Mini Cheesecakes with caramel sauce are completely delicious and easy to make since the cheesecake base is just 3 ingredients! If you love the classic taste and texture of a classic Cheesecake but want the simplicity of a No-Bake Cheesecake you will love this recipe!

a mini cheesecake with a bite in a hand

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Best Mini Cheesecake Recipe

We have tested scores of mini cheesecake recipes and it’s easy to say, this is THE ONE! One of my readers, Marta, shared her 3-ingredient mini cheesecake recipe with me, and I instantly fell in love with the flavor, texture, and how completely easy they were. This recipe makes 24 cupcake-sized cheesecakes.

Here, we used Marta’s cheesecake recipe, added a super-simple graham cracker crust, and drizzled sweet caramel and whipped cream over each one.

We just love mini, individual-sized desserts like Creme Brulee or Chocolate Souffle, and these mini cheesecakes are so easy and delicious that they will become one of your go-to desserts.

Mini Cheesecakes Video

Watch Natasha whip up these simple mini cheesecakes while giving you her tips on how to make them easy to make and look great for a party. Make these baby cheesecakes once and you’ll make them over and over!

Ingredients for Mini Cheesecakes:

These mini cheesecakes come together quickly and can be easily doubled to treat a whole crowd.

  • Cream Cheese – room temperature so it mixes evenly. We use regular cream cheese bricks for the best texture and taste. Light or whipped won’t create the same flavor.
  • Eggs – room-temperature eggs are the secret to making the batter
  • Sweetened Condensed Milk – the secret ingredient, making the cheesecake perfectly sweetened and creamy smooth
  • Crust – graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and cinnamon combine to make the perfect cheesecake crust. For gluten-free mini cheesecakes, substitute GF graham crackers or omit the crust.
  • Topping – we used our easy Caramel Sauce (you won’t want store-bought after trying it!), using just 4 ingredients. If you want some variety, you can also try the strawberry topping in our Mini Strawberry Cheesecake recipe.
ingredients for our mini cheesecake recipe including butter, sweetend condensed milk, cream cheese, eggs, graham crackers and cinnamon

How to Make Mini Crusts

  • Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 24-count standard-sized muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  • Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon in a bowl until evenly moistened.
  • Spoon the mixture evenly into the lined muffin tins, and press the crumbs into the base and slightly up the sides.

How to Make Mini Cheesecakes

  • Whisk the cream cheese and eggs (by hand or with a hand mixer) on high speed for 5 minutes, or until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add condensed milk and mix on LOW speed for 2 minutes to avoid adding air bubbles that can cause the cheesecakes to crack when baking.
  • Divide the batter evenly over the 24 crusts, filling each one about 3/4 full (or with a level ice cream scoop), and bake at 350˚F for 15 minutes. The cheesecakes should be set but still have a very slight jiggle in the center. Do not overbake.
  • Cool the cupcakes in the muffin tin to room temperature before spooning Caramel Sauce over each one. Refrigerate the cooled and topped cheesecakes for 2 hours. Then, dollop homemade whipped cream (see directions below) and dust with cinnamon, if desired.

Pro Tip

Avoid overbaking. Due to their small size, mini cheesecakes cook much faster than traditional Cheesecakes, so it’s easy to overbake. Take them out of the oven when the edges are set and the center may have a very slight wobble. Also, cracking is a sign of overbaking.

How to Make Whipped Cream Topping

  • Combine 1 cup cold heavy cream, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla in a large mixing bowl (preferably a chilled bowl). Beat the ingredients together with an electric mixture or hand mixer on high speed for 2 minutes or until fluffy. Using a piping bag with a star tip, pipe the whipped cream over each cupcake.
mini cheesecake cupcake with caramel sauce and whipped cream

Make-Ahead

You can completely assemble, decorate, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In fact, ours tasted and looked perfect the next day. We just love make-ahead desserts!

  • To Refrigerate: Cover in an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 days
  • Freezing: Before topping with sauce or whipped cream, flash-freeze cheesecakes by placing them on a sheet pan in the freezer. When frozen, store it in a covered container or ziptop bag in a single layer, being sure to get the air out of the container.
  • To Serve: Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Mini cheesecake recipe with caramel sauce and whipped cream

These mini cheesecakes are so easy to make and so incredibly creamy and delicious! Make them a day ahead to take one “to-do” off your list before hosting friends and family, because these cheesecake cupcakes are truly the perfect party dessert!

More Mini Dessert Recipes

Once you try this mini cheesecake recipe, we bet you’ll fall in love with bite-sized desserts, especially when hosting! Here are a few of our favorite mini desserts to serve at your next party.

Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce

4.97 from 247 votes
A bite taken out of a mini cheesecake cupcake with caramel sauce
These mini cheesecakes with caramel sauce are delicious! The base is just 3 ingredients. We love the flavor, texture and how completely EASY they were!
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Refrigerate: 2 hours

Ingredients 

Servings: 24 mini cheesecakes

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:

Topping Ingredients:

Instructions

How to Make the Crust:

  • Prep: Preheat Oven to 350˚F. Line a 24-count muffin tin with standard cupcake liners.
  • In a bowl, 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 level 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.

