Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
This Mini Lemon Cheesecakes is so easy to make! The perfect springtime dessert, this creamy citrus cheesecake with a buttery graham cracker crust is topped with a delicious lemon curd is bound to be a crowd pleaser.
servings
Ingredients
For Crust:
- 8 sheets graham crackers finely crushed
- ⅛ tsp salt just a pinch
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
For Filling:
- 2 8-oz blocks cream cheese room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 whole eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
For Lemon Curd:
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lime juice fresh squeezed
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter cubed
Instructions
For Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a 12 cavity cupcake tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
- In a small bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, salt, sugar, and melted butter. Mix until fully combined. The mixture should be the texture of wet sand.
- Firmly press 1-1 ½ tablespoons of the crumb mixture into each liner.
- Bake the crusts for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and allow to cool completely.
For Filling:
- Turn the oven down to 300F.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together on low speed until fully combined and smooth.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well and scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Mix until fully combined.
- Fill each liner up almost to the top.
- Bake the cheesecakes for 15 minutes. Then turn the oven off and allow the cheesecakes to sit in the oven for 30 minutes. Crack the oven door open and allow to sit until cooled to room temperature.
- Transfer cheesecakes to the fridge until ready to serve.
For Filling:
- In a medium heat-proof bowl whisk together the sugar, lemon juice, egg, and egg yolk.
- Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water and add the cubed butter.
- Let the mixture cook over low heat for about 15 minutes, whisking occasionally.
- The lemon curd is ready when it hits 180 degrees (F) or is a very thick consistency.
- Remove the curd from the heat and cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap. Place the curd in the fridge until fully cooled.
- Once the curd and cheesecakes are fully cooled, transfer the lemon curd to a piping bag and pipe your desired amount on top.
Notes
- Be sure your ingredients are at room temperature as cold ingredients will make your filling lumpy.
- Be sure to fully preheat your oven for the best results.
- You can quickly crush your graham crackers by pulsing it in the food processor.
- If you don’t want to crush the graham crackers yourself, you can purchase it pre-crushed.
- Be sure to use full fat blocks of cream cheese and not the spreadable cream cheese.
- Do not substitute the fresh lemon juice for bottle lemon juice as it won’t taste as fresh.
- Be sure to zest the lemon before you juice them, It’s much easier doing it in that order.
Nutrition
Calories: 237kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 97mg | Potassium: 43mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 437IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg
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