories or are serving this to someone who is gluten free- in which case you’ll also need to omit the flour in the cheesecake itself), I have tried the recipe without the biscuit base and it works, although you will get some more sinking occurring. This can easily be covered with toppings, or leave as is for some yummy, simple cheesecake bites!
The Cheesecake
The cheesecake is made with a mix of softened cream cheese and heavy (thickened) cream. I like to use some lemon juice and vanilla extract for flavour, but you can omit this if you don’t have any on hand.
Since I usually have it out already, I find it easiest to use the food processor to mix the cheesecake mixture together- just put everything into the bowl and whizz it together! I rarely bother properly cleaning the bowl after using it the crush the biscuits too, I usually just wipe out as much cookie crumb as I can with a paper towel before using it as is, which is great since less washing up is always a win in my book!
Variations and Toppings
One of the best things about these mini cheesecakes is how easy it is to adapt them to whatever flavour profile you like. While they’re amazing as they are, you can make them fancier by adding your favourite toppings or by changing the base biscuit.
Topping Ideas:
- Fruit Compote: I love making a quick fruit compote by microwaving a cup of frozen fruit with a tablespoon of sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice for about 1-2 mins or until everything is warmed through.
- Chia Jam
- Fresh fruit: berries, mangos, lychees, peaches- anything goes here!
- Whipped cream
- Chocolates or more crushed biscuit crumbs
Base Variation Ideas:
Change the biscuit base by substituting the same amount of your favourite biscuits. If you use sandwich cookies with cream between make sure you either remove the cream first or reduce the amount of melted butter used to make up for the extra moisture!
- Chocolate biscuits: Turn these cheesecakes into Oreo cheesecakes by using Oreos for the base and mixing some crushed Oreos through the cheesecake batter. If you’re in Australia, Chocolate Ripple biscuits also work great as a rich chocolate base!
- Graham Crackers (if you’re in the USA) or Granita or Marie biscuits (in Australia)
- Nice biscuits– these are sugar coated sweet biscuits that are easy to find in Australia, no need to add any extra sugar if you’re using these
How to Make Ahead and Store
If you’re looking to make these ahead, leave the toppings off and place them in an airtight box for up to 3 days in the fridge. To freeze, wrap each cheesecake in its wrapper in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months and allow to defrost completely in the fridge before serving.
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If you try this recipe, please let us know how you went in the comments below!
Recipe Card
Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Base
- 150g (half a packet) digestive biscuits (or similar sweet biscuits- see note 1)
- 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp sugar (optional, if you like the base to be sweeter)
Cheesecake
- 250g (8 oz) block of cream cheese, softened
- 1/3 cup (75g) sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup (80ml) thickened (heavy) cream
- 2 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice (from approx. half a small lemon)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C/ 350°F (160°C Fan)
- Line a standard sized muffin tray with 12 paper or foil liners
- In a food processor, or in a ziplock back with a rolling pin, blend/crush the biscuits until they become a fine crumb. Tip these cookie crumbs into a medium sized mixing bowl and combine well with the melted butter and sugar (if using).
- Divide approx. 1 Tbsp of this base mixture into each muffin case and, using the back of a spoon, gently press the mixture down until firm and smooth.
- In the dusted out bowl of the food processor or in a stand mixer, combine the cream cheese and sugar. Add the remaining cheesecake ingredients and mix until well combined.
- Divide the mixture into the lined muffin trays and bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until just set. Allow the mini cheesecakes to cool before placing them in the fridge for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight) to set.
- Serve either on their own or with your favourite toppings. I prefer to remove the cases prior to serving but this is up to you!
Notes
1. Biscuit Base Variations- You can use almost any type of dry, sweet biscuit you like- see the recipe post for suggestions.
2. Gluten Free- use gluten free biscuits for the base and gluten free flour in the cheesecake. You could also omit the flour and the base altogether and have a crustless cheesecake- these will sink slightly in the middle but will still be delicious!
Nutrition Information:
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 262Total Fat: 20.7gSaturated Fat: 11.8gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 129mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 0.2gSugar: 10.7gProtein: 2.8g
Nutritional information is an estimation only and will depend on your individual ingredients and any variations used.
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