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.

Nutrition Per Serving

233kcal Calories20g Carbs3g Protein15g Fat8g Saturated Fat68mg Cholesterol161mg Sodium119mg Potassium11g Sugar570IU Vitamin A0.5mg Vitamin C86mg Calcium0.4mg Iron
Nutrition Facts
Mini Cheesecakes with Caramel Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
233
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
15
g
23
%
Saturated Fat
 
8
g
50
%
Cholesterol
 
68
mg
23
%
Sodium
 
161
mg
7
%
Potassium
 
119
mg
3
%
Carbohydrates
 
20
g
7
%
Sugar
 
11
g
12
%
Protein
 
3
g
6
%
Vitamin A
 
570
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
 
0.5
mg
1
%
Calcium
 
86
mg
9
%
Iron
 
0.4
mg
2
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: mini cheesecakes
Skill Level: Easy
Cost to Make: $$
Calories: 233
Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook
4.97 from 247 votes (114 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • JD
    April 4, 2021

    Hi Natasha!
    I have made this and several of your recipes and you have not steered me wrong! My family has enjoyed everything I’ve made, some multiple times. I was wondering if fat t free sweetened condensed milk can be substituted (unfortunately all I have at the moment)? Thank you for all the great recipes!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      April 4, 2021

      Hi JD, that’s awesome! Thank you for your kind words and great feedback. I honestly haven’t tried that yet but I imagine that will work too. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes.

      Reply

  • Shilpi
    April 4, 2021

    How can I halve this recipe

    Reply

  • Frances Lozano
    April 1, 2021

    Hi I make this Recipe for my family and they absolutely love it but I would like to try and make the already delicious crust with pecans added to it. My question is what is the measurement of pecans I should add for this particular Recipe? I don’t want to take any ingredients out I just want to add pecans to the crust.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      April 2, 2021

      Hi Frances, I think that should work to add some chopped pecans to the crust but keep in mind the crust will be a little thicker and will take up more space in the muffin tin.

      Reply

  • Lekhya
    April 1, 2021

    How to store the cheesecakes in the fridge

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      April 1, 2021

      Hi Lekhya, yes, these need to be refrigerated. You can completely assemble, decorate, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Ours tasted and looked perfect the next day. We just love make-ahead desserts!

      Reply

  • Lielie
    March 31, 2021

    I made this cheesecake, but i dont know why… after 15 minutes my batter still wet …

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 31, 2021

      Hi Lielie, They should be set with a very slight jiggle in the center. They will then set in the fridge. But, I would make sure your oven is calibrated and the process was followed with no adjustments or ingredient substitutions.

      Reply

  • Jaime Gomez
    March 31, 2021

    This is my 3rd time making your recipe and every time they have come out….. AMAZING. My whole family loves them. This last time I made half of the batter regular and the other half I put some Oreos and it was very good as well, the kids loved them. But I’m a sucker for old school non Oreo myself. Either way, thank you. This is the 5th recipe my wife and I have tried from your website and they’re all amazing. Can’t wait to try out more.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 31, 2021

      Hi Jaime, I’m glad you’re enjoying my recipes. Thank you for your great review and feedback! I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try.

      Reply

      • María Sanchez
        April 15, 2021

        Hi Natasha. Thank you for your recepies. Can I make this cheesecake in a springform pan?
        Thank you

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          April 16, 2021

          Hi Maria, you’re welcome. I haven’t tried making this as a full-size cheesecake so I don’t know how it would rise. This is our go-to springform recipe for cheesecake.

          Reply

  • Lidia
    March 27, 2021

    hey natasha your mini caramel cheesecakes are amazing yum I was wondering if you have a recipe for a whole caramel cheesecake??? wanted to make one for my husband’s birthday;-)

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 27, 2021

      Hi Lidia, this cheesecake here is the same recipe! Just swap the topping out for caramel sauce.

      Reply

      • Lidia
        March 28, 2021

        thank you for your fast response:-)

        Reply

  • Ania
    March 19, 2021

    Can I keep them overnight and put whipped cream next day?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 19, 2021

      Hi Ania, you sure can! I hope you love this recipe!

      Reply

      • Mo
        March 27, 2021

        Hi Natasha, these mini cheesecakes were awesome but just wanted to check and see if perhaps there was an error for the caramel sauce? Should it be 1 tsp of vanilla and not 1 tablespoons?

        Reply

        • Natasha
          March 30, 2021

          Hi Mo, that is correct. There is a generous amount of vanilla in the caramel sauce which gives it great concentrated flavor.

          Reply

  • Sarah
    March 19, 2021

    hay Natasha,

    can we bake these in advance? and how do we store them for the next day?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 19, 2021

      Hi Sarah, you make them a couple of days in advance; just keep them in the refrigerator. But you are welcome to add the cream before serving also.

