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With a buttery graham cracker crust, a rich and creamy cheesecake filling, and a sweet strawberry sauce swirl, this Mini Strawberry Cheesecake recipe is the ultimate bite-sized dessert.
Perfect any time of year, they are easy to make, use simple ingredients, and always impress at parties, picnics, and holiday gatherings. These mini cheesecakes are a crowd-pleasing make-ahead dessert that delivers all the flavor of a classic strawberry cheesecake in a perfectly portioned handheld size.
A little like my strawberry swirl cheesecake in miniature form, these cuties are perfect for entertaining. They are easy to make with simple, everyday ingredients, and feature a buttery crust with a smooth, creamy filling with an airy texture.
Each cake is perfectly portioned, making them ideal for entertaining or as a make-ahead dessert. You can bake them the day before and simply pour on the strawberry topping and garnish when you are ready to serve. The flavor is bright and zesty from the strawberries and lemon, balanced by the rich, buttery crust and creamy classic cheesecake filling. They are the perfect little treat to celebrate strawberry season.
Ingredients For Mini Strawberry Cheesecake
These Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes are made with a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and a sweet strawberry sauce topping.
Strawberry Sauce
- Strawberries: Fresh or frozen, quartered for the sauce.
- Lemon Juice: Balances the sweetness.
- Lemon Zest: Adds brightness.
- White Granulated Sugar: Sweetens and thickens the strawberry sauce.
Base
- Graham Cracker Crumbs: Classic cheesecake crust foundation.
- Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness to the crust.
- Unsalted Butter: Melted to bind the crumbs together.
Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
- Cream Cheese: Softened, the base of the cheesecake filling.
- White Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the creamy filling.
- Eggs: At room temperature, provide structure.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor to the cheesecake.
- Sour Cream: Creates a smooth, tangy filling.
- Lemon Zest: Adds fresh citrus notes to the batter.
- Fresh Strawberries: Halved, for topping the finished cheesecakes.
How To Make Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
These mini cheesecakes bake in a muffin tin, chill until set, and are finished with sweet strawberry sauce for the perfect bite-sized dessert.
Strawberry Sauce
Cool: Set aside to cool slightly while preparing the crust and filling.
Combine: Place the strawberries, lemon juice, zest, and sugar into a heavy-based medium saucepan over low heat.
Simmer: Heat gently, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes until the strawberries are soft and the juice has thickened slightly.
Crust
- Prepare: Preheat the oven to 325℉. Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin with cupcake wrappers.
- Mix: Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter, then divide evenly between the wrappers.
- Bake: Bake for 8 minutes, then set aside while making the filling.
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes Filling
- Beat: Using a stand mixer or handheld beater, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until just combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
- Stir: Add the vanilla, sour cream, and lemon zest, then fold in thoroughly with a spatula.
- Fill: Spoon the cheesecake mixture evenly over the prepared crusts, making sure to scrape all the batter from the bottom of the bowl. Gently tap the pan on the counter to smooth the tops and release any air bubbles.
- Swirl: Spoon strawberry sauce on top of each and swirl lightly. Reserve the remaining sauce for serving.
- Bake: Bake for 25–30 minutes until the centers are set and no longer wobbly.
Finish
- Chill: Let the cheesecakes cool in the tin on the counter for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 2–3 hours or overnight.
- Serve: Top with the remaining strawberry sauce and fresh strawberries before serving.
What to Bake Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes In
You don’t need a mini springform pan to make these cheesecakes. Regular cupcake liners, standard muffin papers, or thin cardboard cupcake cups all work perfectly. My favorite option is the thin card cups placed on a baking tray, since they give the cheesecakes straight, even sides without the need for a springform pan. Even without the classic release from the sides of the pan, these minis hold their shape beautifully.
As the cheesecakes cool, they pull slightly away from the edges, so the wrappers peel off easily. I like to top mine with leftover chunky strawberry sauce and a fresh strawberry, which brings out the strawberries’ flavor even more, but a swirl of whipped cream is just as delicious.
Tips For The Perfect Cheesecakes
You can absolutely use frozen strawberries to make the sauce for these mini baked cheesecakes, I do it most of the time. It means you can enjoy them any time of year, even when fresh strawberries aren’t in season. If a craving hits, this recipe has you covered.
