American
Cheesecake Cups
Cream cheese, sugar, and egg bake in a muffin tin over a graham crust until the edges are set and the centers still wobble slightly. They need a chill after the oven so the texture settles.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- A muffin tin bakes the filling in small portions, so you do not need a water bath.
- Softened cream cheese blends smooth. Cold cream cheese leaves lumps.
- The centers should still wobble when the edges are set. A fully firm center in the oven will crack and turn grainy.
- Chilling is what finishes the texture after the bake.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat the oven to 325°F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
- 2
Stir the graham crumbs, melted butter, and 2 tbsp sugar until the crumbs look like wet sand. Press about 1 tbsp into the bottom of each liner.
- 3
Beat the cream cheese and 1/2 cup sugar until smooth, with no lumps. Beat in the egg and vanilla just until combined. Do not keep whipping after the egg disappears, or you beat in air that puffs and then sinks.
- 4
Divide the filling over the crusts.
- 5
Bake 16 to 20 minutes. The edges should look set and the centers should still wobble slightly when you nudge the pan.
- 6
Cool in the pan to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving. The chill is not bake time, but the cups are not ready to eat straight from the oven.
Pro tips
- Set the cream cheese out about 45 minutes ahead. If you microwave it, do it in short bursts so it does not melt.
- A little wobble in the center is what you want. A dry, tall dome means they went too long.
- Peel the liners off after chilling. They release more cleanly once the filling is cold.
Easy substitutions
- graham cracker crumbs
- digestive biscuit crumbs or vanilla wafer crumbs
- vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest beaten in with the egg
- 1 large egg
- 2 tbsp sour cream for a softer, slightly less set cup, baked the same way
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate covered for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Do not reheat. Let a cup sit at room temperature for 10 minutes if the fridge has made it very firm.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 240
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Special occasion · Oven
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From the kitchen
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A heavy 12-inch skillet
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An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
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A sharp chef’s knife
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A large cutting board
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Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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