Rather than making a full-size strawberry cheesecake, I much prefer making mini strawberry cheesecakes in a muffin pan! These individual cheesecakes are easy to make with strawberry jam or fresh strawberries, they bake up in under 20 minutes with no water bath, and you don’t need a plate (or even a fork) to eat them. You can also freeze them for long-term storage, just like my mini vanilla cheesecakes.
Over the last year, I tested many different versions of this recipe to create a good strawberry cheesecake without too much added fuss (like sautéing fresh strawberries or making a strawberry syrup in advance). The version I’m sharing here, made with strawberry jam, is by far my favorite. It lends the strongest, most consistent strawberry flavor with ease, and you aren’t dependent on seasonal produce.
That said, for a more subtle “strawberries and cream” version of this strawberry cheesecake, you can use fresh strawberries! I’ve shared the adjustments for that adaptation in the “Notes” for the recipe card if you’d like to try it.
Ingredients for Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
After making these strawberry cheesecakes a few different ways, my favorite (and the most flavorful!) version was with strawberry jam—and with more strawberry jam swirled on top! Read on for the purpose behind each ingredient and common substitutions where possible. The full recipe is at the bottom of the page.
- Graham crackers. I used honey-flavored graham crackers for a neutral base, but chocolate or even cinnamon graham crackers could work well, too. You can also substitute gluten-free graham crackers to make these strawberry cheesecakes gluten-free!
- Salted butter. I love a well-salted dessert, so I use salted butter in the graham cracker crust. If you’re watching your sodium intake or don’t have salted butter, you’re welcome to use unsalted butter.
- Salt. Big pinches in the crust and batter enhance all the flavors of this cheesecake.
- Cream cheese. This is the main component of the cheesecake, so use full-fat cream cheese in its block form, like the 8-oz block from Philadelphia—not the tubs. It’s also important that it is close to or at room temperature to prevent any lumpiness.
- Strawberry jam. I used homemade strawberry jam, but store-bought also works to give the batter a concentrated strawberry flavor. If you’d like to use fresh strawberries, you’ll have to compensate for the lower sugar content. See the recipe notes for more details.
- Granulated sugar. Sugar adds sweetness and moisture to baked goods. You don’t need much on top of the strawberry jam, but it helps enhance the strawberry flavor and improves the texture considerably.
- Vanilla bean paste. Vanilla and strawberry are a match made in heaven, so the splurge on vanilla bean paste is worth it here. If you’d prefer, you can also just use vanilla extract.
- Eggs. The eggs help to firm up the custard just enough to make the cheesecake light and silky.
How to Make Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
One of my favorite things about mini cheesecakes made in muffin pans is how easy they are to make, serve, and eat! Because of that, I’ve shared quite a few mini cheesecake recipes over the years. I also have learned quite a few tips for making perfect individually-sized cheesecakes, which I always share with you!
These mini strawberry cheesecakes are baked in a muffin pan in under 20 minutes, and they don’t require a water bath. I’ve outlined the entire process below with step-by-step images to help ensure your success.
How to Make the Graham Cracker Crust
First, line a light-colored muffin pan with 12 paper liners. You can use a dark pan, but the cheesecakes will bake more quickly. I recommend using traditional paper liners or silicone liners over parchment liners, because you want the cheesecake to stick to the edges. Parchment liners will peel away from the cheesecake if you even look at them funny, and it makes transport more fussy.
Then, add graham crackers and salt to the bowl of a food processor. I find the food processor to be the most efficient method, but if you prefer, you can crush the graham crackers in a plastic bag or parchment paper with a rolling pin. Process until fine, then stream in the melted butter. Mix until the crumbs are totally coated in butter, with no dry patches.
Pressing into the Muffin Pan
When the graham cracker crust looks evenly smooth, transfer into your prepared muffin pan. I use about one packed Tablespoon of the mixture in each paper liner. Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of the liner to make a flat, packed base for the strawberry cheesecake.
For the easiest cleanup, I like to sacrifice an extra paper liner as a barrier between the crust and my pressing tool. You can use your fingers or a measuring spoon to press the crust down, but my flat-bottomed measuring cup packs the mixture firmly and quickly. Scrape out as many of the crumbs from the graham cracker crust as you can from the food processor bowl (a few left behind are fine), then set the prepared pan aside.
How to Make the Strawberry Cheesecake
After overbaking, the top reason cheesecakes crack is because too much air was incorporated into the batter. To prevent adding too much air, I use a food processor to make my cheesecake batter instead of a stand or hand mixer. The food processor blade spins much more quickly, but it doesn’t add nearly as much air as the whisk or beater attachments on electric mixers. And since most cheesecake recipes also call for a cookie crust that requires a food processor, using the food processor for both elements of the bake cuts down on the dishes significantly!
If you don’t have a food processor, you can still use a stand mixer or hand mixer with a large bowl. Just be conscious about how much mixing you’re doing. You don’t want to overdo it!
For these strawberry cheesecakes, I add room temperature cream cheese (very important to avoid lumps!), strawberry jam, granulated sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the cream cheese mixture until fully combined and smooth, scraping down the sides once.
Substituting Fresh Strawberries
If you’d like to use fresh strawberries instead of strawberry jam, you may do so as long as you also increase the sugar amount. The fresh berries will make the cream cheese batter thinner than the one in these photos, but it will bake up nicely.
Then, add the eggs, and pulse a few times until the mixture is just combined. It should be smooth with no lumps, but you may see a handful of air bubbles rising to the surface. Scrape down the sides of the bowl once more. If there are still large chunks of cream cheese on the sides, pulse the mixture 1-2 more times to incorporate everything.
