Cheesecake Cupcakes are a fun birthday dessert recipe! Baked mini cheesecakes topped with an easy buttercream frosting and rainbow sprinkles.
Swap out regular Vanilla Cupcakes with these frosted Mini Cheesecakes at your next special event for a Dessert that is just as fancy as it is fun.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Easy Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe
Cheesecake Cupcakes are great for parties because they feed a crowd and store great in the fridge, so you can make them days ahead of time. A vanilla cheesecake base makes it easy to switch them up for any occasion. Swap rainbow sprinkles for seasonal ones during the holidays. The possibilities are endless and no matter how you decorate them, they are always a fun, delicious crowd-pleaser!
These cheesecakes are so easy to make. They only need to be baked for about 30 minutes. You want to ensure they are completely cool before you frost them, so plan an hour to cool at room temperature or 30 minutes in the fridge. Placing the muffin tin on a wire rack helps cool them quicker because the heat isn’t trapped below them.
Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crust: A homemade graham cracker crust is simple and made in minutes. It’s great because it doesn’t have to be baked beforehand and ready at the touch of a food processor.
- Cream Cheese: These mini cheesecakes only use cream cheese for the filling. Some recipes use sour cream, but this recipe gets that smooth, thick NY Cheesecake consistency with just cream cheese and eliminates the need for a water bath.
- Lemon: The acidity of the lemon juice helps the cream cheese filling set, so it doesn’t have to bake or cool as long. Plus it gives them that tasty tangy cheesecake flavor without using sour cream.
- Buttercream Frosting: Having a good buttercream frosting recipe on hand is an easy way to elevate your cakes and cupcakes. Even if you are frosting brownies or boxed cake, freshly made buttercream is worth a few extra steps.
How to Make
Time needed: 2 hours.
- Prep:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 12-cup muffin tins with baking spray or line them with paper liners. Make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature.
- Crust:
Place graham crackers and sugar in a food processor and process until they are completely fine crumbs. Add melted butter to the crumbs and pulse until well combined. Spoon the graham cracker crumble into the muffin cups and press down until even and flat. Set pans aside.
- Cheesecakes:
In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to blend cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Divide the filling evenly between the muffin cups, filling about ½ ways full. Bake until the centers are almost set, 20-25 minutes. Set the pans on a wire rack and cool completely before frosting.
- Frosting:
In a stand mixer on low speed, cream the butter, then add the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until fully combined. Raise the speed to medium-high for 2 minutes. Add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 more minute. Spoon frosting into a large piping bag with a large star tip. Pipe frosting onto cooled mini cheesecakes and top with rainbow sprinkles.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Mini Cheesecakes:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter , melted
- 16 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs , room temperature
Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter , softened
- 6 cups powdered sugar , about 2 pounds
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-4 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/4 cup rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Mini Cheesecakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a two 12 cup muffin tins with baking spray.
- Add graham crackers and sugar to food processor until fine crumbs then add in the melted butter and pulse until well combined.
- Spoon the crumble into the muffin cups and press down.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together the cream cheese, sugar, egg, lemon juice and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Gently spoon over the graham cracker crust until the muffin cups are ½ full.
- Bake until centers are almost set, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
Buttercream Frosting:
- To your stand mixer on low speed cream the butter then start adding in the powdered sugar in ½ cup increments until fully combined then raise the speed to medium-high for 2 additional minutes.
- Add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy for an additional 1 minute.
- Add to a large piping bag with a large star tip.
- Pipe frosting onto cooled mini cheesecakes and top with rainbow sprinkles.
Nutrition
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Chef’s Note: Fun to Decorate!
Cheesecake cupcakes are a fun canvas for decorating with colorful toppings and sauces just like regular cupcakes. I went with a simple birthday theme of rainbow sprinkles but really, you can get so creative You can pick up cute festive sprinkles at craft stores and discount stores (like Ross or TJ Maxx) to switch these up for different holidays, special occasions, and themed parties. For kid parties, I like to do a Build Your Own Cheesecake Cupcake Bar with toppings like fresh fruit, chocolate chips, Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Ganache, and of course, decorative sprinkles and candies.
Can this be made ahead of time?
Yes, cheesecake cupcakes can be made ahead of time. After baking and cooling, store them in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before frosting them. They can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the refrigerator before making the frosting fresh and decorating as usual.
Nutritional Facts
Baking Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Cupcake Liners: Use high-quality cupcake liners or silicone baking cups to ensure easy removal and a neat presentation.
- Mixing Equipment: A stand or hand mixer can help achieve a smooth, lump-free batter.
- Cream Cheese: Use full-fat cream cheese for a rich, creamy texture. Low-fat versions can sometimes be too watery or affect the flavor.
- Fresh Ingredients: Fresh eggs and quality vanilla extract make a noticeable difference in flavor.
- Room-Temperature Ingredients: Before mixing, ensure that the cream cheese, eggs, and other dairy ingredients are at room temperature. This helps achieve a smooth and creamy batter without lumps.
- Crust Preparation: For the base, use crushed graham crackers mixed with melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into the bottom of each cupcake liner to create a solid foundation.
- Pre-Bake the Crust: Pre-bake for a firmer crust for about 5-10 minutes before adding the cheesecake batter.
How to Store
- Serve: Cheesecake cupcakes are best kept chilled until you are ready to serve them. You can keep them at room temperature for up to 2 hours but then they need to be refrigerated.
- Store: Your cupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. If they aren’t frosted, stack them, placing a piece of parchment between layers so they don’t stick, and store the frosting in a separate container.
- Freeze: It’s best to freeze the mini cheesecakes and keep the frosting separate until you want to serve them. Freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight freezer-safe container. Thaw in the fridge so the cheesecake doesn’t “sweat,” aka collect condensation.
Frequent Questions
Cheesecake cupcakes are miniature versions of cheesecake baked in a cupcake liner. They typically have a graham cracker crust and a creamy cheesecake filling but they are topped with frosting like cupcakes!
Yes, you can use store-bought graham cracker crusts, but you’ll have to cut them into small pieces or crumbs and press them into the bottom of your cupcake liners. Since it’s not freshly made with butter, the broken crust will be more crumbly and not hold together well.
Avoid over-mixing the batter to minimize cracking, as this can incorporate too much air. Bake at a lower temperature and avoid opening the oven door frequently. Additionally, a water bath (placing the cupcake pan in a larger pan of hot water) can help regulate the temperature and prevent cracking.
Cheesecake cupcakes are done when the edges are set, but the centers are still slightly jiggly. They will firm up as they cool. Try not to overbake them or it will dry the cheeseacke out.
Variations
- Fruit Cheesecake Cupcakes: Make a Cherry Cheesecake Cupcake by adding 2 tablespoons of Cherry Pie Filling to the cheesecake base before baking. Swirl in Strawberry Jam and top the frosting with fresh berries for Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes.
- Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes: We all know that Oreos make just about everything better. Swap the graham crackers for Oreo cookies and stir crushed Oreos into the cheesecake batter. Sprinkle Oreo crumbs over the frosting for the chocolaty Oreo finishing touch.
- Brownie Cheesecake Cupcakes: Have 3 desserts with a brownie crust instead of a graham cracker crust! Either bake fresh brownies or press store-bought brownie pieces into the bottom of the paper liners for the crust. Top each cupcake with a tiny brownie piece or brownie crumbles.
- Toppings: Some more toppings you can try for these mini cheesecakes are fruit compote or Raspberry Sauce, chocolate curls or chocolate shavings, crushed nuts, and whipped cream.
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