Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce (VIDEO)
Mini Cheesecakes with caramel sauce are completely delicious. The cheesecake base is just 3 ingredients! If you appreciate an easy cheesecake you will love this recipe!
We have tested scores of mini cheesecake recipes and this is THE ONE!
P.S. We included Amazon affiliate links for the tools we used to make this recipe.
One of my readers, Marta, wrote in with her 3-ingredient baby cheesecakes recipe last month and I instantly fell in love with the flavor, texture and how completely EASY they were.
Ingredients for Mini Cheesecake Recipe:
- The sweetened condensed milk is the secret ingredient, making the cheesecake perfectly sweetened and creamy smooth.
- For the topping, we used our easy caramel sauce (you won’t want store-bought after trying it!).
*See notes for Gluten Free Options
How to Make Cheesecake Crust:
1. Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Combine 1 1/2 cups crumbs with 6 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.
2. Stir until crumbs are evenly moistened, then divide evenly between 24-count, lined muffin tins (1 Tbsp in each). Press the crust into the base and slightly up the sides.
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes:
1. In a large bowl, mix 16 oz cream cheese and 3 eggs with whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer) on high speed 5 minutes, or until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add 14 oz condensed milk and mix on LOW speed** until blended (2 minutes).
2. Divide mix evenly over the 24 crusts – filling about 3/4 full (or a level ice cream scoop in each one) and bake at 350˚F for 15 minutes. They should be set with a very slight jiggle in the center. Don’t over-bake. If you notice them starting to crack in the oven, they are over-baking.
3. Cool to room temp in the baking dish then spoon this caramel sauce over each one. Refrigerate 2 hours then top with homemade whipped cream (see “how to make whipped cream” below) and dust with cinnamon if desired. Serve with or without liners.
Make-Ahead Tip: You can completely assemble, decorate, cover and refrigerate overnight. Ours tasted and looked perfect the next day. We just love make-ahead desserts!
Watch Natasha Make Mini Cheesecakes:
Make these baby cheesecakes once and you’ll make them over and over!
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Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs from 12 whole crackers*
- 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
For the Mini Cheesecakes:
- 16 oz cream cheese from two 8oz packages, softened
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 cup caramel sauce
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon to garnish optional
Instructions
How to Make the Crust:
-
Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line a 24-count muffin tin. Combine 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, 6 Tbsp melted butter and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Stir to evenly moisten crumbs.
-
Divide crumbs between 24 cupcake liners (about 1 Tbsp in each). Push crumbs into the base and slightly up the sides using a small spoon or your fingers.
How to Make Mini Cheesecakes:
-
In a large mixing bowl, beat together 16 oz cream cheese and 3 eggs with on high speed 5 minutes, until blended and smooth, scraping down bowl as needed. Add condensed milk and mix on low speed** until blended (2 min).
-
Divide cheesecake mix evenly between cupcake liners - about 3/4 full (or a flat ice cream scoop in each one) and bake at 350˚F for 15 min. They should be set with a very slight jiggle in the center. Don't over-bake. If you notice them starting to crack in the oven, they are over-baking.
-
Cool to room temp in baking dish then spoon 1/2 to 1 Tbsp caramel sauce over each one. Refrigerate 2 hrs or until fully chilled then top with whipped cream using a piping bag with large star tip. Lightly dust with cinnamon if desired. Serve with or without liners.
How to Make Whipped Cream:
-
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup cold heavy cream, 1 Tbsp sugar and 1/2 tsp vanilla and beat together with an electric mixer on high speed for 2 minutes or until whipped and fluffy.
Recipe Notes
*For gluten free, use GF crackers/cookies or omit the crust and proceed with recipe as directed. The crust helps them rise more evenly but they still taste great without it.
**Cooks Tip: Mixing the condensed milk on LOW speed helps knock out excess air bubbles which can cause the cheesecakes to crack.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Q: Are you a cheesecake lover? What is your favorite variety kind of cheesecake?
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Hi Natasha, I am a big fan of your recipes. I have made many of them and my family and friends like them all!! I will try to make this dessert for sure. From Costa Rica..best regards!!
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). I’m all smiles!
I’m planning to make these Friday night for a party that I’m going to the following evening. Can I still make the whipping cream the night before and put them on the cupcakes to sit in the fridge until I leave for the party? Or do you suggest waiting until before serving them to put on the cream? Thanks so much!
