These mini no-bake cheesecakes are formed in a muffin pan. Using only a few basic and delicious ingredients, these tiny cheesecakes set up in the refrigerator instead of the oven. They’re extra creamy and lightly sweetened just like my regular no-bake cheesecake!
One reader, Jennifer, commented: “Such a great recipe. Quick and easy, but the results are delicious and decadent. This is one of those recipes that makes it seem like more work than it actually is. I made some chocolate ganache to go with them and it was the perfect touch. I bet lemon curd would also be incredible. ★★★★★“
So, What Are Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes?
No-bake cheesecake, no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, and even my no-bake cheesecake jars are exactly that: cheesecake without the oven. I like to compare the filling to cheesecake mousse. It has a light and airy texture because it’s made with homemade whipped cream. When spooned over a graham cracker crust and refrigerated, the eggless cheesecake filling sets up beautifully.
It’s pure dessert magic.
What it lacks in oven time, it makes up for in taste and texture:
- Thick, buttery, and crunchy graham cracker crust
- Light, creamy, and velvet-rich cheesecake filling
Though I already have a full no-bake cheesecake recipe on my website, sometimes I enjoy making it in individual muffin cups instead of a springform pan. And I figured you’d want to see how it’s done! These mini no-bake cheesecakes are simple, straightforward, and at only a few bites each, perfect for portion control.
Overview: How to Make Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
- Make room in your refrigerator. Two muffin pans need to squeeze in there!
- Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with liners. Cupcake liners are key—you won’t be able to remove the cheesecakes without them.
- Combine the crust ingredients. You need graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Butter and moist brown sugar (as opposed to regular granulated sugar) help this crust set up properly. Spoon 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of the crust mixture into each liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly.
- The next step is optional. To really ensure that these tiny crusts set up properly, I recommend a quick 5 minutes in the oven. Now I know these are NO-BAKE—and the filling still is—I simply found that the crust is sturdier after 5 minutes of baking. But if you can’t use an oven, you can definitely skip it. The crust will just be a bit crumblier.
- Make the cheesecake filling. These no-bake cheesecakes set up because we add homemade whipped cream. This is the secret to a thick sturdy filling, and we also use this trick in strawberry cream cheese pie. First, whip heavy cream into stiff peaks and set it aside. Next, combine the rest of the filling ingredients including cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
- Add filling over crusts. I’ve made these countless times and prefer piping the cheesecake filling on top of the mini crusts. You can certainly spoon the filling onto the crusts instead, but piping isn’t quite as messy. Feel free to use a piping bag with a large tip (star or round), or you can snip the corner off of a zipped-top plastic bag.
- Refrigerate until set. The mini no-bake cheesecakes set up in about 3 hours. I don’t recommend using the freezer to speed this up because the graham cracker crust will quickly freeze before the filling does. A frozen crust is difficult to bite.
By the way, if you’re looking for a baked variation, here are my regular mini cheesecakes. I even have mini margarita cheesecakes (obviously!), plus plenty more cheesecake recipes and even an easy cheesecake pie too!
Below Left: Heavy cream whipped into stiff peaks. Below Right: Smooth cheesecake filling before adding the whipped cream.
After you fold in the whipped cream, the no-bake cheesecake filling will be fluffy and airy—just like mousse. Here is a photo for a visual:
Won’t the Filling Stick to the Wrappers?
I was skeptical at first, but they don’t. As long as you follow the recipe exactly and chill the mini no-bake cheesecakes for long enough, the wrappers will neatly pull away from the filling. The cheesecakes do begin to soften up when at room temperature, so as long as you unwrap them shortly after taking them out of the refrigerator, you’re fine.
Toppings for Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
Though plain mini no-bake cheesecakes are flavorful on their own, they welcome all sorts of fun toppings. I love serving these with strawberry sauce and fresh berries. Don’t have fresh berries? Top with a spoonful of lemon curd, salted caramel, apple butter, or your favorite fruit preserves. You can also top with chocolate ganache or hot fudge sauce. If using ganache or hot fudge, I recommend spooning a little over each mini cheesecake before refrigerating so the ganache can set up too.
