How to Make Mini No Bake Cheesecake
Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts of all time, and nothing beats this homemade recipe. Made with a buttery graham cracker crust and a luscious lemony filling, every bite is rich, tangy, and bright.
You Will Love this Mini Lemon Cheesecake!
Easy mini lemon cheesecakes are extra creamy, and lightly sweetened, with a pop of lemon flavor. They can be made in a standard muffin pan or 4-ounce jars for a beautiful presentation.
After chilling in the refrigerator, they’re ready to top with whipped cream, berries, or lemon curd. This is another easy recipe just like icebox cake or raspberry brownies that is perfect to bring to backyard barbeques this summer.
Mini Lemon Cheesecake Ingredients
The ingredients for these from-scratch mini cheesecakes are easy to find at your local grocery store.
Crust:
- Graham crackers
- Sugar
- Butter
Filling:
- Cream cheese
- Sugar
- Fresh lemon juice
- Vanilla extract
- Heavy cream
How to Make Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Add graham crackers to a bowl of a food-processor and pulse until crumb consistency.
In a bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
Add melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. The mixture should resemble wet sand.
Line two muffin pans with cupcake liners. Spoon some crumb mixture into each cup. Pack it down with a small measuring cup or the back of a spoon and set it aside.
Combine the cream cheese and sugar. Beat until smooth and creamy.
Add lemon juice, and vanilla. In a separate bowl, beat heavy cream on high until stiff peaks form. Combine the cream cheese mixture and heavy cream.
Spoon the cheesecake mixture evenly over the crusts. Use the back of a spoon or a small measuring cup to smooth the tops.
Chill for at least 3 hours up to overnight. If chilling for more than 3 hours, cover the pans with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Keep the cheesecakes refrigerated until ready to serve.
Garnish Ideas
Creamy cheesecake doesn’t need any toppings because of its bright lemon flavor and crunchy crust, however, adding a topping can really make the flavors pop and make a pretty presentation!
Some delicious options include:
- fresh blueberry, raspberry, or strawberries
- drizzle of white chocolate
- lemon curd
- whipped cream
- slice of lemon
- fresh mint leaves
Tips for No Bake Mini Cheesecakes
Here are some tips to help you make a fool-proof cheesecake dessert:
- Prep in advance. Prep the graham crackers ahead of time, so all you have to do is just mix it. Simply pulse them in a food-processor until crushed consistency and store in a ziploc bag or closed container.
- Double the recipe. Double the recipe for a full-size cheesecake.
- Keep at room temperature. Cream cheese needs to be at room temperature before mixing into the cheesecake filling.
- Garnish. Top prepared cheesecakes with whipped cream, lemon slice, or lemon zest.
- Use cupcake liners. Use cupcake liners for easy removal from the pan.
- Use nonstick spray. To ensure cheesecakes don’t stick to the cupcake liners, spray the liners lightly with baking spray.
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake FAQs
Store cheesecake in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. If you want to keep them longer than a week, storing them in the freezer is a great option.
Freezing mini cheesecakes is an excellent way to keep them fresh even longer. Store individual cheesecakes inside a closed container. You can keep them there for up to three months. They’re the perfect portion for dessert without needing to make a whole new batch each time.
It’s not a good idea to leave cheesecake on the counter overnight. The cream cheese needs to be refrigerated in order to be kept fresh. It starts to soften in about 45-60 minutes at room temperature.
This lemon cheesecake recipe is made with a buttery graham cracker crust, but you can use another type of cookie for a different flavor.
Try making a gingersnap crust, using chocolate or cinnamon graham crackers, or Biscoff cookies.
Having a cheesecake pan with individual sections is great if you plan on using it often, but if you don’t have one, you can use a standard muffin pan.
Use paper muffin cups inside a muffin pan for easy clean-up and to ensure your cheesecakes don’t stick.
Another option for making individual lemon cheesecakes is to use glass jars. If you make the cheesecakes in pretty little jars, you don’t need to remove them at all. Just eat them right from the jar! I like using 4-ounce jars for this recipe.
More Dessert Recipes
No Bake Mini Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
Description
Mini lemon cheesecake is a creamy and tangy dessert you can prepare in under 20 minutes. Fill a muffin pan with graham cracker crumbs and lemon cheesecake filling, and chill to make the best no-bake cheesecake dessert.
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 cups crushed graham crackers, (12-14 full sheets)
- ⅓ cup cane sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 2 (8 oz.) pkgs. cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup cane sugar
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy cream
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Pour in the melted butter and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners. Spoon about 1 ½ tablespoons of the crumb mixture into each cup. If there’s any leftover, distribute it evenly. Press the mixture down firmly using a small measuring cup or the back of a spoon. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the lemon juice and vanilla, then mix until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, beat the cold heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake mixture using a spatula or wooden spoon until fully incorporated. The filling should be thick and airy.
- Divide the filling evenly over the prepared crusts, filling each about ¾ full. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon or a small measuring cup. If the mixture is too sticky, dip the spoon in room temperature water to help with smoothing.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight. If chilling for more than 3 hours, cover the pans with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Before serving, garnish with fresh berries, a small slice of lemon, or a dollop of whipped topping, if desired.
Notes
- Cream Cheese: You’ll need two bricks of full-fat cream cheese for this recipe. Do not use low-fat cream cheese or cream cheese in a tub.
- Lemons: If available, use Meyer lemons, which are sweeter and less tart tasting.
- Make-Ahead: Cheesecakes can be prepared up to 3 days in advance and kept refrigerated until ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cheesecake
- Calories: 183
- Sugar: 9.9 g
- Sodium: 125.6 mg
- Fat: 12.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Protein: 1.9 g
- Cholesterol: 34.9 mg
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Hi! I'm Katya -- a former corporate paralegal turned full-time recipe developer and blogger behind Little Broken. Here you'll find family-friendly and seasonal recipes made from real ingredients.
Can you freeze them overnight
I would not freeze them in place of refrigerating as they can break down.
I’ve made these cheescakes so many times! I love how easy they are.
Do I white the heavy cream first or just add it in as is?
I’m not sure I understand your question but you would whip the heavy cream with vanilla and lemon juice.