Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes
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Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes are the perfect dessert bite! Everyone loves cheesecake, and these easy to make handheld bites are a rich cheesecake nestled on a graham cracker crust.
Disclosure: This recipe is sponsored by Schär. The opinions are my own.
Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes
Did you know you can easily bake cheesecake in a muffin pan? If you love cheesecake, but don’t want to bake an entire cheesecake, try these mini cheesecakes instead!
These cheesecakes are baked in a standard 12-count muffin pan. There’s no need for a springform pan and or the mess with a water bath that a traditional cheesecake requires.
If you have a muffin pan, cupcake liners and the few simple ingredients, you can have these mini cheesecakes in half the time of a traditional cheesecake.
Gluten-Free Graham Cracker Crust
I love the traditional flavor cheesecake, so I wanted my mini cheesecake to also have a graham cracker crust. The filling ingredients of cheesecake are naturally gluten-free.
The only ingredient that needs to be gluten-free is the graham cracker crust. I easily make gluten-free graham cracker crumbs by using Schär Honeygrams.
I absolutely love Schär, and they make some of my family’s favorite gluten-free products! They have everything from certified gluten-free bread, to rolls, pizza crust, cookies, crackers, and snacks.
I buy my favorite Schär products at my local Walmart. You can also use their store finder to see where you can find their products near you.
How To Make Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- To make the crust: crush the Honeygrams in a food processor or by placing the cookies in a plastic storage bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or your hands. Stir together the crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner and press down to make a crust.
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese with a mixer on low-medium for 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Beat in room temperature sour cream, egg, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. To avoid lumps, make sure your ingredients are room temperature. See the tips below on how to quickly bring ingredients to room temperature.
- Using a greased cookie scoop, evenly divide the cheesecake filling among crusts, filling the muffin liners to the top.
- Bake for 20 minutes until they just begin to brown. When you bring the cheesecakes out of the oven, they will be puffy but sink once they cool.
- Cool completely and then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight. Allow the cheesecakes to thaw for 2-3 minutes before removing from the muffin pan. Serve plain or with your favorite toppings.
Tips For Making Cheesecake
- Use room-temperature ingredients to avoid lumps in the cheesecake batter.
- You can quickly bring ingredients to room temperature by placing them in a bowl with warm water for 2-3 minutes.
- Do not worry if you cheesecakes crack on top. Once they cool they, will sink down and the cracks will fill themselves in.
Can You Make Mini Cheese Cakes Ahead Of Time?
Yes, you can! These mini cheesecakes are the perfect make-ahead dessert. Once the cheesecakes are completely cooled, cover and refrigerate. Do not remove the cupcake wrappers or add your favorite toppings until before serving.
Can You Freeze Mini Cheesecakes?
Yes, you can! You can freeze them either left wrapped in the cupcake liners or unwrapped placed in a freezer safe container. Make sure you freeze them plain without adding any topping. They can be frozen for up to 1 month. Simple defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
Topping Ideas For Cheesecakes
There are so many ways you can top these mini cheesecakes! They are delicious served as plain cheesecakes, but they are so fun to decorate with your favorite cheesecake toppings.
- fresh berries
- lemon curd
- whipped cream
- canned cherry pie filling
- chocolate sauce
- caramel sauce
One of the best things about these individual cheesecakes is that this recipe is so easy to make! I promise these are just as easy as making a no-bake gluten-free cheesecake.
Making a baked cheesecake can sometimes be challenging with water baths and hours of baking. But not with mini cheesecake bites. They have an amazing baked cheesecake texture without all the time and work!
This gluten-free mini cheesecake recipe is the perfect way to serve cheesecake to a crowd and is a party favorite for any kind of celebration!
More Gluten-Free Dessert Recipes To Try!
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Gluten-Free Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup gluten-free graham cracker crumbs, ,I use Schär Honeygrams to make the crumbs
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, ,packed
- 5 tablespoons butter, ,melted
- 2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese , ,room temperature
- 1/2 cup sour cream, ,room temperature
- 2 large eggs, ,room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- To make the crust: crush the Honeygrams in a food processor or by placing the cookies in a plastic storage bag and crushing them with a rolling pin or your hands. Stir together the crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter. Add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the mixture into the bottom of each muffin liner and press down to make a crust.