For the crust, you can use packaged graham cracker crumbs or crush them yourself. Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature, or you’ll end up with a lumpy cheesecake filling. When mixing, don’t overbeat—just blend until everything is smooth and combined. For baking, a 12-hole muffin tin with regular cupcake wrappers works perfectly, although you can check my notes above for more pan options. You’ll know the cheesecakes are ready when the centers are set and no longer wobbly.
Storage, Freezing, and Make-Ahead Tips for Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Mini strawberry cheesecakes keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days when stored in an airtight container. For the best texture, store them without the strawberry topping and add the sauce and fresh berries just before serving.
They also freeze beautifully. Simply place the cooled cheesecakes (without topping) on a baking sheet and freeze until firm, then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap and transfer to a freezer-safe bag or container. They will last for up to 2 months in the freezer. When ready to enjoy, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and add the strawberry sauce and fresh fruit just before serving.
These cheesecakes are also an ideal make-ahead dessert. You can bake them a day or two in advance and keep them chilled until needed. The strawberry sauce can be prepared ahead as well and stored separately in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Assemble with sauce and berries just before serving for the freshest results.
These mini strawberry cheesecakes are a delicious way to celebrate strawberry season. And I don’t know anyone that doesn’t love a cute dessert like this.
Other Cheesecake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Mini Twix Caramel Cheesecakes
- Mini Dutch Apple Cheesecakes
- Swirled Raspberry Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- My Favorite Lime Cheesecake with Triple Berry Sauce
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- 3 Cups Strawberries, quartered, frozen or fresh, 13oz
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- ¼ Cup White Granulated Sugar
FOR THE BASE
- 1 ½ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs
- 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 4 ½ Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
- 16 oz Cream Cheese, softened, 1lb, 2 bricks
- ½ Cup White Granulated Sugar
- 2 Large Eggs, room temp
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- ½ Cup Sour Cream, room temp
- 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- 6 Fresh Strawberries, cut in half
Instructions
FOR THE STRAWBERRY SAUCE
- Place the strawberries, lemon juice, zest and sugar into a heavy based saucepan over low heat.3 Cups Strawberries, 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest, ¼ Cup White Granulated Sugar
- Heat gently, stirring occasionally, for around 15 minutes until the strawberries are soft and the juice has thickened slightly. Set aside to cool slightly.
FOR THE BASE
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Line a standard 12 hole muffin tin with cupcake wrappers. Set aside.
- Mix together the crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter, the divide evenly between the wrappers.1 ½ Cup Graham Cracker Crumbs, 3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar, 4 ½ Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- Bake for 8 minutes while you make the filling.
FOR THE FILLING
- Using a stand mixer with paddle attachment or a handheld beater and a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until just combined. Scraped down the sides of the bowl as necessary.16 oz Cream Cheese, ½ Cup White Granulated Sugar, 2 Large Eggs
- Add the vanilla, sour cream and lemon zest and stir thoroughly with a spatula.2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract, ½ Cup Sour Cream, 1 teaspoon Lemon Zest
- Divide the cheesecake mixture over the bases in the muffin tin.
- Swirl 1 ½ teaspoons of strawberry sauce through the top of each one. Reserve the rest of the sauce for topping later.
- Bake for a further 25-30 minutes until set no longer wobbly in the centre.
- Let them cool in the tin for ½ an hour before placing in the fridge to set for 2-3 hours or overnight.
- Top with extra sauce and fresh strawberries to serve.6 Fresh Strawberries
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello,again I was looking up your cheese cake recipe and noticed you don’t have a orange cheese cake recipe!, but I looked it up on another website and found a no bake orange cheese cake recipe.The way you make it, its a lot like the orange jello cake except you make the orange jello in a liquid form and mix it with the cream cheese with whipped topping and orange extract. It’s like the NABISCO no bake lemony cheese cake.
That sounds amazing George! I’ll have to try that! Thanks for letting me know about this!
Hello! I just made these for a family reunion, & they are delish!! Well, this reunion got canceled after I made them all… so my question is, would they be OK to cover & freeze for a couple of weeks? And if ok, how soon before Eating should I thaw them? Thanks so much!!
Hi Brandy! You can absolutely freeze them! They freeze great! I would pull them out about a half hour before serving and add the sauce right before serving. Great questions!
Hi there, what size of the thin cardboard liners did you use for these fabulous looking cheesecakes.
Heather
Hi Heather! If I’m doing the standard cupcake size, then I use the large liners with a 2.5″ diameter.