Creamy cheesecake filled with flecks of vanilla bean on a barely sweetened almond crust, this cheesecake made me quite happy.
I’ve had cheesecake on the brain for a while now. In an attempt to limit the amount of cheesecake I have access to in the house, I decided to make miniature ones this time and share with friends.
Luckily, my husband’s co-workers were grateful recipients of both my successful and (what I deemed to be) unsuccessful cheesecakes. I did keep one small cheesecake all for myself though and I couldn’t resist topping it with my favorite berry sauce.
One note of caution for this recipe: The first batch of miniatures I made had far too thick a crust and I wasn’t happy with the balance of crust and filling. Be careful to only use a small teaspoon amount in the bottom of each bite. The second batch I made with a thinner crust was perfect!
* I used half almond meal and half almond flour in this recipe, because I had some almond meal still in the freezer from making almond milk. This crust will work fine with just one variety. I wouldn’t purchase both just for this recipe.
Miniature Vanilla Bean Cheesecakes with Almond Crust
Ingredients
Crust Ingredients
- 1 cup almond meal
- 1 cup almond flour
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter room temperature
Filling Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup sugar
- 1½ vanilla beans scraped or 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
Toppings
- magic chocolate sauce
- simple berry sauce
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Combine the crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for a minute or two, until well-combined. Press into the bottom of your small 4" springform pans or cupcake liners. If you are making miniature cheesecake bites, drop about a teaspoon of the crust mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner. Then press it flat. Avoid getting too much of the crust on the sides of the cupcake liners, or you won't have much room for the filling. Bake the crusts for 10 minutes and remove from the oven. Let cool before filling.
- Combine the filling ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Scoop the filling onto the prepared crusts and smooth the top. If you are making bite-size mini cheesecakes, about a tablespoon of the filling mixture will fit in them.
- Bake the miniature cheesecakes for 20 minutes, or just until set. The small cheesecake pans will need to bake for 30-35 minutes, until the center is barely set. Remove from the oven, let rest until room temperature and then chill until ready to serve. I recommend chilling the cheesecake bites at least 2 hours before serving and chilling the small cheesecakes for at least 4-6 hours. Top with chocolate sauce or berries just before serving. Enjoy!
- * If you do not have the small springform pans, I would recommend doubling the filling recipe before attempting to make this in a full-size springform pan. Adjust the baking time accordingly.
Joanne says
These little cheesecakes are so cute! I love the almond crust…it must pair so perfectly with the vanilla bean flecks!
Jenn says
My grandma used to make mini cheesecakes at Christmas… I always thought they were so much work, but well worth the outcome 🙂 Yours look heavenly!!!
Tricia @ saving room for dessert says
That little cheesecake is beautiful – love the berry sauce – recipe tomorrow – you are such a tease! Thanks for all the great tips. My son loves cheesecake so thanks for this mini version. Have a great week and I hope you enjoyed your anniversary weekend.
Sue/the view from great island says
These look incredible— I think I prefer the chocolate version 🙂 in particular that one with the big gob of chocolate on it!
Monet says
What a great way to enjoy a little something sweet! I have been thinking of cheesecake for quite some time too. Thank you for sharing with me tonight. I just ate a delicious dinner and I'm already hungry again 🙂 I hope you are having a great start to your week!