It is best to have the cream fresh so I would recommend pipping that the same day.
Gotcha. Can I still make the cream the night before and leave it in the piping bag for the next day?
HI Marissa, It’s best to whip fresh cream – it will pipe the best, but I have piped the whipped cream on a day ahead and it stayed really nice overnight in the refrigerator. If you make the cream ahead, go ahead and pipe it on ahead. I don’t think it would hold up well in a piping bag. I hope you love the mini cheesecakes!
This recipe sounds amazing and I am going to give it a go. I was wondering if you could use the mini cupcake tins and how long would one need to bake them?
It would probably be at least a few minutes less than this recipe. I haven’t tried it in true mini cupcake molds. I’d love to know how you like this recipe!!
Hi Natasha I want to try making them. I have all the ingredients but I don’t have muffin cups can I just do it in the muffin pan without the muffin cups?
Hi Vicki, I imagine without the cupcake liners it will be tough to remove the cheesecakes from the tin.
Hi Vicki, I think it can be done but they might be more difficult to remove from the pan – you would need to grease the pan and then run a knife around each cupcake to loosen it from the pan. Muffin cups make the process much easier.
Is there something I can use for a substitute for the sweetened condensed milk?
Hi Emily, we developed this recipe for sweetened condensed milk. You might google how to make homemade sweetened condensed milk if you are looking for a 100% homemade version. We have tried adapting our other recipe that doesn’t use sweetened condensed milk and it fell in the center. These were the best mini cheesecakes by far!
Just an FYI, I don’t like using sweetened condensed milk either, To me, it is just sugar that has a little cream to wet it. So I will try this using a heavy cream or condensed milk, and adding a sugar substitute. While it may give an Asian or island flavor, you could stretch and use a coconut cream. Just a suggestion or two. After all, cooking is experimenting with flavors. Give it a go.
I’d love to know how it turns out Tommy!
Hi Natasha! Thank you for all your beautiful recipes ! I am wondering about the size of this cupcakes… It is MINI cupcakes (1′) or it is a STANDARD size of cupcakes (2′)?
Hi Irena, these are standard sized cupcakes.
Thank You!!!!!!!
You’re welcome Irena!
Simple, tasty and wonderful
Thank you for that wonderful review, Greta!
Hi Natasha, do you think this recipe would work if made into one large cheesecake? This recipe looks less rich than others, which I like, but would prefer to make a large one for mums birthday. Thank you.
Hi Sophie, I honestly have not tested that so I can’t make a recommendation for that. If you experiment, let me know how it goes. We always use our go-to recipe for cheesecake when making a large sized cheesecake.
Hi Natasha. Thanks for sharing this recipe it was very good my kids would not stop eating them,& we liked it. Made it for Easter my family friends liked it. May God bless u. Love all your recipes.
I’m happy the recipe is a hit with your whole family! Thanks for following and sharing your wonderful review! God Bless 🙂
Hi Natasha, will the same oven temperature work for a Fan oven as well?
Hi SZA, I haven’t experimented with these in a fan oven (I am assuming you mean convection), but usually a convection oven will bake things faster since it circulates the hot air so keep an eye on them as they will likely bake faster.
Delicious! …and sooo easy! 👍🏼
I’m glad you enjoy the recipe Yas! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi, I made the sauce last night and cheesecakes just now. My caramel got hard. Do you recommend I cook it less? I’m thinking of redoing the sauce but don’t want to make the same mistake.
Hi Vicki, did you cook it longer than stated or use different proportions of ingredients? My caramel was soft even after refrigeration. Does it change consistency when it is warmed up?
Can I freeze these?
Hi Kateryna, I haven’t tried freezing this recipe so I’m not 100% sure. I think it would be worth experimenting.
I followed your recipe to the T and also made the caramel and whipped cream topping. Very easy to follow and turned out beautifully 🙂 Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I did like the cheesecake cold straight out of the fridge vs sitting out just a preference.
You’re welcome Maria! I’m happy to hear you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review’
Hi nattasha,
Is the caramel sauce supposed to set up? I kept them in fridge overnight and as soon as i took them out, the caramel sauce got super runny
Hi Ann, it should thicken as it cools. It sounds like maybe the proportions of liquids were too high. If that happens in the future and your sauce isn’t thickening at the time stated in the recipe, continue cooking it a few minutes to allow some of the extra liquid to cook out so the sauce can cook properly. I hope that helps!