- Beat the room temperature cream cheese with a mixer on low-medium for 1-2 minutes, until fluffy. Beat in room temperature sour cream, egg, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice. To avoid lumps make sure your ingredients are room temperature. See tips in recipe notes on how to quickly bring ingredients to room temperature.
- Using a greased cookie scoop, evenly divide the cheesecake filling among crusts, filling the muffin liners to the top. Bake for 20 minutes, until they just begin to brown. When you bring the cheesecakes out of the oven they will be puffy, but sink once they cool. Cool completely and then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours to overnight. Allow to thaw for 2-3 minutes before removing from the muffin pan. Serve plain or with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Use room-temperature ingredients to avoid lumps in the cheesecake batter.
- You can quickly bring ingredients to room temperature by placing them in a bowl with warm water for 2-3 minutes.
- Do not worry if you cheesecakes crack on top. Once they cool they will sink down and the cracks will fill themselves in.
- These mini cheesecakes are the perfect make-ahead dessert. Once the cheesecakes are completely cooled cover and refrigerate. Do not remove the cupcake wrappers or add your favorite toppings until before serving.
- You can freeze them either wrapped or unwrapped in a freezer safe container. Make sure you freeze them plain, without adding any topping. They can be frozen up to 1 month. Simple defrost overnight in the refrigerator or on the counter at room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
- Mama says, "Check all of your labels!"
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I must have done something wrong.I followed the recipe exactly for 12 mini cheesecakes..it made 24 ! plus 6 regular size cupcakes!! I did double the graham cracker crust but didn’t need to bc I only used 1/2 TBL of the mixture in the mini cups…maybe my pan is smaller than yours? I used the pampered chef mini muffin pan
Hi Molly, Perhaps. It’s hard to say what happened there.
You made mini cheesecakes. The recipe says to use regular cupcake size. I doubled the recipe because I thought I’d get 48 mini size (bite size). I ended up with 96 😂
absolutely perfect creamy cheesecake bites! I skipped the crust part of the recipe and opted for Gluten Free Oreos for the base of some of them and used Sweet Lauren’s gluten free chocolate chip cookie dough for the base of the others. a half of one cookie dough ball pressed into the baking cup and baked for 10 minutes before adding the cheesecake. the Oreos obviously don’t need to pre bake. So, so delicious and simple.
Followed recipe exactly, took a bit longer to bake and turned out beautifully. I added lemon curd to the top. A real hit at the dinner party
This sounds great! I’d like to make these for a staff potluck and wonder, can I make them mini instead (for a bite-sized dessert)? Will the baking time change? What do you suggest?
Hi Emma, These are mini 🙂
When you say mini, you’re referring to cupcake size correct? Not bite size.
Correct!
I’m looking for a gluten free, nut free baker to make mini cheesecakes for my daughter’s wedding. I’d need enough for about 80 people. Even if you made the cheesecakes and I decorated them with the berries, etc. What do you think? You could freeze them ahead and send. I’m in NH. phone is 603-763-9466. We get a lot of sales calls so we probably won’t answer; you could leave a message though. She is getting married Aug 9th.
Hi Evelyn, Sorry but we don’t offer that service. Congrats on your daughter’s wedding!
These are amazing. I usually end up baking for about 28-30 minutes. Such a great recipe!
Turned out really well. One package of the Schär Honeygrams is enough, that should be mentioned in the recipe as they are rather expensive. We don’t typically need gluten free, but needed a dessert to take to a neighbor’s who is. There’s no need to grease the cookie scoop.
Hello Audrey,
I’m just wondering can I use ground up Walnuts instead of graham crackers? Would I need to pre bake them first?
Thanks 😊
We haven’t tried with walnuts. I would try a GF walnut pie crust recipe if you wanted to go that route 🙂
Made these for Easter and they were delicious. 👍👍
Perfect every time and so easy to make for the person who comes to dinner and wants dessert too!
