We love cheesecake at our house! But I don’t love all of the time involved in baking and chilling! A couple years ago I discovered mini cheesecakes that are baked in a muffin tin and my life was changed for the better.
There are two great things about mini cheesecakes. First is that they are baked and ready to enjoy in a fraction of the time of traditional cheesecake. Read, you can bake and enjoy them in the same day! And second is they are portion controlled! Since these cheesecakes are healthier than most traditional cheesecake, I certainly won’t tell if you decide to eat more than one at a time.
I have recently rediscovered my love of citrus desserts and these lemon cheesecakes are delicious. They have a traditional graham cracker crust and just enough lemon flavor to be slightly tart and still very refreshing. The addition of greek yogurt keeps these cheesecakes a little lighter while maintaining their creaminess. Enjoy!
Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
It is very important that your cream cheese be room temperate. Cold cream cheese = lumps. I used vanilla greek yogurt because that is what I had, plain would be fine too.
Ingredients:
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Cheesecake:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature.
1 1/2 cup nonfat greek yogurt
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Line 2 muffin tins with 9 papers each, for a total of 18 liners.
- To make the crust, mix together the crushed graham crackers with sugar and butter. Spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of this mixture into each muffin wrapper and use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press down until it forms a crust.
- In a large bowl using a hand mixer, or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese until fluffy. Add the greek yogurt and sugar and mix until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Then gently mix in the lemon juice and zest.
- Spoon evenly onto the crusts (I use my trusty cookie scoop to measure).
- Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until the centers are set. Cool completely and chill before serving. Store in the refrigerator.
Inspired by this recipe.
