Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 sleeve (9 cookies, 4.8 ounces) graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons (1.5 ounces) unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:
- 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 large egg
For the topping:
- Salted caramel sauce, homemade or store-bought
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped and toasted*
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
Make the crust:
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 12 cup mini cheesecake pan with nonstick spray.
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Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Divide the mixture among the cavities of the cheesecake pan, about 1 heaping tablespoon in each. Firmly press into the bottom of each cavity (a shot glass or other small object makes easy work of this).
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Bake the crusts for 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325°F.
Make the filling:
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In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy. Add the vanilla, cream, salt, and cinnamon and beat until smooth. Add the egg and beat until just combined. Divide the mixture among each cavity.
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Bake for about 18 minutes, or until set. Let cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and let chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. At this point the cheesecakes can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make the topping:
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Once chilled, top each cheesecake with a spoonful of caramel sauce, just enough to cover but not too much that it completely overflows. Press pecans into the caramel.
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Place the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl and microwave in 20 second bursts, stirring between bursts, until melted. Transfer to a small ziptop bag and snip a small hole in one corner. Drizzle the chocolate over the caramel and pecans. Return to the fridge to chill until ready to serve.
Recipe Notes
Toast the pecans in a small skillet over medium-high heat or in a 325°F oven until aromatic and slightly darkened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
I have 2 silicon cheesecake molds (16 cups) and I have to make 3dz mini cheesecakes for tomorrow. Can I remove them from the molds after cooling on the counter and before putting them in the fridge to set so I can reuse the pans right away? When I agreed to do the cheesecakes I totally forgot about only having two silicon molds!
Hi Terry! These cheesecakes would need longer than that to set and not collapse, unfortunately. I would recommend allowing the cheesecakes to come to room temperature, then freezing the cheesecakes in their molds until solid (don’t be tempted to try to speed this up by freezing right away – cheesecakes will crack if they experience drastic temperature changes). Once set solidly, you can then unmold and use the molds again. Cheesecakes also freeze extremely well (without the topping, for best results), or the cheesecakes can sit in the fridge for 3 days – so you can always spilt up the cheesecake-making across a couple of days, if needed. Alternateivly, Tessa also has several recipes for no-bake mini cheesecakes, which would need even less time to set, as they don’t get baked! Find all Tessa’s mini cheesecake recipes here. I hope that helps, Terry! Let us know how it goes 🙂
Can these be frozen and then add the caramel, nuts, chocolate drizzle later?
Hi Melissa! Yes, that should work just fine 🙂
Can these be frozen?
Hi Bonnie! We haven’t tried freezing these mini cheesecakes, but I don’t see why not! I would recommend allowing them to cool completely, then freezing inside an airtight container for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight, and then top with caramel sauce, nuts and chocolate before serving for best results. Happy baking 🙂
Why do mini cheesecakes sink in the middle? How can I avoid that happening?
Please tell me how to avoid them sinking so much! Followed the recipe completely.
Hi Dana! I’m sorry you had issues making your mini cheesecakes! It sounds like you may have over mixed your batter. You want to make sure to add the egg and beat only until just combined. Over mixing can result in cracks and sunken cheesecake. I would suggest making sure that your oven temperature is accurate as well, do you have an oven thermometer?
Hi may I use Sour Cream instead Heavy Cream? Look so awesome! will try!
So Yummy
How are these Keto friendly? Have you made them with Swerve brown sugar and almond meal?
Thank you for sharing the recipe! My husband absolutely loved it. However, I didn’t care for the cinnamon especially after eating a couple; It was too overpowering. When I make them again I think I’ll make the cheesecake plain or maybe even peanut butter flavored or caramel flavored. Yum
First time making cheesecake EVER, definitely not a “baker” but with this recipe they were super easy & super delicious! I used mini cupcake tin/papers and for the recipe mine yielded about 17 mini cakes & I still had enough to make a small cheesecake. Recipe ingredients definitely stretch farther if not using a cheesecake pan. I still cooked for the exact 18 mins & they came out PERFECT. Couldn’t have found a better recipe!
I made these cheesecakes and they are delicious! Just wondering what the cooking time would be if I wanted to make one large cheesecake instead of mini ones?
Thanks!
