Cheesecake Bites

Everyone loves the creamy and luscious flavors of cheesecake, but a whole cheesecake is sometimes too large. This easy and quick recipe makes velvety smooth Cheesecake Bites that satisfy your sweet cravings without being too much!

Cheesecake is the perfect dessert. It has a velvety creaminess and a hint of tang, but a whole cheesecake must be sliced for serving. This awesome update allows you to make the perfect cheesecake only bite-sized so it’s just right for sharing! Grab your mixer and set your oven because it’s time to get baking these unforgettable Cheesecake Bites!

Jump to:

• What You’ll Love About Cheesecake Bites
• Ingredients
• Equipment
• How to Make Cheesecake Bites
• Expert Tips
• Delicious Variations
• How to Serve Cheesecake Bites
• How to Store Cheesecake Bites
• Cheesecake Bites

What You’ll Love About Cheesecake Bites

Customizable Cheesecake!

With this delicious recipe, you can make a basic plain cheesecake that can be turned into any flavor combination you can imagine! The method for these bites uses a cupcake tray to bake, so you can do more than one flavor in a single batch. It is so much fun to let your imagination run wild with sweet and creative flavors!

Bite-Sized Beauties!

While a standard-size cheesecake has enough flavor to satisfy everyone at the party it can be a tough format for serving. This tasty take on cheesecake allows you to make shareable portions that are just right for any party or event.

This is a great treat to help with portion control. If you love to overdo it with the sweet, these little bites tell you just when to stop with their just-right portion size.

Easy Bake with Big Flavor!

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that people will often choose to buy rather than bake. It has a bad reputation for being tricky to make, but this delicious rendition is a sweet dream to bake!

The smaller scale of these treats allows them to be ready far faster than a traditional cheesecake, but this recipe does not compromise on flavor. You can have all the speed and ease you want with all the rich, velvety, and cheesy flavors you expect from a traditional cheesecake.

Ingredients

Basic Graham Crust:

Graham Cracker Crumbs

You can find this ingredient already ready ground in the baking aisle of some grocery stores.

If you prefer to do it yourself, either pulse the graham crackers in a food processor. Alternatively, you can put the crackers in a gallon bag, seal it, and beat the bag with a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until they’re fully crushed.

If you are out of graham crackers, try swapping this ingredient with vanilla wafers or your favorite biscuit-style cookie.

Another tasty option for this ingredient is just to omit the whole graham cracker crust and replace it with a single cookie in the bottom of each muffin cup.

Brown Sugar

Brown sugar helps sweeten the crust and adds a little sugar that will caramelize during the baking. For this recipe pick light brown sugar for a sweet and smooth flavor, but in a jam, you can use dark brown sugar.

Unsalted Butter

This ingredient binds the crust together and adds a buttery flavor to every bite. For this recipe choose unsalted butter, if possible, but salted will work in a pinch. You will want to melt the butter in the microwave before using it.

Basic Cheesecake Filling:

Cream Cheese

The cream cheese gives the recipe its signature velvety-smooth, sweet, and creamy flavor. Pick your favorite brand. A brick form of cream cheese works well for this bake, but always bring the cream cheese to room temperature before using it in this recipe.

If you are watching your fat intake you can swap this with a low-fat variety, but always remember to take the cheese out of the fridge to warm up before baking!

Egg

The egg in this recipe acts as a binder and emulsifier. It adds airiness and fatty flavor to the Cheesecake Bites. Take the egg out of the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature before using it in this recipe.

Granulated Sugar

Granulated white sugar is the perfect sweetener for these tiny cakes. If you prefer low or no-sugar dessert, swap this ingredient for your favorite sugar-free sweetener.

Sour Cream

This ingredient adds tanginess and creamy flavor to the sweet cheesecakes. With all of the dairy in this recipe, it works best at room temperature. For a lower-fat version, swap this ingredient with low-fat or fat-free sour cream.

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract adds a wonderfully smooth flavor to the plain cheesecake mixture. Some vanilla extracts are better than others. Try to avoid imitation vanilla and opt for a natural pure vanilla extract.

If you prefer, you can substitute the vanilla extract with vanilla bean paste or the seeds of a fresh vanilla bean. You can also optionally swap this flavor profile by choosing another flavor extract, like lemon or cherry.

Equipment

Muffin Pan

The true wonder of this recipe is the ingenuity of using a muffin pan to bake the cheesecake Bites. Use a standard 12-cup muffin pan or make these bites extra tiny in a 24-cup mini muffin pan.