3 Final Success Tips
- Whip the Heavy Cream: The most important step in this recipe is to beat cold heavy cream into peaks before folding it into the cheesecake filling. The whipped cream helps solidify the filling and its airiness creates an irresistible mousse-like consistency. (You’re basically making unsweetened, unflavored whipped cream!)
- Use Bricks of Cream Cheese: To guarantee the cheesecakes set up properly, use 8-ounce bricks of full-fat cream cheese. Do not use low-fat cream cheese or cream cheese spread that’s sold in a tub. Same success tip I recommend when making the icing for fruit pizza, too!
- Refrigerate, Don’t Freeze: You might be tempted to speed up the chilling process in the freezer, but the colder air won’t chill the cheesecakes evenly. The crust will firm up before the filling does. And trust me, you don’t want to bite into frozen crust underneath partially frozen cheesecake.
Mini No-Bake Cheesecakes
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 24 mini cheesecakes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: American
Description
Follow this recipe for perfect mini no-bake cheesecakes that set in lined muffin pans. Before beginning, read through the recipe and recipe notes below and review the success tips in the blog post above. Step 3 is optional.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups (240g) graham cracker crumbs (about 16 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1/3 cup (67g) packed light or dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling
- 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 16 ounces (452g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) sour cream or plain yogurt, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- optional: your desired toppings (see recipe Note)
Instructions
- Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator for both pans. (You refrigerate them in step 6.)
- Prepare the crust: If your graham crackers aren’t crumbs yet, use a food processor to pulse them into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Spoon 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of the crust mixture into each cupcake liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly.
- The next step is optional. Though it’s not required, I recommend baking the crusts for a quick 5 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. The crusts are a little sturdier this way. However, if you can’t use an oven or simply don’t want to, you can skip this step. The crust will just be a bit crumblier. If baking, let the warm crusts cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling on top.
- Make the filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth. Using your mixer on low speed or a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
- You can use a spoon or piping bag to transfer the filling on top of the crusts. Spoon or pipe about 2 Tablespoons of filling over each crust. I prefer piping the filling because it’s a little easier and neater. Fit your piping bag with a large star or round piping tip, then transfer the filling to the bag and pipe. (You could also use a plastic zipped-top bag. Spoon the filling inside, snip an end off a corner, and pipe.) Use the back of a spoon to smooth the tops so they are flat.
- Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes in the pans for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. If refrigerating for longer than 3 hours, I recommend covering with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
- Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with optional toppings (see recipe Note). The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30–60 minutes at room temperature.
- Cover and store leftover mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The mini cheesecakes can be made 1-2 days in advance and refrigerated for up to 2 days before serving, as noted in step 6. Another way to prep these mini no-bake cheesecakes is to freeze them. Refrigerate them as directed in step 6, then remove them from the muffin pan (keep the liners on them) and line in a single layer in a large freezer-friendly container. Cover tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 12-count Muffin Pans | Cupcake Liners | Food Processor | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Large Piping Tip (like Ateco 808)
- Optional Toppings: Right before serving, you can add toppings to the mini cheesecakes. You can also add the following toppings after the cheesecakes have chilled in the refrigerator for just 1–2 hours (step 6), then store the topped cheesecakes in the refrigerator for the remaining time. Use 3/4 cup strawberry sauce divided over each chilled mini cheesecake. (Spoon about 1/2 Tablespoon over each.) And/or use 1 cup mixed berries, plus a few mint leaves, divided over each for additional garnish. Instead of strawberry sauce, try the same amount of lemon curd, apple butter, or your favorite fruit preserves. You can also top with chocolate ganache. I recommend spooning a little over each mini cheesecake before refrigerating so the ganache can set up too.
- Lemon Juice: Lemon juice brightens up the flavor. This cheesecake does not taste like lemon. For lemon flavored mini no-bake cheesecakes, replace the sour cream with 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice (in addition to the 1 teaspoon lemon juice that it already calls for) and add 2 teaspoons lemon zest.
- Room Temperature Ingredients: Bring the cream cheese and sour cream to room temperature before beginning. Room temperature ingredients guarantee a smooth cheesecake filling. Beating cold ingredients together will result in a chunky cheesecake filling. (The heavy cream, however, MUST be cold in order to whip into stiff peaks.)
