I can't understate how delicious these Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes are! They start with a fast graham cracker crust and creamy filling that can be made with a stand or hand mixer. Bake them in a muffin pan for the perfect individual size and serve them with a drool-worthy homemade blackberry sauce!
Like all our cheesecake recipes, we've packed in all the tips to make sure they come out perfectly creamy and delicious every time! Plus we include make-ahead tips and freezer instructions so your dessert can be as convenient as possible.
If you're looking for a classy single-serving dessert, this is it. Cheesecake with blackberries is the ideal combo of creamy, tangy, and sweet!
For a more basic version, you can give this Mini Cheesecakes Recipe a try. If you're in strawberry season instead, these Philadelphia Cheesecake Bars are totally worth it!
Skip to:
Why this recipe is great
- Absolutely delicious: They are splendidly creamy with a crisp crust and a sauce you could eat by the spoonful.
- Fresh or frozen: Use whatever berries are the most ripe and flavorful!
- Make ahead and freezer friendly: You can prep everything in advance to make serving a breeze.
- No special equipment: All you need is a standard cupcake pan, nothing fancy.
- Great for holidays: Any occasion really, but especially Easter Recipes and Game Day Recipes.
Ingredients for mini blackberry cheesecake recipe
You can find the ingredient quantities in the recipe card below, but here are a few tips to ensure you have the best results.
For the batter itself, you will need the following items:
- Graham crackers: I find that you get the best taste when you use fresh, whole crackers (double check they aren't expired to avoid a stale flavor).
- Granulated sugar: This not only adds a little sweetness, but also helps the crust bind together without crumbling.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted will both work well.
- Cream cheese: Use full-fat, brick cream cheese (not the whipped kind in a tub). The most important thing is to ensure it is very well softened before you start.
- All-purpose flour: Just a little bit helps the batter stabilize.
- Eggs: It's best if these are room temperature because they will more quickly combine into the batter, which means less stirring, a better texture, and no cracks.
- Vanilla extract: Don't be tempted to skip it... it will level up the overall flavor.
- Sour cream: It is best if this is also at room temperature. It adds an excellent tang.
- Heavy cream: Also called heavy whipping cream in the store, this is also best added at room temperature.
For the topping, you will need these three additional ingredients (not pictured):
- Blackberries: You may use frozen or fresh blackberries with excellent results. I typically use frozen because they are ripe and flavorful at any time of year.
- Fresh lemon juice: It really brightens the flavor!
- Cornstarch: This will create the perfect thick-but-drippy consistency. So good!
Helpful kitchen tools
How to make mini blackberry cheesecakes
You're gonna want to start with the sauce so it has plenty of time to cool. For even more detailed photos and instructions, see this Blackberry Topping for Cheesecake post.
Start by cooking about ⅔ of the berries with the sugar, lemon juice, and a bit of water. As they cook over medium-high heat, use a rubber spatula to gently mush them as they soften.
Next, add the remaining berries and the cornstarch dissolved in water.
Turn the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the mixture thickens and the newly added berries soften slightly, this time without mushing them. The final topping should be saucy and thick, studded with soft berries.
While the sauce cools, use a food processor to break down the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Then add the sugar and butter to moisten the crust.
Divide the crumbs evenly into a standard muffin pan lined with foil liners, then press them down firmly with a tamper. Bake at 350°F for 5 minutes, then set aside.
For the batter, use hand beaters and a large mixing bowl to combine the cream cheese, sugar, and flour on medium-low speed until it is smooth.
Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low speed until the mixture is just combined. Scrape the bowl well between each addition.
To finish the batter, add the vanilla, sour cream, and heavy cream. Mix it on low speed until it is just combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure it is evenly mixed.
Scoop the batter evenly into the muffin pan. Each cup will be pretty much full.
This step is completely optional, but if you want to add a swirl on top you can. Place about a ¼ cup of the prepared topping in a small bowl and smush it a little extra so there are no large pieces. Then add a teaspoon on top of each cheesecake and to gently move it towards the edges with a toothpick or skewer.
Bake the cheesecakes at 325°F for 18-20 minutes, or until the centers just barely jiggle.
Cool completely at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then chill in the refrigerator for several more hours or overnight. Serve with a generous helping of the berry topping and enjoy!
Storage tips
You can store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days, although they are best served within 1-2 days. You can store them in any container, but if you have the luxury of space I find this sort of Cupcake Carrier or Cake Carrier to come in handy! Store the sauce separately.
Variations and substitutions
Mix up your mini cheesecake flavors with some of these ideas!
- Add whipped cream on top!
- Use raspberries, strawberries, or mixed berries to change up the flavor.
- Try brown sugar in the crust.
- Follow this brown butter tutorial and use it in the crust for extra flavor.
How to make ahead
To make these 1-2 days ahead, you can follow the directions as written. Store the topping in it's own container in the fridge, then store the cheesecakes separately. When it's time to eat, gently reheat the sauce to loosen it slightly before topping each serving.
How to freeze
Make them as directed and cool fully. I like to freeze them for 3-4 hours on a cookie sheet or in the muffin tin to help them keep their shape. Then seal them in freezer bags or an airtight container. The topping can also be frozen in a freezer safe container.