Your mini cheesecakes r wonderful I substituted stevia for sugar and used 1/3 fat cream cheese everyone loved them .
Hi! These look amazing! I was wondering if I could make them as mini pumpkin cheesecakes? I know pumpkin is very wet and I’m not very good at baking so I have no idea how you would modify it if it was pumpkin. I read through all the comments and post but don’t see that anyone asked about it. Do you know if it would work as pumpkin cheesecake and if so, what would you suggest? Thanks so much!!
Hi Jamie, we recommend our GF pumpkin cheesecake cups (click here!), as that recipe has been specifically formulated to include pumpkin.
I want to make these ahead for Thanksgiving with a carmel apple topping. I’m planning to make the cheesecakes and freeze a week ahead of time. Could I put the carmel apple topping on the day before Thanksgiving and refrigerate for a few hours after? Would that work? I’m bring them to someone’s house and don’t want to have to assemble there.
Hi Kelly, we haven’t tried that, but it should work!
could you use lactose free cream cheese amd lactose free sour cream with this recipe? I have made the original recipe and everyone loved them, but just need to use the lactose free options for the next batch.
Yes!
This recipe is absolutely wonderful and very easy to make!! I used Paula’s GF Graham crackers. These will definitely be a go-to when I need a gluten free dessert!
I made these Friday evening for a BBQ on Saturday. I let guests choose between fresh blueberries and cherry pie filling. Everyone enjoyed them, especially the people who eat gf and are not used to enjoying the crust as well!
Hi Audrey –
I made this recipe for my book club and it turned out perfectly! I’m wondering if you’ve ever made it in a regular size pan? Do you think it would work just as well?
Thanks!
Megan
Hi Megan, we have a very similar recipe for a full-sized cheesecake (click here!) You could use this recipe, or follow the increased baking instructions to turn the mini cheesecake recipe into a full-sized cheesecake!
I LOVE this recipe! I didn’t have graham crackers tho so I improvised by crushing up some gluten free Catalina crunch cereal and a few GF sugar cones (like the cones for ice cream) and they still turned out SO delish. Super easy recipe to follow and one of the best tasting cheesecakes I’ve had
I cannot wait to give this a try for our weekend get-together! It looks like you have a sauce on top of the cheesecake before you placed your fresh fruit on it. What was this sauce?
Thanks so much!
Hi Cindy, good eye! That is lemon curd! We used this recipe (click here!) with Smart Balance butter.
Could I substitute Greek yogurt for the sour cream?
That should work!
These are delicious. People will ask for the recipe!
If I wanted to make these with gluten free Oreos. Would I still add the sugar to the crust? Has anyone made them that way? Also how many Oreos should I use do you think?
Hi Christine! I don’t think you’d need to add any sugar if using GF Oreos instead. The crust should be sweet enough without the sugar.
I made these mini cheesecakes for Christmas, dinner and they were so delicious. Everyone loved them and have asked for them again at our next gathering.
What to make for friend who is GF and fructose intolerant. These were an absolute hit..
Easy and very very delicious.
I can see me making more, especially for a party.
Only GF biscuits I could find locally was Arnotts scotch finger biscuits and they were amazing to use.
Thank you.
I have made this twice! I will be making round 3 very soon! We LOVE these! I use gluten-free Oreos (not double stuffed). I fill 24 cupcake liners (2 pans with 12 cupcakes each). First time, I melted white chocolate in the cream cheese mixture because…. Well… because we LOVE White Chocolate Raspberry cheesecake. We used fresh raspberries to top this one. Round 2 was also Oreo + exact recipe cheesecake mix + sweet dark cherries for topping. We love these so much that we eat one with our coffee in the morning + one at lunch + one in the evening with wine during our movie. Retired old people love your recipe!!!!
I loved these so much and so did my non-GF friends! These are my new favorite. I used the honey grahams mentioned in the recipe Schar’s? I also made a lemon-blueberry compote for the top which I added before serving. Real good ya’ll!
This is my go too recipe. I make it with strawberry compote in the summer. Recently tried a raspberry compote, equally delicious! So simple so special!!!