- Non-US Readers: Don’t have graham crackers where you live? Use 2 cups (240g) ground digestive biscuits instead (about 16 biscuits), the same amount of butter, and add a bit more sugar (about 1/2 cup, or 100g). You may need to add a few extra minutes to the pre-baking time, as digestive biscuits are not quite as crispy-crunchy as graham crackers. And from what I understand, spreadable cream cheese sold in a tub in countries outside of the US is a little different from the spreadable cream cheese in the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and more solid and should be OK to make cheesecake. I have no experience with it, but this is what I’ve heard from other non-US readers.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Why do you add confectioners sugar in the no bake cheese cake, but not in the mini no bake cheese cake?
Hi Nancy, the confectioners’ sugar helps the larger, thicker cheesecake hold shape especially in the center. These are smaller, and confined to the muffin pan so we don’t have to be as concerned about them holding shape when slicing. The recipe as written sets up nicely!
If I wanted to make these pumpkin flavored , what would be the measurement ? The full can ? ( 15oz )
Hi Dee, we haven’t tested a mini no-bake pumpkin cheesecakes recipe, and would need to do so in order to tell you how much to use, and what other ingredients need to be adjusted. We do have a baked mini pumpkin cheesecakes recipe, however.
I’m planning on making your recipe for the mini cheesecakes, but I don’t have whipping cream. Would it be OK if I just used evaporated milk instead please let me know.
Hi Tracey, whipping cream is required for the cheesecakes to set and keep their shape properly.
Hi! Just wondering, if I’m not going to top and serve till the next day after making them… should I leave the cupcake liner on them over night in the fridge? Or should I pull it off after it’s chilled fully? Thank you!
Hi Andrea, either way will be just fine!
Fantastic recipe! Very easy for a beginner like me. I used the lemon juice instead of sour cream as suggested and it turned out great, not too sour/lemony.
Awesome, awesome recipe! I work for my local library and wanted to do a “baking” sessions for my older patrons. We don’t have a stove so our options are super limited. I halved the recipe since each patron had a 6 space muffin tin. My patrons loved the process and the results were DELICIOUS! I made sure to email everyone to recipe and website I got it from. Thank you for sharing this recipe!!
I’m going to top them with the strawberry sauce should I do that just before serving or can I do it the day before?
Hi Heather, we’d recommend topping right before serving. Enjoy!
I only have 1 muffin tin (for 12 muffins) Can I use the remainder of the ingredients in either a small spring form pan or in a tray of a mini muffin tin (24 muffins)
Hi Michele, you can make the rest using your mini muffin tin. Enjoy!
Can I use mini cupcake pans for this recipe? I want them to be pretty tiny. I’m serving them with a variety of other mini cupcake-sized treats. Thanks!
Hi Barbara, You can definitely make these extra mini using a 24 count mini muffin pan. Make the recipe as directed, but when it comes to assembly, use about half the amount of crust mixture and filling per cheesecake.
These look delicious! For the heavy cream, does it need to be a heavy cream that has a stabilizer in it like guar gum or could I use a heavy cream that’s just cream?
Hi Britt, we use simple heavy cream (at least 36% milk fat). Hope you enjoy the cheesecakes!
Thank you for your response! Sorry, I have one more question, if i use cane sugar will it be too grainy? Should I use powdered sugar instead?
Hi Britt, granulated sugar is best for this recipe. Cane sugar often has larger granules and can leave a gritty texture. Confectioners’ sugar will be too fine.
So excited to make this! Could I make these in little cups or glasses?
Hi Kim, we’d recommend these no-bake cheesecake jars instead!
Made this recipe previously and it was great! This time I’d like to add chocolate to half of them so half of the cheesecakes will be vanilla, and the other half will be chocolate. Do you all have suggestions as to a good way to do this?
Thank you!
Hi Carol, we’re sure you could make a chocolate version, but we haven’t tried it. It would require some testing because we are torn if you would use melted and cooled chocolate or cocoa powder. Let us know if you test anything!
