These Mini Lemon Cheesecakes are individually portioned desserts with a rich cheesecake base layered with tangy lemon curd. They are the perfect individual dessert for picnics, baby showers, potlucks, and dinner parties.
Reduce Reuse Recycle
I come from a long line of people who like to save useful things. Please don’t ever call us ‘packrats’ because everything we save has an intended purpose and we’ll use it…someday. There was a point in time when I would just shake my head at the heaps of wool, cabinets full of material, and all the old antiques hanging around my mother’s house. Sometimes it felt like the walls were closing in on me whenever I would go back for a visit and other times there was barely enough room to turn around.
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Like Mother, Like Daughter?
I don’t really know what actually caused her to start cleaning everything out and selling the old antiques (some of which I now ironically feel would be useful to me as blog props) but I can only speculate that it was because I had casually mentioned torching the house when they leave this world instead of going through the work of sorting and finding a new home for each and every ‘treasure’. I know, I’m a horrible daughter. Anyway, I found these mini glass containers (also conveniently filled with chocolate mousse) at Costco and I knew they would be perfect to make mini cheesecakes in. I guess in this case I’m the collector…cough…hoarder!…cough.
This post is going to be heavy on the photos because I had one of those rare days when the photo shoot was on point! I had my sidekick/artistic director helping out with some of the propping and lighting. I love being mom to such a artistic and talented young lady and I’m tickled that she is in the very process of starting her own blog, just like her momma!I’m guessing you don’t just want to stare at Mini Lemon Cheesecakes all day so here’s the recipe:
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When life gives you lemons turn to Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen:
Meyer Lemon and Ginger Marmalade
How to Make Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
For the Graham Crust
In a bowl mix graham crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Add more butter if the crumbs don’t start to stick together then press into the bottom and sides of the pan or container you are using. You can make a full cheesecake pie or make individual ones like I have done.
Press enough crumb mixture into the bottom of these glass ramekins to make a solid layer about 1 cm thick.
Bake in 400 F oven until golden. The bake time will vary based on the size of your vessel. A regular pie size will take about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
For the Cheesecake layer
Reduce oven to 325° F. In a food processor, process cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
Pour into the piecrust and bake until the center is set but still slightly wobbly, 40 to 50 minutes for a regular sized cheesecake pie, about 20 minutes for the individuals. Let cool, then chill until firm, 4 to 5 hours. Top with lemon zest before serving.
How to Make Lemon Curd
Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.
Over medium heat, stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, about 7 minutes.
Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring until consistency is smooth.
Transfer mixture to serving container. Let cool. Refrigerate for about an hour or until chilled.
(This recipe makes about 8 oz., enough to top a pie sized cheesecake and four mini cheesecakes)
If you make this Mini Lemon Cheesecakes recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments section or in the ratings. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Pinterest for my latest recipes. Also, if you do make this recipe please share your photos and tag me on Instagram. I hope you like this recipe!
Mini Lemon Cheesecakes with Lemon Curd
These Mini Lemon Cheesecakes are individually portioned desserts with a rich cheesecake base layered with tangy lemon curd. They are the perfect individual dessert for picnics, baby showers, potlucks, and dinner parties.
Ingredients
FOR THE GRAHAM CRUST
- 2 cups graham crumbs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted butter
FOR THE CHEESECAKE LAYER
- 2 -8 ounce bars cream cheese
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon lemon zest
FOR THE LEMON CURD
- 4 large egg yolks
- Zest of half a lemon
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 6 Tablespoons sugar
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted cold butter; cut into pieces
Instructions
For the Graham Crust
- In a bowl mix graham crumbs with sugar and melted butter. Add more butter if the crumbs don't start to stick together then press into the bottom and sides of the pan or container you are using. You can make a full cheesecake pie or make individual ones like I have done. I pressed enough crumb mixture into the bottom of these glass ramekins to make a solid layer about 1 cm thick.
- Bake in 400 F oven until golden. The bake time will vary based on the size of your vessel. A regular pie size will take about 10 minutes. Let cool.
- Heat oven to 325° F. In a food processor, process cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt until smooth.
- Pour into the piecrust and bake until the center is set but still slightly wobbly, 40 to 50 minutes for a regular sized cheesecake pie, about 20 minutes for the individuals. Let cool, then chill until firm, 4 to 5 hours. Top with lemon zest before serving.
For the Lemon Curd:
- Combine yolks, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Whisk to combine.
- Over medium heat, stir constantly with a wooden spoon.
- Cook until mixture is thick enough to coat back of wooden spoon, about 7 minutes.
- Remove saucepan from heat. Add butter, a few pieces at a time, stirring until consistency is smooth.
- Transfer mixture to serving container. Let cool. Refrigerate for about an hour or until chilled.
Notes
Lemon Curd recipe makes about 8 oz., enough to top a pie sized cheesecake and four mini cheesecakes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 672Total Fat: 43gSaturated Fat: 23gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 267mgSodium: 471mgCarbohydrates: 64gFiber: 1gSugar: 50gProtein: 11g
Nutritional calculation was provided by Nutritionix and is an estimation only. For special diets or medical issues please use your preferred calculator.
I hoard shit too. But only useful shit! 😜
I do not want to stare at little mini lemon cheesecakes but I do want you to send me some. those look insanely good Bernice.
ps. I am not a hoarder. unless it’s booze or books or cooking props. so yeah, I guess I’m kinda a hoarder.
funny. I’m a collector of all those things…I have so much booze! And probably about 20 different kinds of bitters. I guess I should get my butt in gear and start creating! Only thing is with football every night it kind of cuts into my ‘cocktail time’ unless I begin early in the morning…
I love your photos in this post! The colours are beautiful! Also, we’re not hoarders, we’re “resourceful” 😉
Thank you Shareba! I think some days I have a bit more patience and luck when it comes to photos! Mini cheesecakes also seem to make a better subject to photograph than say a stew or curry!
Oh wow these look stunning. Where did you get those cute little jars from??
They are remnants of Chocolate mousse pots from Costco.
Those cheesecakes look delicious and great jars for sure! I can also have days where I want to save and reuse things like containers and packages, then I’ll have others where I’m on a purging mission to get everything but the bare essentials out of my space. Perhaps somewhere in there there’s a balance 🙂
For sure. The spring purge will begin soon…
Looks so good!!! I always wanted to try making cheesecake in mason jars. And lemon is perfect for spring! Going to try this for sure.
The cheesecake part has a great texture. It’s quite lemony on it’s own…but curd always makes it better in my book! If you don’t have time to make curd, the lemon cheesecake would be great on it’s own.
anything with lemon in desserts is my fav! Looks delish
Yummo!
yummo and all gone-o 😉 I didn’t take the family long to hoover them up.
I’m a jar hoarder, so I get this! lol. Also, these look amazing. I love all things lemon (aside from meringue pairings)
Thankyou! Glad to know I’m not the only one 🙂
Oh…double lemon. I’m also a
packrat– I mean, economical saver of things. You are so right, eventually one will find a use for them!Economical saver of things. YES!
They look so cute and delicious!
Thank you Emily 🙂
Lovely and so yummy!
Thank you 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