Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes are filled with caramel in the baked filling and topped with a glossy dollop. Each little dessert is perfectly balanced and easy to serve with buttery graham crust and a few flecks of salt.

The recipe makes twelve in a regular lined muffin pan. Bake until the edges are set but the centers are still a little wobbly, chill the cakes until completely cold before topping with caramel. The result is a neat, creamy portion that can be made a day ahead.

Why Baked Mini Caramel Cheesecakes Are So Awesome

A quarter cup of thick caramel adds a light toffee note to the custard without replacing the structure of the cream cheese. More caramel is left outside the oven, where the glossy texture and amber color are clear and tasteable. These baked mini caramel cheesecakes let that flavor come through the center.

The base of crumbs is deliberately dense and plain. It’s a sharp contrast to the silken baked center, and a few flakes of salt in the last sauce cut the caramel without making the whole filling salty.

Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

Twelve baked caramel-flavored mini cheesecakes with buttery graham crusts, a glossy caramel finish, and flaky salt.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 27 minutes mins

Additional time 4 hours hrs

Total Time 4 hours hrs 52 minutes mins

Servings: 12 mini cheesecakes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Calories: 330

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Graham Crust

• 1 1/4 cups finely crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

Caramel Cheesecake

• 16 ounces full-fat block cream cheese softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup full-fat sour cream at room temperature
• 1/4 cup thick caramel sauce at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 large eggs at room temperature

Finish

• 1/3 cup thick caramel sauce for topping
• 1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt for finishing

Equipment

• standard 12-cup muffin pan
• 12 paper liners
• mixing bowls
• electric mixer
• rubber spatula
• small flat-bottomed measuring cup
• Wire rack

Method

 

1. Line a standard 12-cup muffin pan. Mix fine graham crumbs with butter, brown sugar, and fine salt; press firmly into the liners.
2. Bake at 325°F for 5 minutes, then let the pan rest on a rack while you make the filling.
3. Beat softened cream cheese smooth. Mix in sugar, sour cream, 1/4 cup thick caramel sauce, vanilla, and cornstarch, scraping the bowl well.
4. Mix in two room-temperature eggs one at a time on low speed, just until incorporated. Fold briefly by hand to even the batter.
5. Fill the liners about three-quarters full. Bake 18 to 22 minutes until the rims set and only a small center wobbles.
6. Rest 10 minutes in the switched-off oven with the door cracked. Cool on a rack for 45 minutes, then refrigerate at least 3 hours.
7. Unwrap the cold cakes, spoon on the remaining caramel, and add a few flaky-salt crystals just before serving.

Notes

• Keep covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Add caramel and salt close to serving for the neatest surface.
• Freeze fully chilled cakes without topping in an airtight container for up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Do not reheat the cheesecakes. If the caramel is too firm, warm the closed jar in a bowl of warm water until spoonable, then cool to room temperature before topping.

Ingredient Notes

• Thick caramel sauce: Choose a spoonable sauce that holds a soft ribbon, rather than a thin syrup. Use it at room temperature in the batter so it blends quickly.
• Block cream cheese: Full-fat bricks give the small cakes reliable structure. Soften them enough to beat smooth before the eggs enter.
• Sour cream: A little sour cream offsets the caramel sweetness and loosens the cream cheese gently. Bring it to room temperature to prevent lumps.
• Graham crumbs: Crush them finely and press until level. A firm base is less likely to scatter when you peel away the liner.
• Flaky sea salt: Add only a few crystals at serving time; the flakes dissolve if they sit on caramel for too long.

How to Make Mini Salted Caramel Cheesecakes

These muffin pan mini cheesecakes depend on the small center wobble more than the clock. If the entire top ripples, give them another minute or two; if the centers are rigid, they have gone farther than needed. The short oven rest and full chill finish the set gently.

For clean edges, remove the paper only after the cakes are cold. Spoon the topping rather than pouring it from a hot pan. A room-temperature sauce should spread slowly and stop near the edge instead of running down the crust.

Save These Muffin Pan Mini Cheesecakes

Save this recipe for a make-ahead dinner dessert, a holiday tray, or any time you want caramel cheesecake in tidy individual portions.