These mini cheesecakes are absolutely delicious! I tried one warm out of the oven and wanted to just pop them all into my mouth! I can’t imagine how much better it will be with the caramel sauce😋 thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
You’re welcome Angela! I’m glad you enjoy the recipe so much! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Hi Natasha, I never leave comments but I had to when I made these cheesecakes today. All I can say is WOW absolutely delicious!! And that caramel sauce is absolutely amazing good. I wish I could give you 10 stars!!!! Me and my toddler were both doing cartwheels in the kitchen after we ate a coyote lol. 😉 all your recipes are very delicious and amazing. You are one very talented cook and I hope one day I’ll cook as good as you do. God bless you and your family. 🙂
Hello Liliya! Lol, I’m happy to hear how much you two love the recipe! Thanks for following and sharing your encouraging, thoughtful comments! God Bless 🙂
Natasha thanks for all the delicious and easy recipes you share. This one recipe is going to be display on my table this Thanksgiving. I would love to post a pic of it… but I don’t think that’s possible. Any way…. thanks again.
Hi Carmen, I don’t really have a way to upload photos to the site in comments so the best way to post a picture is in our new facebook cooking group. I would love it if you joined and shared there! Click here to check it out 🙂
Love the recipe thanks Natasha! I’ve made it into one cheesecake and it came out fantastic,but I had to bake it for 30 minutes. I was wondering is it possible to bake it ahead and freeze it without the caramel? Or would that ruin the flavor? Thank you again for another wonderful recipe!
Hi Luba, I haven’t tried freezing this recipe so I’m not 100% sure. I think it would be worth experimenting. It’s great to know this recipe works well as a single cake. I completely missed that in your comment that you made it into one so my first reply didn’t make much sense – lol. Sorry about that.
What size pie pan did you use to make the one cheese cake ? Instead of the 24 little ones
Looking forward to making these for a family party. If I make them on Friday will they still be good on Sunday? Or should I make a fresh batch on Sunday? I get nervous baking for big parties!
Dana, they will be great for Sunday if you make them couple days in advance, just keep them in the refrigerator.
These look wonderful! I Love mini cheesecakes because they have the perfect ratio of the nice firm “crust” edge to soft filling. And of course, caramel sauce never hurt anything. Yum!
They are so easy and so good! I hope you love them! Please let me know what you think!
Natasha my computer wife as my wife calls you, we made the cheese cakes and caramel sauce came out fantastic would live to make a 9 or 10 inch cheese cake from this recipe or if you have another recipe please get back to me.
Thank you, Richard Cutt
Hi Richard! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I haven’t tested this one as a full cheesecake so I can’t really advise. When making a full size cheesecake, my go-to recipe is this New York-style Cheesecake, which is also very easy and popular 🙂
Natasha, do you think i can bake 12 at a time?
Cuz i have ine muffin tin….
HI Viktoriya, I do think that would still work well. I hope you love the recipe! 🙂 Oh ps. not all ovens are the same but my oven always tends to bake faster on the second batch so keep an eye on them 🙂
Hi Natasha! I recently started following your blog and am really enjoying it! I am liking the idea of a mini cheesecake. I love cheesecake and will eat more than I need, so a small version is perfect! Ha! Thanks for sharing!!
Hello there! Thanks so much for following and please let me know what you think of the recipe! 🙂
Forgot to add. What is the large size star for the decorations? I used the largest I had and it was different.
Nataliya, I used Wilton 1M tip.
I cant wait to try the recipe next week for thanksgiving…I am a liitle confused.i see the ingredients for the carmel sauce..the final touch doesnt sayif i should beat whip or cook the ingredients..put in frig or what ..please advise
I Ann. The rest of the steps are listed in the recipe here. I hope this helps!
Hi Ann, here is the full tutorial for making the caramel sauce with step-by-step photos which should help.
Thanks for another great recipe. Used up the batter exactly to the last drop. Everyone loved them! Including me and usually not a big fan of cheese cake. Be blessed!
You’re welcome Enessa! I’m glad to hear the recipe is a HIT! Thanks for sharing your fantastic review!
