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These are the mini cheesecakes I make when I want something that looks put-together without spending much time in the kitchen. Individual portions, a graham cracker crust, a smooth cream cheese filling — baked in a muffin tin and topped with fresh strawberries.
My daughter gets excited when she finds them in her lunch box, and that tells me everything.
The thing I learned from making these many times: all your ingredients need to be fully at room temperature before you start.
Cold cream cheese never fully smooths out, and you end up with lumps in the batter no matter how long you beat it.
I pull everything out — cream cheese, eggs, sour cream — at least 30 minutes before I begin.
That single habit changed the texture completely.
As some of you already know I love cheesecakes and I’ve shared a couple of cheesecake recipes with you so far.
One of them is for a Light No Bake Cheesecake and the other one is for my New York Style Cheesecake Cake with blueberry topping.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
These cheesecake cupcakes are small enough to pack into a lunch box but elegant enough to put on a dessert table.
The filling uses sour cream or Greek yogurt, which keeps them lighter than a classic cheesecake without changing the texture much.
Fresh strawberries on top are all they need.
How to Make Cheesecake Cupcakes
Press, fill, bake, cool, top. The method is simple — the key is keeping the mixing gentle once the eggs go in.
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C), conventional setting — no fan. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with foil cupcake liners.
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs with melted butter until the mixture holds together when pressed. Press about 1/2 tablespoon firmly into the bottom of each liner.
- Beat the room-temperature cream cheese on medium-high for 1 minute until smooth and fluffy. Add the sweetener, salt, and vanilla. Mix on medium until combined, scraping the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each one disappears. Stop as soon as the second egg is incorporated — overbeating from here causes more cracking.
- Add the sour cream (or Greek yogurt) and mix gently on low until smooth. Scrape the bowl once and mix briefly so everything is even.
- Fill each liner to the top using an ice cream scoop. Bake 18–20 minutes. The tops will puff and may crack slightly — that’s normal. Remove from oven and cool completely at room temperature before topping.
- Top each cupcake with fresh strawberries or berries just before serving.
Full quantities are in the recipe card below.
Tips
Stop mixing once the eggs are in and just mixed. Extra air from overbeating causes cracking — low speed, stop as soon as each egg disappears.
Use the conventional oven setting, not fan. Convection dries the tops unevenly. 325°F conventional is the move.
The sunken center is supposed to happen. These puff during baking and then sink slightly as they cool. That dip in the middle is exactly where the strawberry sits — it’s not a mistake, it’s the design.
Butter makes a better crust than coconut oil when served cold. Coconut oil sets harder in the fridge and can make the crust crumble or feel greasy when cold. Butter gives a cleaner texture straight from the fridge, which matters if you’re packing these for lunch.
Add the fruit right before serving. Strawberries release juice as they sit. If you top these the night before, the tops get wet and the fruit looks dull by morning. Add the berries just before packing or serving.
Serving Ideas + More Recipes
Fresh strawberries are the simplest option and my first choice — they contrast nicely with the rich, tangy filling.
Blueberries, raspberries, or sliced peaches all work well depending on what’s in season.
If you want something more saucy, you can simmer chopped strawberries with a little sweetener for about 15 minutes until soft — spoon that over the cooled cupcakes instead of fresh fruit.
FAQ
How do I know when cheesecake cupcakes are done baking? Bake at 325°F for 18–20 minutes — the edges should look set and the center should still have a slight jiggle, like Jell-O rather than liquid.
I check mine at 18 minutes; if the liner is just barely pulling away at the edge, they’re ready. They firm up completely as they cool, so don’t wait for the center to look fully solid in the oven.
Why did my cheesecake cupcakes crack on top? A little cracking is normal — it’s what creates the sunken center where the berry sits.
Deep cracking is usually the fan being on. I’ve had it happen when I forgot to switch to conventional mode — turn the fan off and the problem mostly goes away.
Can I make these ahead of time? Yes — bake them the day before, cool completely, and store in an airtight container in the fridge overnight.
Add the fruit topping the morning of. I do this regularly when I’m packing them for my daughter’s lunch box.
Can I make these low-carb? Swap the graham cracker crumbs for almond flour in the crust and use powdered erythritol (1/4 cup + 1 tbsp) instead of sugar in the filling.
The texture is very close — the almond flour crust is slightly more crumbly but still holds together when cold.
Cheesecake Cupcakes with Strawberries
Ingredients
Crust:
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, or almond flour for low-carb
- 3 tbsp melted butter, or coconut oil
Filling:
- 16 oz 2 packs low-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt, room temperature
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp sugar — or 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp powdered erythritol for low-carb
To serve:
- Fresh strawberries or berries of choice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C), conventional setting. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with foil liners.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter. Press about 1/2 tablespoon into the bottom of each liner.
- Beat cream cheese on medium-high for 1 minute until fluffy. Add sweetener, salt, and vanilla. Mix on medium until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until incorporated after each.
- Add sour cream or Greek yogurt. Mix gently on low until smooth.
- Fill liners to the top using an ice cream scoop. Bake 18–20 minutes until edges are set and centers have a slight jiggle. Cool completely at room temperature.
- Top with fresh berries just before serving.
Notes
Low-carb: use almond flour crust + powdered erythritol.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Izglejdat strahotno, Bravo 🙂
Thanks Moni 🙂
absolutely adorable!
Thanks Carrie, I did my best truing to make them low fat 🙂
You are so talented my dear, your photos are just perfect and the recipes looks so delicious <3 yummy! Good work!
Thanks so much Lara!
Would sour cream work in place of yogurt?
Yes, the same amount