For more details, check out our How to Freeze Cheesecake post (full of thawing tips too).
FAQs
You can remove the seeds if you prefer, although keep in mind that it will be a looser sauce that way. Simply cook all of the topping ingredients over medium-high heat for 5-8 minutes. Then use the back of a spoon to smush all the berries. Lastly, strain the mixture through a mesh sieve to remove the seeds.
All you need is a standard 12-cup muffin pan, preferably one with a non-stick coating so that any little spills don't stick. The standard size of each cavity is about 2 inches when measured at the top.
They are done when the batter is set and but there is still a slight jiggle in the center. The tops will still be white (there should be no or very little golden color), but puffed slightly. Keep in mind that they will continue cooking slightly after coming out of the oven. If you're in doubt, it is better to slightly underbake than to overbake.
Tips & tricks
- Room temperature ingredients will help your batter incorporate faster and with less mixing, so it's worth it! For some shortcuts, place your eggs in a bowl of warm water and microwave the cream in 3-5 second intervals until just room temp.
- Make sure to use foil cupcake liners. This is the key to getting those crisp lines that look so cute! I've had a lot of success with the Reynolds brand that are silver foil on the outside and white on the inside.
- Chill your cheesecakes uncovered for the first several hours or overnight. After that, crack the cover if possible. This should help you avoid condensation forming on the top.
- Wait until the last minute to add your topping for the prettiest look. That way it keeps it's shine and doesn't bleed.
More cheesecake recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
This post was photographed by Rhadonda Sedgwick.
Recipe
Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes (Baked in Muffin Tin!)
Ingredients
Blackberry Sauce
- 12 oz frozen blackberries or fresh
- 2 ½ tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- 2 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
Crust
- 6 graham cracker sheets (or about ¾ cup crumbs)
- 1 ½ tablespoon sugar
- 3 tablespoon butter melted
Filling
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoon flour
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ¼ cup sour cream room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream room temperature
Instructions
Blackberry Sauce
- Add about ⅔ of the berries, sugar, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoon water to a small saucepan and simmer over medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes, until the berries are softened and starting to fall apart (this may go faster if they are fresh). Use a rubber spatula to slightly mush the sauce.12 oz frozen blackberries, 2 ½ tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, 2 tablespoon water
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining berries and the dissolved cornstarch. Continue cooking, stirring constantly but not mushing, until the mixture thickens and the new berries soften slightly, 2-3 min.1 tablespoon cornstarch
- The topping should be thick, glossy, and full of texture from the whole berries. Cool it to room temperature, then store in an airtight container in the fridge.
- Optional: If you are planning on adding a swirl to the top, remove about ¼ cup of the topping and mush it up some extra until no large chunks remain. Set this aside on the counter.
Crust
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Line a standard muffin tin with foil cupcake liners.
- In a food processor, pulse the graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add the sugar and melted butter, pulsing until the mixture resembles damp sand.6 graham cracker sheets, 1 ½ tablespoon sugar, 3 tablespoon butter
- Divide the mixture evenly into the 12 muffin cups, about 1 tablespoon per cup. Press the crust down firmly (a pie tamper makes this job super easy).
- Bake the crusts for 5 minutes, then set aside to cool.
Filling
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325℉.
- In a large bowl, add the cream cheese, sugar, and flour. Use a hand mixer to combine on med-low speed until the mixture is smooth, 30-40 seconds.16 oz cream cheese, ⅔ cup sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon flour
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on low until just combined. After each addition, use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl well.2 eggs
- Add the vanilla, sour cream, and heavy cream. Combine on low until just combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl again.1 teaspoon vanilla, ¼ cup sour cream, ¼ cup heavy cream
- Divide the batter evenly into the 12 cupcake liners. A large cookie or muffin scoop makes this easier. Each liner should be almost full.
- Optional: If swirling, add about 1 teaspoon of the reserved topping to each and use circular motions with a toothpick to move it gently towards the edges. It doesn't need to go all the way - it will continue to spread while it bakes.
- Bake the cheesecakes at 325℉ for 18-20 minutes, or until the centers just barely jiggle. Be careful not to overbake.
- Cool fully at room temperature for 1-2 hours, then place in the fridge uncovered to chill for 2-3 more hours, or overnight. When it's time to serve, warm the remaining blackberry sauce gently in the microwave. Then serve on top of the cheesecakes.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients will help your batter incorporate faster and with less mixing, so it's worth it! For some shortcuts, place your eggs in a bowl of warm water and microwave the cream in 3-5 second intervals until just room temp.
- Make sure to use foil liners. This is the key to getting those crisp lines that look so cute! I've had a lot of success with the Reynolds brand that are silver foil on the outside and white on the inside.
- Chill your cheesecakes uncovered for the first several hours or overnight. After that, crack the cover if possible. This should help you avoid condensation forming on the top.
- Wait until the last minute to add your topping for the prettiest look. That way it keeps it's shine and doesn't bleed.
Add Your Own Notes
Nutrition
All nutrition information is provided by a third party and is an estimate only. Use your own nutritional calculator for more specific measurements.
Misty says
These mini cheesecakes are so addictive!