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Our cheesecake cupcakes are a simple 6-ingredient cheesecake treat perfect for parties, holidays and more.

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Cherry cheesecake cupcakes sitting on a wire rack

Dessert Pefection

A cheesecake cupcake is the perfect combination of our FAVORITE desserts: cheesecake and cupcakes!

Essentially, they are mini cheesecake pieces in cupcake form, and over the last several decades, they have become a staple at many parties, holidays and baby showers.

We love to top the cupcakes with pie fillings or whipped cream to add a little extra something. And we especially love that they store AND freeze well so they are perfect for making ahead or for a last-minute treat!

They’re creamy, delicious, and bite-sized, just like our Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries and Cheesecake Bites.

WHY WE LOVE IT:

  • Perfect flavors. This makes the yummiest combination of sweet and tart. And you could easily change it up with your favorite pie filling flavor!
  • Just add pie filling. These sweet treats only require 6 ingredients!! We like to keep a few cans of pie filling in our pantry just for whipping these up.
  • Simple steps. With a quick prep and a few steps, these are great for any and every occasion.
A white bowl filled with cherry pie filling.

Ingredients

  • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese softened
  • 1½ cups sugar divided
  • 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract divided
  • 5 large eggs Room temperature eggs incorporate better than cold eggs.
  • 1 cup sour cream – room temperature
  • 1½ cups cherry pie filling – or blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry pie filling 
  • topping variationChocolate Sauce, Caramel Sauce, chocolate ganache, Strawberry Sauce, Nutella, crushed Oreo cookies, or Homemade Whipped Cream & fresh fruit

How to Make Cheesecake Cupcakes

  1. PREP. Preheat the oven to 300°F.
    • Add foil cupcake liners to a cupcake tin. (Do not use paper liners as the bottom of the cheesecake is more likely to burn and stick when it is peeled off.)
  2. CHEESECAKE LAYER. In a large bowl, beat 24 ounces cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth. Add 5 eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Spoon into foil-lined cupcake pan.
  3. BAKE. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 300°F. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool for at least 5 minutes.
  4. TOP LAYER. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sour cream, ½ cup sugar, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Spoon on top of cupcakes.
    • Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, until set. Cool for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.
  5. TOPPING. Top with cherry pie filling (or pie filling of choice) and serve.

Graham Cracker Crust

Try these mini cheesecakes with a Graham Cracker Crust.

You’ll need 1⅛ cups of graham cracker crumbs, 2½ tablespoons of sugar, and ⅓ cup of melted butter.

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Place cupcake liners into the cupcake pan. 
  3. In a medium bowl combine crust ingredients. Divide it evenly between the 18 cupcake liners. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the liners.
  4. Bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely before adding the cheesecake batter. Complete the recipe as instructed.
Mini cherry cheesecake cupcakes on a wire rack.
4.97 from 55 votes

Cheesecake Cupcakes

Bite-size cheesecake cupcakes are a simple 6-ingredient cheesecake treat. Top with cherry pie filling, or any other topping you like!
Servings: 18
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 36 minutes
COOL TIME: 10 minutes
Total: 56 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
  • cups sugar, divided
  • teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
  • 5 eggs
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • cups cherry pie filling

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 300°F.
  • In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Spoon into foil-lined muffin cups
  • Bake for 25-30 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool for at least 5 minutes.
  • In a small bowl, combine sour cream, remaining sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Spoon on top of cupcakes. Bake for an additional 6-8 minutes, until set. Cool for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks to cool.
  • Top with pie filling. ENJOY! Store in the refrigerator.

Video

Notes

Add a Graham Cracker Crust?
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners into the cupcake pan. 
  • In a medium bowl combine ⅛ cups of graham cracker crumbs, 2 ½ tablespoons of sugar, and ⅓ cup of melted butter. Divide it evenly between the 18 cupcake liners. Press the crumb mixture firmly into the liners.
  • Bake for 5 minutes. Cool completely before adding the cheesecake batter. Complete the recipe as instructed.
Store. Cover and store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Freeze. Wrap each cheesecake with plastic wrap and store them all in a freezer-safe container for about 4 months. If the cheesecakes have pie filling on top, flash freeze first by placing them on a baking sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours or until the top has hardened, then wrap.

Nutrition

Calories: 293kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 93mg, Sodium: 158mg, Potassium: 139mg, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 755IU, Vitamin C: 1.9mg, Calcium: 63mg, Iron: 0.5mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Recipe FAQ

How to freeze?

Wrap each cheesecake with plastic wrap and store them all in a freezer-safe container for about 4 months. If the cheesecakes have pie filling on top, flash freeze first by placing them on a baking sheet and freeze for 2-3 hours or until the top has hardened, then wrap.

How to store Cheesecake Cupcakes?

Cover and store leftover cupcakes in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.

About Kristyn

Kristyn Merkley is a published cookbook author, wife, mom of six, and major food enthusiast! For the past 15 years, she has been sharing foolproof, family-friendly recipes—each one tested in her kitchen—that anyone can master. As a seasoned recipe creator, she loves making cooking simple, stress-free, and totally doable for everyone!

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4.97 from 55 votes (38 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




45 Comments

  1. Sandy says:

    To add a graham cracker crust, I simply use a vanilla wafer cookie in the bottom of the cup cake wrapper, then pour the cream cheese mixture on top. Super easy! 😊

  2. Yvonne Conder says:

    Love this recipe!! It’s so good!
    Do you have a link to purchase the foil mini cupcake liners? I can’t find the right size anywhere! Thank you!