How to Fill Mini Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
Divide the smooth strawberry cheesecake batter evenly between the 12 liners in your muffin pan. To help the cheesecakes bake at the same rate, you’ll want to fill each one with a similar amount of batter. Otherwise, you may end up with some really tall underbaked cheesecakes and short overbaked/cracked cheesecakes.
I usually fill the cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full with the cheesecake batter, then double back and divide any remaining batter evenly between the 12. Tap the muffin pan against your workspace a few times to pop any leftover air bubbles.
Adding a Strawberry Jam Swirl
If you have more strawberry jam, you can add a jam swirl to the tops of the muffin pan cheesecakes, if you’d like! Scoop about a teaspoon of the strawberry jam onto a spoon, then place it in 3-4 spots on the top of a mini cheesecake. Drag a toothpick in a circular pattern through the jam and into the cheesecake batter to create a swirl.
How to Bake Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Bake these individual strawberry cheesecakes at 350°F/175°C, until the edges of the cheesecakes are set but the centers are slightly jiggly. I baked this batch for about 13 minutes in my Breville countertop oven, but darker pans may bake up in 11-12 minutes. If you notice the cheesecakes starting to form domes in the oven, that’s usually a sign that they’re done!
If you prefer firmer, denser cheesecakes, you can bake them for an extra minute or two until the centers are totally solid. They may crack if baked past that point.
How to Remove Mini Cheesecakes from a Muffin Pan
Remove the mini cheesecakes from the oven and cool in the pan for about an hour. Once cooled enough to handle, use a fork, knife, or offset spatula to remove each cheesecake out of the pan. Slide your utensil between the muffin pan and the paper liner, then pop the cheesecake out from the bottom and transfer to a plate or carrier.
Chill the individual cheesecakes in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight to allow them to set. Then, serve! Feel free to add a dollop of vanilla whipped cream or another spoonful of strawberry jam.
Other Recipes You May Enjoy
If you have a lot of strawberries to use up, these would pair perfectly with a scoop of homemade strawberry ice cream.
For more mini cheesecake recipes that you can enjoy all year-round, try my mini vanilla cheesecakes and mini chocolate cheesecakes. You can top them with practically any jam or sauce you can think of!
Dish Cleanup: A Lil Messy
I rate my recipe cleanups on a scale of 1 to 5. 1 is only a handful of dishes, and 5 is everything including the kitchen sink.
This recipe has a cleanup rating of a 3. There’s the food processor bowl, the muffin pan, and various bowls and measuring cups, but nothing too excessive. I recommend rinsing the food processor bowl as soon as the cheesecakes go in the oven. The batter will require scrubbing to remove if it dries on!
Personal Strawberry Cheesecake Recipe
Thanks so much for stopping by!
If you make these individual strawberry cheesecakes and love them, please don’t forget to leave a review to share how they turned out with others.
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 8 sheets (125 g) graham crackers
- 4 Tablespoons (56 g) salted butter melted
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
- 12 oz (340 g) cream cheese 1.5 blocks, softened
- ¼ cup (80 g) strawberry jam* homemade or store-bought
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 pinch of salt
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
Instructions
To Make the Strawberry Cheesecake Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C, and line a standard muffin pan with 12 paper liners.
- Crush the graham crackers until fine in the bowl of a food processor (or with a rolling pin in a bag or parchment paper). Then, with the food processor running, pour the melted butter through the feeder tube over the crumbs. Add salt, and process until combined.8 sheets (125 g) graham crackers, 4 Tablespoons (56 g) salted butter, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Divide the crumbs into the paper liners in the muffin pan, about 1 packed Tablespoon in each. Press the crust into the liners with your fingers or a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to flatten the bottoms, then set aside.
To Make the Strawberry Cheesecake Filling
- In the bowl of a food processor,** add the cream cheese, strawberry jam (or fresh berries—see note for substitution), granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt. Pulse until smooth and combined, scraping down the sides once.12 oz (340 g) cream cheese, ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 1 pinch of salt, ¼ cup (80 g) strawberry jam*
- Then, add the eggs. Pulse a few times until smooth, then scrape down the sides of the bowl. Pulse one or two more times until just combined and no lumps remain. The mixture will be thick.2 large eggs
- Divide the cheesecake filling evenly into the paper liners, about 3 Tablespoons per liner, until the cups are very nearly full. Tap the pan on the counter a couple times to let the cheesecake mixture settle.
- Optional: For a strawberry swirl, add a few drops (about 1 teaspoon total) of strawberry jam on top of each mini cheesecake. Drag a toothpick through the jam and the cheesecake batter in a circular pattern to create a swirl.
To Bake the Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
- Bake for 13-15 minutes, until the edges are set and only the very centers of the cheesecakes are slightly jiggly. (Some cheesecakes may be fully set while others are still a little jiggly—that's okay!) For firmer cheesecakes all around, bake for an extra minute or two until all of the centers are fully set but before they dome and crack. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about an hour on a cooling rack.
- When only slightly warm, remove the mini strawberry cheesecakes from the pan. You can pull the cheesecakes out by the liner with the very tips of your fingers, or slide a fork between the pan and the liner to pop them out. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least two hours, until the bottoms of the mini cheesecakes feel cold.
- Optional: Top with a dollop of my vanilla whipped cream if desired, then serve. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Recommended Supplies
Nutrition
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I cant wait to share with my family easy practice not one slice to slice
I found your strawberry jam recipe on TikTok and immediately made it with fresh picked strawberries, it is excellent! Then I found this recipe to use the strawberry jam and again it was fantastic. I make a similar recipe using the vanilla wafer on the bottom, but not anymore. I found my new favorite mini cheesecake recipe, my family loved them. TY
That makes me so happy to hear, Ann! I’m glad I could help you put your fresh-picked berries to good use in a couple of recipes. Thank you for taking the time to leave a review as well 🙂