Cupcake Liners

Paper or silicone cupcake liners are the keys to making these little bites easy to remove from the pan and easy to serve.

Use fun and decorative colors or patterns for a big event and that allows you to serve the Bites right in the liner!

Large Mixing Bowls

For this bake, you will need at least two large mixing bowls, one for the crust and one for the filling.

Hand Mixer

An electric hand mixer makes this recipe a breeze! Thick and heavy cream cheese can be tough to mix by hand, but with this tool, the filling becomes light and fluffy in no time!

You can beat the filling by hand or in a stand mixer if you prefer. However, even with the ingredients at room temperature you need to really beat them, so this recipe takes some real muscle to mix by hand.

How to Make Cheesecake Bites

Prepare to Bake:

• Preheat the oven and line a muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Make the Graham Cracker Crust:

• Stir together graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter.
• Scoop a few tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner and press to compact.

Mix the Cheesecake:

• Beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until fluffy. Add the sour cream and beat.
• Beat in egg, sugar, and vanilla extract.
• Evenly divide the cheesecake mixture among crusts.
• Bake until they just begin to brown.
• Cool completely and chill in the fridge for a few hours up to overnight.

Expert Tips

• Use your hands to press the crust into the molds. A little pressure helps it hold together.
• Using paper or silicone liners ensures that your cheesecake doesn’t stick to the pan.
• Room temperature diary ingredients are a must to avoid lumps.
• The longer the Cheesecake Bites have to chill before serving the more setup and firm they will be.

Delicious Variations

Cookies ‘n Cream

If you love sandwich cookies, this rendition is for you!

• Make a sandwich cookie crust by substituting the graham crackers in this recipe with the cookie portion of your favorite sandwich cookie.
• Chop up a few extra cookies and toss them into the cheesecake mixture before pouring them into the pan.
• Bake as directed and decorate with a little chocolate drizzle.

Candy Confetti

If you can’t get enough candy, try this tasty take on cheesecake!

• Chop up your favorite candy bar and stir it into the cheesecake mixture before pouring it into the pan. You can also try this with small candies like M&M Minis.
• Bake as directed and decorate with chocolate drizzle or some extra candies.

Fun and Fruity

If you love the flavors of fruit and cream paired together, this variation is right in your wheelhouse!

• Prepare the cheesecake and pour it into the pan.
• Add one scoop of fruit preserves to each cup and then swirl the fruit in with a skewer or knife point.
• Bake as directed and decorate with a dusting of powdered sugar and a few fresh berries for each bite.

Lemon Lovelies

Lemon brings so much brightness to the cheesecake and is great for anyone who loves sweet and tart flavors!

• Add a little lemon zest to the cheesecake mixture. A little goes a long way with this fruity flavor!
• Pour into the pan and bake as directed.
• Decorate with one slice of candied lemon and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Cookie Crust

If you cannot get enough cookies in your life, try this fun remix:

• Prep the muffin pan as directed and mix the filling. Do not make the crust.
• Place a single cookie at the bottom of each mold and then top with the cheesecake mixture.
• Finish as directed.

How to Serve Cheesecake Bites

Cheesecake is a sort of blank canvas for any dessert flavors you can imagine. The plain version of this cake can be topped with whatever your heart desires. From roasted nuts to caramel, to chocolate, to fruit, there are no limits to the awesome ways you can finish these delicious bites.

To serve these for a party, pre-top them with a mixture of different flavors or set up a cheesecake bar with all the fixing and let your guests go wild.

One Cheesecake Bite is just the right portion for a fun dessert, but you will have a hard time stopping at one!

How to Store Cheesecake Bites

After baking these bite-sized wonders they must be cooled completely and then chilled. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

If you want to save these Cheesecake Bites for an event down the road, try freezing them. To freeze, wrap each bite tightly in plastic and then place it in a freezer bag. Press out all the air and seal the bag. Freeze for up to 1 month.

Are Cheesecake Bites Bad for You?

This is a tricky question. If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or unbalanced blood sugar this treat may not be a great choice. It has lots of calories, is high in fat, and is rich in high-cholesterol dairy. It is also rich in sugar and sodium, so overall, this dessert should be regarded as a treat and nothing more!

If you live a balanced lifestyle full of healthy eating and activities then indulging in a sweet treat like this is just fine. Their bite-sized nature helps to dictate portions for anyone who struggles with over-indulging in sweets.

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