Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes
When hosting a baby shower, Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes were apropos. These strawberry topped mini cheesecakes were the perfect finale for a lovely brunch.
This Mini Cheesecake Recipe created 3 bite cheesecakes with graham cracker crusts and a lovely, luscious vanilla-specked filling. Topping with some whipped cream and a fresh strawberry half made for a beautiful presentation!
Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes
A dear friend and neighbor’s daughter was making her a grandmother. Katie went to school with our oldest and grew up just two doors down. I was honored to host her baby shower.
With my co-hostesses, we came up with a simple brunch menu and bite-sized desserts would be my contribution. Mini cheesecakes are easy, delicious, and can be dolled up very simply. The most challenging part of making this cheesecake recipe was finding beautiful ripe strawberries. Crazy that they were so elusive this summer!
How to Make a Mini Cheesecake Recipe
First, you need a proper pan. I’ve made cheesecakes in a mini muffin pan, but I wanted these to be a little larger. That’s where this pan designed for mini cheesecakes came in very handy.
Unlike a muffin tin, this pan has removable bottoms, making the cheesecakes easy to remove. Beware, a reader bought another brand of pan and a similar recipe made enough batter for more than one batch.
- Make sure all your ingredients are at room temperature, especially the eggs and cream cheese. This ensures a smooth, creamy filling.
- Use a paddle attachment to mix the cheesecake filling. The whisk attachment will incorporate air and the results won’t be the typical dense and luscious cheesecake texture. If you use the whisk, make sure not to over-mix.
- Vanilla bean paste provides the distinctive look of vanilla bean specks, a clue to the flavor of this cheesecake recipe.
- If you don’t want to invest in vanilla bean paste, an equal amount of vanilla extract can be substituted.
- Never use imitation vanilla. The quality and flavor will never come close to the real stuff.
- Chill your cheesecakes well before removing from the pan and garnishing. Overnight is recommended.
- The options for topping these versatile cheesecakes are endless: berries and cream, caramel sauce, white or dark chocolate ganache are a few suggestions.
- Check out my post on the Guide to Making the Ultimate Cheesecakes for everything you need to know about making cheesecakes!
More Mini Desserts
- Caramel Topped Mini Cheesecakes
- Mini Mascarpone Cheesecakes
- Oreo Cheesecakes
- Mini S’mores Tarts
- Pecan Tassies
- Individual Vanilla Flans
- Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes
- More Delicious Dessert Recipes
Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes
Mini cheesecakes speckled with vanilla bean paste and topped with berries and cream!
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Cheesecake:
- 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (vanilla extract can be substituted)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Mix together crust ingredients. Tamp about 1 1/2 teaspoons into each well of your cheesecake pan.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Make cheesecake batter by beating together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, using paddle attachment if available. Add sour cream and mix until combined.
- One at a time, mix in eggs until incorporated. Mix in vanilla bean paste.
- Divide the batter between the wells in your cheesecake pan. Smooth tops with an offset spatula if needed.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack. Chill overnight in pan, covering with plastic wrap or foil keeping it above the cheesecakes' surfaces.
- After chilling, remove from pan and garnish as desired to serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 cheesecakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 70mgSodium: 143mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 12gProtein: 3g
9 Comments on “Mini Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes”
This mini cheesecake recipe is great! Thank you! They turned out so good! Any tips for preventing them from sinking? When I make my regular cheesecake I start out with a higher temp., turn it down, when it’s done I turn the oven off and let it sit there for an hour, then I crack the oven door and it sits for 30 minutes before i take it out, no crack down the middle or sinking. I tried to do a version of this with the mini cheesecakes but less time in the oven and they overcooked (the second time I made them). They rise a good bit but then deflate and pull away from the mini cheesecake pan. They don’t all look pretty (homemade blueberry syrup and whipped cream on top for the save!) but they taste amazing!
Hi, Lindsey,
It happens to all of us. I think the main culprit is a change in oven temperature, so make sure you don’t open the oven door while they’re baking. It sounds like you’ve made cheesecake in the past, so you may already do all of these, but add a bain marine (just a pan of boiling water on a lower shelf in this case), room temperature ingredients and don’t overbeat. Good luck!
Oh ok, thank you so much for responding! Good to know it’s normal. I’ll try the pan of water next time!
Thank you!
My mini cheesecake pan hasn’t seen much action and it’s time to bring it out of the dark recesses of my storage area.
Mini cheesecakes are my favorite and these minis are perfection!
They look so great! I want that pan now. The size and shape is just perfect. And, I love cheesecake.
Really special! I bet they were a big it at the shower:@)
PS-Yay…. It’s finally Football Season-GO BIRDS!!!
These look so adorable and I am sure they taste just as amazing as they look, Liz.
Oh my gosh, these tiny cakes are so adorable! Such a special dessert for a shower. I just love making individual, mini sizes like this. I have a few mini muffin pans, so I’m all set. 😀