Made this recipe for a Lion’s Club Potluck end of season party. I just loved how it turned out and will make it again.
If I cut this recipe in half, would I get the same results? Only making these for my husband and I. Thank you much in advance!
Hi Izzy, you can halve this recipe by simply halving all the ingredients. Or, you might enjoy this small batch cheesecake instead.
nice
Can mascarpone cheese be used
Hi Valerie, We haven’t tested mascarpone in these no bake cheesecakes. You can certainly give it a try, though they may set up a bit more loose.
Has anyone tried these in mini-muffin tin (24 ct per pan)?
Thanks!!
Hi Leah, You can definitely make these extra mini using a 24 count mini muffin pan. Make the recipe as directed, but when it comes to assembly, use about half the amount of crust mixture and filling per cheesecake.
Sunday dinner dessert hit! Setup beautifully! Added 1/8 tsp of salt in my graham cracker crust and topped with mixed berries tossed with Gran Manier. Another winner Sally.
How many calories is one serving? What counts as one serving?
We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
How long can the cheesecakes stay out before serving them?
Hi Celeste! About 2 hours at the most.
I’m going to make this for easter. The mini no-bake cheesecakes, but my question is can I use the jumbo muffin tins instead of the regular size? Do I need to change anything?
Hi Carol, We haven’t tested it but they should work nicely in jumbo muffin pans (you will want to use the jumbo muffin liners). If you do the optional pre-bake for the crust, you may want to extend it by just a minute or two. Let us know if you give them a try.
The best mini cheesecakies EVER!! I make these all the time and I love the look on people’s faces when they taste them, divine, they have a little piece of heaven. I even “cheat” sometimes when I have too much on and buy store bought pastry mini shortbread bases and they work a treat too, obviously not as good as the made ones, but the pastry cases work just fine in a bind, I adore this filling it’s so light and delicious, sometimes I add in a squeeze of lemon juice to give it a little bite, it’s just so good, thank you for sharing your recipe.
Hi Sally! Would it be possible to make these with an Oreo crust and crushed Oreos on top?
Hi Amy, absolutely! This oreo crust works well.
I cannot begin to tell you how much I loved this recipe! I am a confident baker but I have always struggled a bit with cheesecakes. Sometimes they sink and other times are perfect. This is a foolproof and ABSOLUTELY delicious recipe! My sister in law wanted mini cheesecakes for her 21st birthday and I made these. I wish I could post a photo of how these turned out. I made your whipped cream, and added several more tablespoons of powdered sugar to make a stabilized whipped cream to ice them. Oh my goodness they were so beautiful and are still holding up several days later. They are incredibly delicious. I definitely plan to make these for probably every function I possibly can for the rest of my existence lol thank you!
Gabby, can you post the stabilized whipped cream recipe for icing? And would love any tips for decorating…. Did you use a piping bag? Making these for a grad open house… Thank you very much!
I don’t have graham crackers so could I use biscoff instead?
Here’s our Biscoff crust recipe you can use here instead!
Wow…round 1 as per recipe was a hit. Can I substitute flavored yogurt for the plain?
Hi David! We recommend sticking with plan yogurt and adding other flavors/toppings other ways. Flavored yogurt is usually sweetened.
Holy Moly…I’m not a cheesecake person at all. Until these. They are not overly sweet and everyone at Thanksgiving ate them like they had never had anything better in life.
I’ve made these before and they were a huge hit! Can I make the filling ahead of time and keep it in a piping bag in the fridge, then assemble a day later?
Hi Sydney, that should work fine, although these are great to completely make ahead of time, if that’s an option for you. So glad they were a hit!
I’ve made your full size no bake Cheesecake and
It’s the best! Do you think I can cut the recipe in half and stain have same results? Also, can I make these in 4 oz. mason jars? Thanks!
Hi Janet, do you just want to make no bake cheesecake jars? If so, here is my recipe for those.
Thank you!! Yes I didn’t see your jar recipe before I sent the note to you. Perfect!
This worked so well! Next time, can I use the pumpkin cheesecake recipe for filling?
Hi Grace, we’re so glad you enjoyed them! You can certainly use our no bake pumpkin cheesecake filling here instead.