Mini cheesecakes topped with strawberry preserves are the best bite-sized treat for any occasion! Super simple and oh-so-scrumptious!!
I love strawberry cheesecake, but it takes all day to make. These Strawberry Cheesecake Bites satisfy the craving and are ready in just a few hours!
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE BITES
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They’re made with a simple graham cracker crust in a regular muffin tin. (NOT a mini muffin tin!) The quick homemade cream cheese filling is topped with strawberry preserves for a taste of summer all year long!
You’ll dream of NYC when you eat these mini cheesecake bites. Add them to your Christmas cookie tray for something different this year!
Strawberry Cheesecake Bite Ingredients
CRUST: I love graham cracker crusts. They’re so easy to make and have such a great flavor! I make mine with butter, sugar, and cinnamon for a slightly spiced, crumbly base for these mini cheesecakes.
CHEESECAKE: There’s nothing creamier than homemade cheesecake! I keep mine basic: cream cheese, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and salt. That’s it!
Top it all with strawberry preserves for the smoothest mini strawberry cheesecakes you’ve ever had!
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes
- First, preheat the oven and pop cupcake liners into your muffin tins. This easy mini cheesecake recipe makes about 2 dozen cheesecakes, so you’ll likely need 2 trays. Or you can make them in batches!
- Then, mix the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and cinnamon together for the crust. Add a spoonful to each cupcake liner and press into a packed layer.
- Now, bake it for a few minutes and rest while you make the filling.
- For the filling, whip the cream cheese with a stand mixer or hand mixer in a large bowl until super fluffy.
- Then, add in the sugar slowly, allowing it to be fully incorporated until adding more.
- Next, add your eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla and salt. Mix until smooth and creamy.
- Now, add a bit of cheesecake filling to the muffin cups. Don’t overfill the liners! You also wanna tap the tins on the counter to get rid of the bubbles. Pop them with a toothpick for a super smooth top.
- Then, bake until the cheesecakes are set and let them cool.
- Once the cheesecakes have cooled to room temperature, cover with the strawberry preserves and allow them to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.
These are a great make-ahead dessert! You can also easily freeze these mini cheesecakes to have a creamy treat any day.
How Do You Keep Mini Cheesecakes From Sinking?
There’s nothing sadder than a beautiful cheesecake that sank. You can always cover it with filling, but how do you keep mini cheesecakes from sinking?
This recipe has a low and slow cook time for that exact reason! Cheesecakes sink when they’re cooked too fast with too much heat, so I only bake mine at 325 degrees F.
If your cheesecakes still sink, you can use a bain-marie method with water in the oven. This helps keep the cheesecake moist and tall.
To make a bain-marie, put a little water in a casserole dish larger than your muffin tin. Then, gently set the tin in the water bath. The steam from the water will help cook the cheesecakes!
How Do You Know if a Mini Cheesecake is Done?
No one wants a cracked cheesecake, which comes from over-baking. But how do you tell if cheesecake is done?
The trick is to jiggle it! Carefully give the tray a little shake. If the cheesecake filling looks mostly firm but shakes slightly in the center, it’s done! The extra wobble will fade as the cheesecakes cool.
If you cook the mini cheesecakes until they’re firm, they can slowly crack as they cool. Always do the jiggle test!
Can You Freeze Mini Cheesecakes?
Definitely! Cheesecake freezes well because of the high fat content in the cream cheese.
Let them cool completely before freezing and skip the topping. They can stay frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
To thaw, simply defrost overnight in the fridge before serving. No heat needed!
More Delectable Holiday Desserts
- Crockpot Salty Sweet Candy
- White Chocolate Cranberry Pistachio Fudge
- Homemade Peppermint Marshmallows
- Apple Cranberry Pie
- Chocolate Chip Snowball Cookies
- More DESSERT recipes…
Tools used to make Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
Muffin tin: You don’t need a specialty mini cheesecake pan for this recipe! You can make so many unique dishes in a muffin tin, like egg cups and cookie cups.
Stand mixer: This easy mini cheesecake recipe is doable with a hand mixer, but a stand mixer makes it so much easier! The power of the mixer also can beat more air into the cream cheese, making it super fluffy and light.
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Cheesecake Filling
- 32 ounce cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 8 ounces strawberry preserves
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Crust
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two standard-sized muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, mix together graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar, and cinnamon.
- Pour 1 tablespoon of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Using a cup, press crumbs into an even packed layer.
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest while you make the filling.
Cheesecake Filling
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip cream cheese until fluffy. (You can use a hand mixer instead if you prefer.)
- Add in sugar slowly to the cream cheese and keep mixing until smooth.
- Add in eggs, one at a time. Then add vanilla and salt; mix to combine.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake filling into each cupcake liner.
- Tap muffin tins on the counter to bring the bubbles up to the top and pop them with a toothpick.
- Bake cheesecakes for 22 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Then transfer to a wire rack to cool to room temp.
Topping
- Place 2 teaspoons of strawberry preserves on top of the cheesecakes where a little dip forms.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together powdered sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla until smooth. Vanilla glaze will be a little on the thick side- but should still drizzle off a spoon. Add more heavy cream as needed to reach your desired consistency. Drizzle over cheesecake tops.
- Move cheesecakes to the fridge to chill for 2 to 4 hours. Remove from liners and enjoy!
Kathy Evola says
Could you use raspberry preserves instead?
Real Housemoms JK says
Yes Kathy! That would be fantastic!