This was delicious! I want to make this for a friend but she cannot have eggs. Could I substitute flax seed eggs?
Hi Pat! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cheesecakes. I have not tried my recipe with flaxseed eggs.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. Could I use the mini pans to make tiny ones? I appreciate your help and I am anxious to try making them. jo
Hi Jo! I have not tired the recipe with mini pans, so I do not know how they would turn out. You probably will need to adjust the baking time to be less. If you try it please let me know how they turn out.
These have become a family favorite. My teenage granddaughter who has Celiac disease is thrilled to have a yummy option that tastes as good if not better than those with gluten. Thanks so much!
Amazing🥰 and easy big hit with friends and family
Ridiculously delicious and easy!!
So these are magically delicious!! I made a raspberry sauce to go on them and I think I may have to have these in my home at all times now! Also, there isn’t a ton of sugar in them, which is great…the balance of taste is spot on!
These cheesecakes are delicious and make those of us who are gluten-free, don’t feel like we are missing out! The Schar crackers are the best by far! Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Absolutely my go to mini cheesecake recipe. I love changing up the flavor with different toppings.Do you think I could use a silicone muffin tray to make these? I know cheesecakes can be picky so just wanted to be sure!
Thank you so much Heather! I have not tried baking the cheesecakes in a silicone muffin tray. If you try it, please let me know how they turn out.
I have made these twice now in silicone baking cups instead of paper and they turned out great! they pop right out of the silicone liners!
Love this recipe, easy to follow and what a nice presentation. Makes good gift!
Hi, recipe sounds awesome!! Want to try it but can’t access sour cream, what can I substitute?
Hi Mona! You can make a sour cream substitute by using Greek yogurt mixed with a little bit of lemon juice or white vinegar. I hope you enjoy the cheesecakes.
Made a lot of friends with this receipt. DELICIOUS Used vanilla cream cookie one time and vanilla wafer another time both are fine
This is my go to cheesecake! I don’t put the full amount of crust in the tins, probably just a tablespoon or so. Thanks!
Fabulous! I used Me Del gf ginger snaps for the crust and omitted the sugar.
My daughter has to eat a gluten free diet . So, for her graduation I made these. She loved them, and so did everyone else. One suggestion, don’t use paper cup liners. Use the thicker aluminum ones.
Ah-Mazing! These are going to a bridal shower with me this afternoon, can’t wait to share the love! Too bad I only made 12, they’ll fly off the plate in no time!
These are amazing. I made them for a very special 80th birthday party and everyone loved them! They came out picture perfect and they tasted amazing. No one would have known they were gluten free if I hadn’t told them. I drizzled a high quality chocolate syrup on the dessert plates and they were decadent and elegant!
LOVED THIS! I made them for my husbands birthday! Big hit!! My only question, how long are they good in the fridge?!?
Hi I am 11 years old and my mom is gluten free. I love baking for her and your baking recipes are so great.
Thank you so much Sophia! You just made my night.
I made these for Thanksgiving and they were great. I used a different brand of gluten free crackers but they were still yummy.
I love ❤️ your website I’m 11 and I love baking desserts for my family I am gluten free along with my mom and my two sisters but I bake for my whole family(my dad is not gluten free). I made this without the crust you just have to put more in .I love ? ur website
The cheesecakes are very tasty and keep well.
These came out great!! Thanks so much!
Easy to make and super delicious!!! Loved that delicious crust!
Uhmmm freeze them? I don’t think so. They won’t last more than a day. Great recipe great taste!! Thank you for posting the recipe!
Thank you so much Eleni for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my day! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cheesecakes. You are so welcome, I love sharing the recipes that I make for my family. Thanks again!
Delicious!! This is the PERFECT recipe!! I also want to make some chocolate ones. Has anyone used this recipe and added coco powder?
This recipe is great because it is delicious and pretty. I made these and took them to a dinner party. (I didn’t tell anyone that they were gluten-free.) They were a huge hit! I made half as the recipe states and made the second half using gluten-free oreo type cookies instead of graham crackers and put caramel, mini chocolate chips, and mini pecan pieces on top. Both got rave reviews!
