Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes
These Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes feature an easy homemade graham cracker crust, smooth and creamy lemon cheesecake filling, and a simple blueberry swirl!
On Monday, I shared a post about how to make stabilized whipped cream. So today I’m showing you one way that you can use that whipped cream recipe with these delicious mini lemon blueberry cheesecakes.
While there are a few steps to these mini cheesecakes with graham cracker crust, they are pretty easy to make. And since they need to be refrigerated for a few hours, they’re a perfect dessert that you can prep ahead of time or freeze for whenever you need them.
You can even leave off the blueberry swirl for a regular mini lemon cheesecake or swap out the blueberries with your favorite berry!
Ingredients for This Recipe
These mini blueberry cheesecake bites have three components: the blueberry swirl that goes on top, the lemon cheesecake filling, and the graham cracker crust. Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:
- Blueberries: I’ve only tested this recipe with fresh blueberries, but I don’t see any reason why frozen berries wouldn’t work.
- Sugar: Is incorporated in every layer of the mini cheesecake bites to balance out the sour lemon juice.
- Lemons: Buy whole lemons for this recipe, as you’ll need both lemon juice and zest.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the blueberry topping. You’ll need to whisk it with a little water first to prevent it from clumping up.
- Graham cracker crumbs: Save yourself some time and buy pre-made graham cracker crumbs rather than crushing sheets of graham crackers yourself.
- Butter: I always use unsalted butter in my baked goods because the amount of salt in salted butters can vary between brands.
- Cream cheese: Must be softened to room temperature before making the filling.
- Vanilla extract: Pure vanilla extract will deliver the best flavor.
- Eggs: Also need to be room temperature before being added to the filling.
How to Make Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bites
To make these mini lemon blueberry cheesecakes, you’ll start out by making the blueberry swirl. The swirl is a mixture of blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, water, and cornstarch cooked down in a saucepan.
You’ll cook the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice down until the mixture starts to boil. You can also mash the blueberries to help them release their juices and make the mixture cook a little quicker. Then, you’ll whisk together the water and cornstarch, pour it in, and continue letting the mixture cook for another minute or two until it thickens.
Once the mixture is thickened, strain it through a fine mesh strainer and discard the solids. Then set it aside to cool.
Next up is the graham cracker crust, which is just a simple mixture of crushed graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter.
If you want to make the graham cracker crust a little easier, then you can use crushed graham cracker crumbs. I typically do this when I make cheesecakes now because it’s one less step (you don’t have to break out a blender or food processor) and less cleanup too!
Then, line a muffin pan with cupcake liners, press the graham cracker crust down in them and bake them for a few minutes.
Then, you’ll mix up the lemon cheesecake filling which is just cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, and a couple of eggs. As always, make sure your ingredients for the filling are at room temperature to ensure a smoother, creamier cheesecake filling.
One thing to note is that this recipe does make 14 mini cheesecakes. I tried making just 12, but as you can tell from the picture above they were just a little too full. So you can either use two standard 12-count muffin pans or use a standard 24-count muffin pan.
Then just bake the mini cheesecakes, let them cool, and refrigerate until they’re firm.
You can either top these with my homemade whipped cream recipe or if you’re looking for one that lasts a few days you can use my stabilized whipped cream recipe.
Can You Freeze These Mini Cheesecakes?
Yes! You can prep these ahead of time and freeze them for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy them, place them in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
Baking Tips
- I suggest starting with the blueberry swirl first so that it has time to cool before you swirl it into the cheesecake filling.
- Make sure your cream cheese and eggs are at room temperature before mixing the cheesecake filling. This will ensure a much smoother and creamier cheesecake!
- You can serve these mini cheesecakes in the liners. If you prefer to remove them first, place the cheesecakes in the freezer for 30 minutes or so to make it easier to remove the liners.
More Mini Cheesecake Recipes to Try!