  3. Cheryl says:

    Question
    1. Can the cupcake be made a couple days ahead and refriderated til time to add topping and serve?

  4. CARLEE says:

    WHAT SIZE CUPS DID YOU USE

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I use standard muffin cups. You could probably use mini or jumbo, but you’d need to adjust cooking times.

  5. Michael says:

    Do you add the topping before baking or after it cools off

  6. Loretta says:

    Omg,I added all the sugar!

  7. Courtney says:

    5 stars
    These were easy and a big hit! I did not have foil liners so I cut circles from aluminum foil and put one in the bottom of each cup then put the paper liner in. I also used Vanilla wafers for the crust. Just put a single cookie in each cupcake liner before spooning the cheesecake mixture in. Sooo good. Thank you!

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      You’re welcome! So glad you enjoyed. Thanks for sharing about the crust too. We had someone asking about doing this, so that’s great to hear that the vanilla wafer in the bottom is tasty!

  8. Kathy says:

    Cheesecake to checkout

  9. Courtney says:

    This sounds delicious but I’d like a “crust”. Would putting vanilla wafer in the bottom of the cup change the outcome? Would any baking time or temp adjustments need to be made?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I haven’t tried adding a vanilla wafer, but I imagine that would work just fine and be really tasty. You’ll have to let us know if you end up trying that and how it turns out.

  10. Theresa Solitario says:

    How high do you fill the cupcake liners and how many cupcakes does each recipe make?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      I fill the liners about 2/3 full. And the recipe yields about 18 cupcakes (servings).

  11. Tina G. says:

    5 stars
    I was so excited to find this awesome recipe, as I’ve used this same one for years, but lost it in a move. I’ve never made these in regular sized cups, only the mini (I also add a tiny bit of almond extract to mine, freeze them to have on hand for munchies.), so the larger size will be great to take for football tailgating and watch parties and other events!
    I really enjoy your website! Thank you for sharing your recipes!

  12. JoAnne says:

    5 stars
    Love cheese cake, can’t wait to make these for Easter dinner!

  13. Marty Taylor says:

    5 stars
    These are perfect Valentine’s Day desserts. Especially when you’ve had a fantastic dinner and have just enough room for something small but delicious! I love this recipe. Thanks for sharing it!

  14. Natalie says:

    3 stars
    Did not have foil liners so I used regular paper cups. Bottoms browned:(. I would put a note in recipe why foil cup liners.

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Thanks for the feedback and for giving the recipe a try!

  15. Katie says:

    5 stars
    I love how easy these are to make and how fun they are for Valentine’s day!

  16. Amy L Huntley says:

    5 stars
    These are so simple to make and everyone loves them! Cheesecake and Cupcakes are the perfect combo!

    1. Karla Paul says:

      Wheres the cookie in this recipe? The picture doesn’t match the final outcome????

      1. Desanil says:

        There is no cookie on her pic… recipe does match the outcome. These were so easy and absolutely delicious, I didn’t want my guests to eat anymore…lol. Next time I’ll stash some away for myself before taking them out. Ty!

  17. Cindy says:

    Can I use paper cupcake liners instead of the foil?

  18. Kellie says:

    Can you use regular size cupcake pan or do they have to be mini size which seems pretty small.. my mom used to make these crust less and loved them can’t find her recipe so I thought regular size cupcake pan

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The recipe calls to use just regular muffin tins/muffin cups. So yes, that should work just great!

  19. Sandra Vasich says:

    Rev up or does not give all ingredient amounts. How many eggs

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      The recipe calls for 5 eggs. All the ingredients are listed out at the bottom on the recipe card. 🙂

  20. Marilyn VanDePitte says:

    Iwould like to make these doe a tea. Are these regular cup cake foils or mini cup cake?

    1. Lil'Luna Team says:

      Oh fun!! They are regular cup cake foils. Hope the tea goes well!

  21. Hailey says:

    5 stars
    these are amazing

    1. LilLunaTeam says:

      Thanks so much! Glad you liked them!

  22. Kristi R says:

    5 stars
    Easiest cheesecakes to make ever! They taste great too.

  23. Lisalia says:

    5 stars
    You’re knocking it out of the park with these cherry recipes. LOVE these mini cheesecakes. So easy to make and absolutely beautiful in presentation.

  24. Suzy says:

    5 stars
    Such a delicious and easy recipes to follow! Topped them with cherries and it was so good!

  25. Andrea Thueson says:

    5 stars
    My kids flipped! HUGE win in our house. I will definitely make these again!

  26. Joy says:

    5 stars
    Making these for Valentine’s! Love little bite sized desserts, They are so creamy!

  27. Olivia says:

    5 stars
    The best little dessert that’s not overwhelming. Cherries!

  28. Stacie says:

    5 stars
    Easy and absolutely yummy. Family favorite

    1. Kristyn Merkley says:

      Happy to hear that!! Thank you for sharing that!

  29. Ana Maria says:

    5 stars
    These are great! Thanks!

  30. Liz says:

    Hi Lily. I like your new picture. I love cherry so your recipe for cherry cake is delicious. Thank you and have a fun Sunday.

  31. Ashly says:

    Thank u for your website because you know made me a better baker and I loved your liltle nots they help alot

  32. Liz says:

    Thank you – love cherry.

    1. Ashly says:

      I love the idea of cheesecake cupcakes when I was in PA I loved their cheesecake cupcakes