      Reply

  • Christina
    March 10, 2021

    Hi Natasha,
    I loved this recipe but when I took the cheesecakes out of the pan, the gram cracker crust just crumbled to pieces. Why did it happen and how can I prevent this from happening next time?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      March 11, 2021

      Hi Christina, make sure to use the right proportion of graham crackers to butter and also the liners help keep them together especially when removing them from the pan. Lastly, let them cool before removing the wrapper which gives them a chance to set and firm up.

      Reply

  • Gail Nelson
    March 6, 2021

    Natasha I seriously love your recipes but get very annoyed at all the pop up advertisements when I am trying to review a recipe or do a screen shot. I realize this is an additional way for you to make revenue but it is very annoying. Is there some way to stop all the pop ups and advertisements?

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      March 6, 2021

      Thank you for sharing your concerns and feedback, Gail. The only way we can continue providing free recipes is by having ads on our site, so we cannot remove those at this time. We find that most people would rather see the ads than pay to see the recipes. I appreciate your feedback, and I hope you love every recipe you try.

      Reply

  • Marie Kothari
    March 6, 2021

    I’ll be making these tomorrow! But how do you make caramel sauce?

    Reply

  • Sandra Rodriguez
    March 1, 2021

    Can you use this same cheesecake to bake in a 9 inch cheesecake pan?

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      March 2, 2021

      Hi Sandra, I would follow this recipe here for a big cheesecake. It’s the same exact recipe simply change the topping for caramel.

      Reply

  • Brunilda
    February 16, 2021

    I need the caramel recipe, please

    Reply

  • Ashley
    February 14, 2021

    I made these cheesecakes for my family today ! Valentine’s Day ! These are so amazing and the recipe was nice and easy to go by!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 14, 2021

      Yay, fantastic! I’m so happy to hear that everyone enjoyed these mini cheesecakes. Thanks for sharing, Ashley!

      Reply

  • Stephanie
    February 14, 2021

    Any idea where I went wrong? I followed the recipe exactly, by cheesecake developed big bubbles that sank when I took them out if the oven. And they were full of big air holes/bubbles. The texture was more eggy than creamy. My caramel sauce was extremely grainy and crunchy (sugar crystals). I’m stumped! Did I overmix the cheesecake mixture? Everything tasted good, but didn’t quite turn out like the photos.

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      February 15, 2021

      Hi Stephanie, it’s hard to say without being there. It sounds like it may have been overmixed, or something was altered?

      Reply

  • Karen Theriault
    February 8, 2021

    Hello Natasha, I simply would like to thank you for your wonderful recipes and also for your beautiful smile and so pleasant attitude. It is so refreshing to watch your videos, you truly crack me up at times.
    I made your mini cheese cake twice already and your caramel sauce,,,,, OMGoodness, I cannot keep up, my brother Carl and twin sister Sharon are stopping over to get their rations🤣 a few times weekly now. I am off work due to COVID and truly am enjoying my time in the kitchen baking bread and some of your goodies.
    I just finished a double batch of custard for the eclairs that I will be attempting tomorrow morning. The custard turned out PERFECT. I did keep the vanilla pod inside as I want a lovely deep vanilla taste.

    I also am marinating my chicken breast with your recipe from your crispy chicken sandwich. I will let you know tomorrow how that turned out also.
    Thank you again for your wonderful recipes and mostly for your time that you dedicate to all of us, your faithful followers. Your smile is contagious!

    May God Bless you All and keep you All safe.

    Karen Theriault
    Bathurst New Brunswick, Canada (I call it God’s Country)🤗🤗🤗

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      February 8, 2021

      Hi Karen, great to hear from you and thank you for sharing that with us. I’m glad that you’re enjoying my recipes. I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try from my website. Stay safe!

      Reply

  • Nan
    January 25, 2021

    I love your website and recipes.

    Here is what I did to add my own touch to your recipe…

    I swirled melted semi sweet chips after I put the cream cheese mixture in the paper cups and topped it with chopped pecans. After baking I drizzled a little more melted chocolate and some of your caramel over the top. Turtle cheesecakes and they were delicious ❤️

    Reply

    • Natashas Kitchen
      January 25, 2021

      Yum! Thank you for sharing that with me, Nan!

      Reply

  • Nan
    January 25, 2021

    I swirled melted semi sweet chips after I put the cream cheese mixture in the paper cups and topped it with chopped pecans. After baking I drizzled a little more melted chocolate and some of your caramel over the top. Turtle cheesecakes and they were delicious ❤️

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      January 26, 2021

      Sounds delicious! Thanks for sharing, Nan. I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe!

      Reply

  • Juanita
    January 25, 2021

    Really love all your recepies…mini cheesecakes are my favorite but I have a dilemma with the baking time when I pulled out of the oven still looks a little watering. That’s normal??

    Reply

    • Natasha
      January 27, 2021

      Hi Juanita, if they are still jiggly, then I would bake longer. I haven’t noticed them looking watery though after that amount of baking at that temp.

      Reply

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