Mini lemon cheesecakes are topped with lemon curd and contemporary berries for a brilliant addition to any summer time menu.

I come from a cheesecake obsessed household. Whether or not it’s mini cheesecakes for a spring celebration or a pumpkin cheesecake on Thanksgiving, a cheesecake of some selection graces our desk for nearly each event. 

It’s a kind of desserts that instantly takes me again to being a child and baking with my Nana.

Perched up on a kitchen stool, I’d assist her each step of the best way. From sifting cups of flour and slicing shapes into pie dough to rolling up the right pumpkin roll, I used to be all the time her proper hand woman. 

Many instances, we’d bake the day away after which ship our candy treats to neighbors, church buddies, and household. I liked each minute of it. In that kitchen is the place my love for baking started.

So in fact, any time I make cheesecake, whether or not it’s Nana’s simple cheesecake or these mini lemon cheesecakes, I all the time consider her.

My cute and simple mini lemon cheesecakes

I’ve all the time been a fan of particular person desserts. They’re tremendous cute and include built-in portion management, which is unquestionably an excellent factor for this cheesecake loving woman! 

And as a lot as I like full-sized cheesecakes, they do take some time to bake and funky. These mini lemon cheesecakes, however, are fairly fast to make.

You may have these cute little cheesecakes within the oven in 10-Quarter-hour, and so they take lower than half-hour to bake. Additionally they solely want to sit back within the fridge for 4 hours earlier than serving.

So whereas I often need to plan to make a conventional cheesecake the day earlier than I wish to serve it, you may make this recipe within the morning and so they’ll be prepared for dessert that evening!

And for a summer time social gathering or cookout, you gained’t have to fret about folks attempting to chop a slice of cheesecake for themselves. They will simply take one in all these mini lemon cheesecakes and be on their manner.

make mini lemon cheesecakes

In case you’ve been desirous to attempt my cheesecake recipes however have been intimidated by the concept of constructing a big one, this mini lemon cheesecake recipe is the right place to start out.

Elements you’ll want

One of many issues that makes this recipe so fast and simple is that you just don’t have to make a graham cracker crust for the cheesecakes. As a substitute, we’ll use vanilla wafers because the crust!

To make these mini cheesecakes, you’ll need:

• 2 (8-ounce) blocks room-temperature cream cheese
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• zest of 1 giant lemon
• 2 giant room-temperature eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 12 vanilla wafer cookies

The eggs and cream cheese ought to each be at room temperature earlier than you begin baking. This can enable you get a smoother cheesecake filling.

In case you overlook to set them out forward of time, I’ve some suggestions for softening cream cheese and bringing eggs to room temperature rapidly.

Because you solely want 12 vanilla wafers for this recipe, you should have plenty of the field leftover. Attempt utilizing the remainder to make do-it-yourself banana pudding!

Making this recipe

This recipe makes 12 mini lemon cheesecakes in 12 commonplace muffin cups. To get began, line a normal muffin tin with paper baking liners. Set the pan apart.

Utilizing a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or an electrical hand mixer and a big bowl, beat the softened cream cheese for about 2 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine collectively the sugar and lemon zest till the sugar turns into moist and aromatic. I exploit this trick lots to assist infuse the aroma and taste of the lemon zest into each single chunk of a recipe.

Add the lemon sugar to the cream cheese. Beat till gentle and fluffy, then add the eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice. Combine till easy.

To assemble the cheesecakes, place a vanilla wafer, flat-side down, within the backside of every muffin cup. Use a big cookie scoop to divide the cheesecake filling into every cup; they need to every be about ⅔ full. 

Bake the cheesecakes at 325°F for 22-24 minutes or till the facilities are virtually set. Let the cheesecakes cool within the pan, then refrigerate them for no less than 4 hours earlier than serving.

Because the cheesecakes cool, the facilities will deflate a bit. Don’t fear – that is regular and offers us the right spot to carry some toppings!

Serving solutions

My favourite approach to serve these mini lemon cheesecakes is by topping them with do-it-yourself lemon curd and contemporary raspberries, however the choices don’t cease there!

The lemon in these cheesecakes pairs properly with so many fruits, particularly summer time berries. Another toppings to attempt embrace:

And naturally you’ll be able to by no means go fallacious with some whipped cream and contemporary berries! 

Storage and freezing

Retailer these mini lemon cheesecakes in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. I like to recommend ready so as to add any toppings till simply earlier than serving.

You can even freeze the cheesecakes for longer-term storage or for everytime you get a lemon cheesecake craving.

To freeze, wrap the cheesecakes in plastic wrap and place them in a zip-top bag, or use a vacuum sealer to seal them. Freeze for as much as a month.

Let the cheesecakes thaw within the fridge in a single day or at room temperature for 1-2 hours earlier than having fun with.