Natasha,
Wow I made a batch already a few days ago and I loved em!! I cant believe all it took was 15 mins to cook! I am defenitly craving some more today. SO itching to bake some more.
Hello Olga! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe! Thanks for sharing your great review!
Could these be turned into mini pumpkin cheesecakes for the season? If so, how would you go about adding the pumpkin flavor? Thanks!
Hi Mary, I haven’t tried that so I can’t really give advice on that. I think you would have to substantially modify it. I do have a pumpkin cheesecake posted – I wonder if that would work better? I just haven’t tested it so I can’t say for sure.
Hi Natasha, i am making them right now, but plan to serve tomorrow. Will whipped cream hold up untill then? I’m afraid it can get runny by tomorrow.
Hi Olga, if you whip the heavy whipping cream (and be sure you are using heavy cream), until it is fluffy, stiff and spreadable, it will keep refrigerated overnight. I did this with my last batch and it worked fine 🙂
Hello,Natasha.Super great recipe.Exactly 24 mini cheesecakes.Very delicious,not overly sweet.Again, not overly sweet ,that’s what we love.Thank you.
Hello Alla! I’m glad you love the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 🙂
It would not let me to leave a comment below, so I am writing in this thread (sorry!)
Natasha, what an awesome recipe! Thank you for sharing. My cheesecakes turned perfect from the first time. Will be making them many more times. Have a request for them for Christmas.
Looking forward to your cookbook and this recipe in it! 😉
Nataliya, thank you for such a rave review and you are very welcome 😬
Hi Natasha. My mom always makes your cakes, and I love them.. Thank You fir amazing recipes!:)
Hello Angelina! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipes! Thanks for sharing Angelina! 🙂
Hi Natasha I love your kitchen! All my dinners come from your site. I do have a question how many eggs would you use for half to make just 12. Can you provide me a recipe for just half? Since there’s 3 eggs lol don’t know if I would use 1 or 2 for 12?
Hi Ella, I haven’t tested it as a half batch but I would probably do 1 extra large egg or 2 small eggs, or just divide the egg and do 1 1/2 eggs to be safe 🙂
Are there any changes to the recipe (bake time etc) if I decide to omit the crust like Marta? Can’t wait to make these!
Hi Ellen, it will be about 13 to 15 minutes bake time. I found that the crustless ones did bake a minute or two quicker than the ones with crust.
This recipe is a winner! Made it today and it was a crowd pleaser! I have one question, though, Natasha. How should I adjust the time if I wanted to make one big cheesecake instead of the little ones?
Thank you, Natasha, for so many delicious recipes that make sweet memories!
Hi Ligia, I haven’t tested this one as a full cheesecake so I can’t really advise. When making a full size cheesecake, my go-to recipe is this New York-style Cheesecake, which is also very easy and popular 🙂
God bless both you and Marta.
Thank you! 🙂
Love cheesecakes and these look simple and fantastic. I particularly liked the caramel sauce recipe. There are many out there but again yours is very simple to make. Thanks for sharing!
My pleasure Lincoln! I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipes so much! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!
Just finished baking these cheescakes the house smells so good. I did try the batter raw and the texture & flavor is perfect not too sweet. Except instead of using cinnamon I used pumpkin spice
Oh that’s awesome and I love the idea of using pumpkin spice! I will try that next time for more Autumn flavor! 🙂 Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Why are there so many ads on the web site? It drives me crazy when I’m trying to follow a recipe.
Hi Diane! Thank you for sharing your feedback! We try to keep the ads on the site as non-intrusive as possible but alas they are necessary in order to provide our recipes free for our readers. My husband and I blog full time and the ads are what allow us to continue doing that. There really isn’t a better way at this point as we don’t sell any products. We appreciate your feedback as we are constantly trying to improve the site and our readers experience.
Ur welcome!! Ur version looks even better! Iv got to try it!!!!
Hi Marta! It’s awesome to hear from you and thank you again for sharing your amazing recipe! Everyone in my family raved about it – from the year year olds and on up to my parents :).
They do look promising. I know that many of your sweet recipes are not as sweet as other American recipes. How would this one compare? 14 oz sweetened condensed milk sounds like a lot of sweetness.
Hi Jenny! This one stays in line with our other desserts – not overly sweet. 14 oz of condensed milk is for 24 mini cheesecakes. Not bad! 🙂