I have quite a few easy mini cheesecakes on my site. Here are some of my favorites:
- Mini Key Lime Cheesecakes
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
- Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
- Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
- Classic Mini Cheesecakes
Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the blueberry swirl:
- 1 cup (140 grams) fresh blueberries
- 1 tablespoon (13 grams) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons water
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 cup (120 grams) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full-sheets)
- 3 tablespoons (40 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 and 1/2 tablespoons (50 grams) butter, melted
For the lemon cheesecake filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs room temperature
Instructions
To make the blueberry swirl:
- Combine the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook until the berries begin to soften and release their juices, mashing the berries as it cooks.
- Once the mixture begins to bubble, whisk together the water and cornstarch then add it to the saucepan. Allow to cook for another 1-2 minutes, continuing to mash the berries and stirring, until the mixture has thickened.
- Once the mixture has thickened, remove from the heat. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a heat-safe bowl, and carefully strain the blueberry mixture through it. Discard any solids from the strainer and set aside the blueberry sauce to cool.
To make the graham cracker crust:
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Line two standard 12-count muffin pans (or one standard 24-count muffin pan) with 14 cupcake liners and set aside.
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter in a mixing bowl and stir until well combined.
- Evenly distribute the mixture between all 14 cavities of the muffin pans, making sure to press each one down firmly into an even layer. Bake at 325°F for 5 minutes, remove from the oven and set aside to cool. Keep oven temperature at 325°F.
To make the lemon cheesecake filling:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth.
- Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and mix until fully combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then, add in the eggs one at a time and mix on low speed until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the cheesecake filling between all 14 cavities of the muffin pans. Then, evenly distribute the blueberry swirl mixture on top (about 1 teaspoon or so per cheesecake) and swirl with a toothpick or knife.
- Bake at 325°F for 17-20 minutes or until the tops of the cheesecakes are set (bake in separate batches if using two muffin pans).
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
- Once cooled, remove the cheesecakes from the muffin pan, place them in an airtight container, and transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3-4 hours or overnight. Once the cheesecakes are chilled, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Taste is more sour lemony. However it is good. Suggest something to change the taste of sour
Made this two different times now for work. Is a big hit with co workers asking for recipe. Used frozen blueberries that worked out very well. Thank you for the recipe
I just baked these and realized I forgot the eggs, lol! I almost cried but hopefully they will be ok! I’ll keep you posted!:)
Can you make this as one large cheesecake rather than small mini ones?
Yes, that would be fine! This recipe would be enough for an 8-inch square pan. If you want to make a full-size cheesecake in a 9-inch springform pan, you would need to increase the crust by half and double the filling.
These look gorgeous. If using cheesecake pan , do you need the liners.
If using frozen blueberries do you suggest defrosting them and draining before using thm for the filling.
Looking forward to your response
Hi, Marsha! If you’re using a cheesecake pan with the removal bottoms, you don’t need any liners. You can use frozen blueberries too, I would suggest thawing and draining them first.
Hi I was wondering what the dietary information was for this recipe. Sugars and carbs etc. Thanks!!
Hi Dianne! I’m not sure about the nutritional information, but you can plug everything into an online calculator to get an estimate.
I make these all the time. I use gluten free graham crackers and just put in whole blueberries in the cream cheese and they turn out great. For sugar free I substitute honey and that works well too.
instead of using a standard cup cake pan I’d like to make them in a mini cup cake pan. Do you know how long I would need to cook them?
I would probably reduce the baking time for the crust to 3 minutes. I’m not sure on the filling, but you will need to reduce it, maybe to 10-14 minutes.
Hi,
This recipe looks amazing!! I just have a quick question- for some reason I’m not able to figure out in the recipe what you used for the frosting. Is it something already listed here, or you just added a separate frosting you made on your own? Thank you so much!!
I used my homemade whipped cream recipe here.
thanks so much!! I’m excited to try it out! 🙂
I baked my crust for 5 minutes. I just tried them after cooling down & the crust is hard. Should I not have baked it for 5 minutes like the recipe says? I have a family gathering tomorrow & im super disappointed.