Thank you so much Gwen for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the cheesecakes and they were a huge hit. Thank you for sharing how you made an oreo type cookie crust as well. They sound amazing! Thank you again.
I’ve made these so many times and there always a big hit! Can’t wait to try and add the nutmeg to the crust next time!
Thank you so much Jessica for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you have made the mini cheesecakes and are always a big hit. Thanks again!
Easy to make, delicious, and an elegant presentation. I made them for my daughter’s engagement party, and got tons of compliments!!
Thank you so much Jenice for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cheesecakes. I am glad they were easy to make and you got tons of compliments on the elegant presentation. Thank you again!
I made these cheesecakes for Christmas and they were soooo delicious. All of my guests raved about how good they were. I will definitely be making them again, and again and again!
Thank you so much Patti for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the cheesecakes and you will definitely be making them again. Thank you again!
Seriously delicious!
Thank you so much Coco for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cheesecakes. Thanks again!
I can’t recommend this recipe enough! I have made it twice for two Christmas parties this week. I followed the recipe exactly except I added the batter in a glass measuring cups and just poured into the muffin liners. I also added 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp nutmeg to the crust (someone else had suggested). The first time I used lemon curd and berries on top. The second time I made them in mini muffin tins for “cheesecake bites” and then topped with salted carmel and chocolate chips. I even put a few mini chips on top of the crust before I poured the batter over. I got so many compliments on them and this will definitely be a go-to recipe- THANK YOU!!
Thank you so much Laura for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the cheesecakes and that this will be your go-to recipe. You are so welocome, I love sharing the recipe that I make for my family. Thakns again!
I can’t recommend this recipe enough! I have made it twice for two Christmas parties this week. I followed the recipe exactly except I added the batter in a glass measuring cups and just poured into the muffin liners. I also added 1/2 tsp nutmeg and 1/4 tsp cinnamon to the crust (someone else had suggested). The first time I used lemon curd and berries on top. The second time I made them in mini muffin tins for “cheesecake bites” and then topped with salted carmel and chocolate chips. I even put a few mini chips on top of the crust before I poured the batter over. I got so many compliments on them and this will definitely be a go-to recipe- THANK YOU!!
Thank you so much Laura for the awesome 5-star recipe review, it really made my night! I am so happy that everyone enjoyed the mini cheesecakes. Thank you so much for sharing your yummy toppings and the spices that you added to the crust. I am going to try that the next time I make them. I am so glad that this will be a go-to recipe for you. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
This was great! I added some cinnamon and nutmeg to the crust and it was amazing! Thanks so much for this easy recipe that my whole family can enjoy!
Thank you so much Cree for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the cheesecakes. Cinnamon and nutmeg sound super yummy! Thank you for sharing, as I know it will help others. You are so welcome, I love sharing what I make for my family. Thanks again!
what a great easy recipe! excited to taste them. Patiently waiting for them to chill.
Thank you so much Anne for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that this recipe is a great easy recipe. I hope you enjoy the cheesecakes. Thanks again!
Daughter loves these. she always would go without dessert, now she has something that tastes great.
Thank you Julie for the awesome 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that your daughter loves the cheesecakes and she now enjoys dessert. This really made my day! Thank you again!
These look perfect for a bridal shower I’m planning where some of the guests are gluten free. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi Suzanne. These would be a perfect dessert for a bridal shower. You are so welcome. I hope everyone enjoys the mini cheesecakes!
Can you please tell me what the pudding like substance is under the berries in the pictures. You don’t mention what to put on top of the cheesecakes to make the berries stay where you put them. I plan on making these for a Mother’s Day gathering! Thanks for your help!
Hi Sandy! I used lemon curd under the berries. I bought a jar of gluten-free lemon curd at my local grocery store. I hope everyone enjoys the mini cheesecakes. Wishing you a happy Mother’s Day!
Excellent recipe. I really appreciated that they store so well! Very yummy and easy too. Mama Knows Gluten Free nails it again!!
Thank you so much Brianna for the wonderful 5-star recipe review! I am so happy that you enjoyed the mini cheesecakes, that you found the recipe easy and they stored well. You just made my day. Thank you again!