Mad About Minis: Mad Gourmet’s Single Serving Homemade Cheesecake

One of my husband’s favorite desserts is cheesecake. However, he rarely buys a slice because those slices can be huge and he (claims to be) watching his sugar intake.

Since I share his concerns, my mission then is to create a single-serve cheesecake that we can share. I researched (i.e. Googled), but the recipes only came close to my vision. I really wanted one that looked like a cheesecake: crust at the bottom, creamy cheesy goodness for the filling, and for one. That is not too much to ask is it?

I ended up combining some ideas and also doing some arithmetic. The result is below. Let me know what you think.

Mad Gourmet’s Mini Cheesecake

Based on a bunch of cheesecake recipes found in the web (... shall I say "Best of")

Stuff

Crust

• 4 crumbled vanilla wafers
• 1 1/2 tsp of butter
• 1/2 tsp of brown sugar
• pinch of salt
   

Filling

• 2 Tbsp cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp sour cream or yogurt, preferably vanilla or plain
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp lemon juice (or a few shavings of lemon zest)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

Directions

Making the crust

1. Crumble the wafers (I just use a ziploc bag to crumble to save on washing).
2. Combine with butter, the remaining sugar, and salt (I even mix this in the bag).  
3. Firmly press the crumb mixture into the ramekin.
4. Bake for about 1 min to set the crust. Let cool.

 

Filling

1. Pre-heat oven temp to 325 degrees (You can do this while making the crust).
2. In your serving dish, ramekin, or mug, combine cream cheese, lemon juice, sugar, vanilla, and yogurt (or sour cream).
3. Mix together really well. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir.
4. Pour filling over the crust to put it all together.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes until sides firm up.
6. Let cool in the refrigerator for at least four hours.
7. If desired, serve with whipped cream.

Verdict

My husband really enjoyed this cheesecake. This is actually my go-to recipe for cheesecake. I have made it several times and it’s a big hit. I am planning to make this for Valentine’s weekend for us, maybe with something red on top.

My husband said the only thing wrong with it was I needed to double it. I did try to double the filling once, but I think my ramekin was not big enough for it. The crust-to-filling ratio may also need some work.

Also, I’ve done some variations that are equally delicious. I varied the filling or the crust or both. Stay tuned… it’s worth it. I promise.


If cheesecake is not your thing, you can try my mini Chocolate-Strawberry Lava Cake.  Better yet, why not make both.