You want to pre-bake the crust so that it holds together. The crust shouldn’t be super hard, but it will soften some after the cheesecakes are refrigerated and sit for a little while.
I just made this recipe they taste really good but they sunck and don’t look very good ? any suggestions?
Hi, Krista! Cheesecakes can sink for a few reasons, but the most common are from over mixing the eggs or under baking the cheesecakes before you remove them from the oven. If you make them again, make sure to only mix in the eggs on low speed and until just combined. Also try letting them baking for an extra 2 to 3 minutes. Hopefully that will help fix any issues!
Hello, I’ve made these multiple times and they are a hit! I want to make a full cake instead though. What would you recommend the length time be for cooking in the oven? I’ve tried it once but the middle ended up being raw while the sides were crisp.
Hi, Eliza! If you want to make this as a larger cheesecake, you can bake it in an 8-inch square pan for 25 to 35 minutes. If you want a full cheesecake, you would need to increase the crust (you can use this recipe here) and double the filling. I’d recommend using a water bath as well so that it bakes evenly. I have a full post here that explains how to prepare the water bath for a cheesecake.
Mine sunk in the middle a little when I took them out the oven, what did I do wrong?
Hi, Ashley! Cheesecakes can sink for a few reasons, but the most common are from over mixing the eggs or under baking them. You only want to mix the eggs on low speed and until just combined. You can also try baking them for 2 to 3 more minutes. I hope that helps!
Loved these! so tasty! the only issue I faced was once they were baked they fell. there was a huge dip in the finished cheese cakes. How do I avoid this in the future?
Sorry you had issues with the recipe, Jeff. Cheesecakes can sink for a few reasons, but the most common are from over mixing the eggs or under baking the cheesecakes. You only want to mix the eggs on low speed and until just combined. You can also try baking them a little longer and see if that helps.
I love the way these turned out! However, I did run into a problem. I put them in the freezer so that I could remove the paper wrappers and it worked beautifully! I then put the cheesecakes back in the refrigerator to serve the next day. For some reason, when eating them, the cheesecake top came off of the graham cracker crust! I was so disappointed. Do you have any idea why this might’ve happened?
I’m sorry that happened, Jackie! Did you happen to pour the filling onto the crusts right after they came out of the oven? Or did you let them cool some before adding it?
I do baking and I found your recipe and made them and they are a hit people are constantly wanting to order them from me they are absolutely delicious I thank you for your recipe
I am on my second batch of these mini cupcakes. The first was a trial run. Fresh blueberries make a HUGE difference (for me). The first time I could only find frozen. They were way less juicy and the skin was tough. BUT the fresh ones were the trick. I am making two batches today for my grandson who turns 1. One of his favorite fruits are blueberries. The adults will like it, too.
My first cheesecake made and your tips made it perfect. It’s Delicious and the recipe was super easy to follow. Even made the whipped topping. ?
Is this recipe for mini or regular size? Titled mini but makes only 14? I want to make mini’s. What is the bake time for the crust and cheesecake?
These are made in a regular size muffin pan, not a mini one. I’m not sure on the baking time if you use a mini muffin pan, but you will need to reduce it slightly for both the crust and filling.
Wow these turned out perfectly and are delicious! Not too sweet with that hint of lemon. They will definitely be one of my go to recipes for a special dessert. Thanks for sharing?
Excellent. I substituted sugar-free blueberry jam for the blueberry swirl and that worked well. Much simpler.
Thank you so much for the DELICIOUS recipe. I tend to like more tart treats so I tweaked my cream cheese mixture by adding 3xs the amount of zest, 1/3 C. fresh lemon juice, and added lemon extract to bring it home. My fruit mixture had zero sugar and lemon in it as well. The recipients of my mini cheese cakes are “forever grateful” and begging for the recipe. Huge win, thank you!
Hi can i use store bought pie graham crust for this one?
That would be fine, but depending on what size you buy you may need to adjust the baking time. Keep in mind that the store-bought graham cracker crusts are really crumbly too.