I made these Cheesecakes for Christmas dinner tomorrow. I made two batches. I cooked the first batch for the 18 min and they looked lovely in the oven. They dropped as soon as I took them out, the second batch I cooked about 5-8 min longer and they still dropped. Not as much as the first batch though.
I am so disappointed as I am making them for a special occasion.
What went wrong? I have made Cheesecakes before and never had that problem.
These were the most delicious little desserts. The center of mine sunk in, what can I do to prevent this? I tried cooling in oven and also pulling out of oven and cooling on counter with similar results.
I have made them before and they are delicious 🙂 However, I am making this for a large group and would be easy, faster as a cake. Can they be made in a 9×9 spring form pan? Maybe doubling the recipe?
When do you remove the mini cheesecakes from the pan…after allowing to completely cool and before refrigerating? Thanks
They’re easiest to remove when they’re cool out of the fridge IMO!
At what point do you remove the baked cheesecakes from the pan?
I made this tonight for company. Everyone loved them. I think that my mini cheesecake tin must be smaller than yours though as I had extra of everything. I will definitely be making these again. Can’t wait to try your other mini cheesecake recipes. I think I’ll attempt the s’mores next.
Thanks again for all your great recipes!!!
I would like to add a sour cream topping separate from the filling. After baking the filling take out and add the sour cream, how many additional minutes would you bake the mini cheesecakes?
Hi, just wondering if the heavy cream can be substituted with a whipping cream instead? Thanks!
I made these beauties for Thanksgiving and they are just absolutely amazing!!! Seriously!!!! I will be searching for more of your recipes!!! Keep up with the inspiration!!!
Can these be made in a regular cupcake pan and baked with cupcake liners?
Hi Vanessa, did you see my tips written in this post? “I used this mini cheesecake pan. The bottoms are removeable just like a springform or tart pan so you can pop out each cheesecake and keep it perfectly in tact. If you don’t have a mini cheesecake pan, you could use a muffin tin. Just be sure to line it with nonstick paper or foil liners, otherwise the graham cracker crust might crumble and the cheesecake might stick when you go to remove them.”
Tried two batches both fell. It could be my oven?? I’m wondering if heavy cream is heavy whipping cream or half and half?
I want to make these for a party, I don’t have time to order the mini cheesecake pan.. Any thoughts on making them in a 9X9 ( pan and using a small circle cutter to cut shapes, verses mini cupcake foil wrappers?
This recipe looks delicious! I would like to make them for a wedding and am planning ahead.
How well do the mini cheesecakes freeze?
If they freeze well, at what point do you freeze them: after they are completed? before the sauce and chcoloate drizzle? Thank you for your tips!
I just made these yesterday to test them for a ladies luncheon next month. I wasn’t sure how mini they were, but they worked really well in a regular muffin cup with white paper liners. The liner peeled off easily without disturbing the crumb. Cooking time was exactly right, and they were absolutely delicious! I liked the look of this recipe because, not only were they the perfect size , they were not overly sweet. The ones I could salvage from my family, I popped in the freezer and with another batch will have plenty. These are definitely 5 star.
Thanks so much Laura! So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Has anyone tried making these in a mini muffin pan with the mini paper liners? Thanks
These were really good and really beautiful too…even with oozing caramel. The crusts were a bit crumbly; the addition of 2 or 3 T. of brown sugar really helps hold them together. Thanks for another awesome recipe! Keep the mini cheesecake recipes coming!
I love an excuse to break out mini cheesecake pan- especially when it involves salted caramel!
I’m making these right now, but I don’t see where/when to put in the heavy cream?
Yay! Just fixed it – thanks for pointing that out. PS – I always list ingredients in the order they’re used so that might make following the recipe easier too 🙂
I just went to Amazon to buy the mini-cheesecake pan. I think that says it all!
Woohoo!! Hope you have fast shipping 😉
What adorable little cheesecakes! They look so rich and delicious–turtle flavors can’t go wrong, especially in cheesecake 🙂
These look too good to be true.
Wish I had one of here on my plate right now,
I agree that cheesecakes are surprisingly easy to make.
Thanks Tessa
These are so beautiful and are making my mouth water! Oh how I wish I had some! Guess I’ll just have to make some! ;D
Seeing this made me happy. They look so adorable, thank you for posting. 🙂
OMG these sound sooo delicious. I can imagine why they were gone so fast. This is definitely something that needs to get on my baking list!