Mini Tiramisu Cheesecakes
You all know by now that I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to cheesecake. I’ll choose that over pretty much any other dessert every single day of the week. I’ve loved it since I was a kid and now I love experimenting with different flavors.
I’ve teamed up with PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese for their Bring Out The Silver campaign. (You know, that iconic silver packaging!) I wanted to create a miniature cheesecake recipe that was perfect for celebrating a holiday since we’re so close to Easter. One of my favorite special occasion desserts is tiramisu, and I knew immediately it would be a fantastic flavor combination with creamy cheesecake. I made a crust using savoiardi (dried ladyfingers) instead of graham crackers and spiked the cheesecake batter with instant espresso powder and Kahlua. The result was just as amazing as it sounds. Top it with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cocoa powder, and you have one spectacular dessert!
For as much as I bake, and especially as much as I love cheesecake, I have some serious brand loyalty when it comes to cream cheese. I adore PHILADELPHIA cream cheese and use it exclusively in my kitchen. Buying local is such a big trend right now, and I love that they have been using milk sourced from local dairy farmers since 1872. They also use absolutely no preservatives. The fresh milk from nearby farms, along with real cream, is made into cream cheese and refrigerated in just six days. I love fresh!
These mini desserts have all the wonderful flavors of tiramisu with the creamy deliciousness of cheesecake. One of them is the perfect size for an individual dessert, but I dare you not to eat two!
What are some of your favorite cheesecake recipes?
One year ago: Rhubarb Crumb Cake
Two years ago: Fruit & Almond Granola
Mini Tiramisu Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Crust:
- 1 cup (11 g) savoiardi, dried ladyfingers crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
For the Filling:
- 24 ounces (680.39 g) PHILADELPHIA cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon Kahlua
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
For the Topping:
- Whipped cream
- Cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two standard muffin pans with paper cups (you will fill 18 of the 24 cups); set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix together the savoiardi crumbs, sugar and melted butter with a fork until evenly moistened. Divide the crumbs evenly between the muffin cups and press into the bottom to form a crust. Set aside.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the Kahlua and instant espresso powder and beat for 1 minute, or until completely combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the muffin cups. Bake until the cheesecakes are set around the edges and nearly set in the middle, about 25 to 30 minutes. Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa powder. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- For best results, be sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
- To reduce the likelihood of cracks, don't overbeat the cheesecake batter and don't open the oven door during baking.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Disclaimer: I have been selected by Kraft Foods to be an ambassador for PHILADELPHIA cream cheese. While I have been compensated for my time, my opinions are my own, and I have not been paid to post positive comments.
HI, these look really good. I know this will sound like a silly question. 24 oz. of Cream Cheese is 3 8oz. packages.
If I wanted to use Mascarpone Cheese instead of Cream Cheese, would I use 3  8oz. Mascarpone? It seems like 3 would make too much filling but I am not sure.Â
Thank you
Can these be made ahead and frozen? If so, I am using a silicone product to bake them, should I freeze them in it also?
Hi Lori, Yes, these would freeze well! I don’t use silicone pans, so I’m not sure how it does with freezing things, but if you’ve had success before, then that would be fine!
if the kahlua can be left out…..
do you still get a decent amount of coffee flavor?
or can we add more espresso powder? and how much more ?
Hi Rocky, You still do get coffee flavor; you could add a smidge more espresso powder if you wanted, but the flavors of Kahlua and espresso powder are different so it’s not a one for one substitution.
Hello Michelle
Did you use FOIL or PAPER Muffin liners
I read your directions it said “paper cups” but wanted to double check with you?
thanks
Rocky
Hi Rocky, I do use paper cup liners.
just want to clarify since I have never worked with espresso powder before, do you have to mix it with water before putting it in the batter or does the Kahlua take that place? thanks
Hi Erin, no need to mix it with water, you can put it straight into the batter!
Hi, I love these, but is there any other liqueur that can be used as a substitute for Kahlua?
Hi Namrata, If you don’t want to use Kahlua, feel free to substitute something to your liking (you haven’t mentioned why you don’t want to use Kahlua, so I’m not sure what to recommend).
Hi Michelle,
Let me start off by saying that IM OBBESSED with your website..i have carefully observed each recipe..and I have to say you have a gift!! YOUR desserts are on another level LOL! I..I wanted to make a whole tiramisu cheesecake instead of the mini ones…could I still use the exact same recipe in making it a whole cake? or will it change based on cooking time or measurements? thanks for sharing all your wonderful creations..ill be sure to save this on my favourites!!
Hi Delia, If you want to make a 9″ cheesecake, I would increase everything by one-third. That should give you a regular size cheesecake. You will also need to increase the baking time, although I’m not sure what the exact time would be since I haven’t baked these as a whole cheesecake.
I resolved,
I put your link in my favorites!
I can not lose!
byeeeeeeeeee
these minicheesecakes tiramisu are fantastic!
I love tiramisù…I love cheesecake ..I love “mini” cheesecake
I absolutely do this recipe!
Although it will not be easy to “translate” the dose because, you know, we use different units of measure.
I have to study it a bit :)
thank you very much! see you soon.
how can I do to be in your followers?
kiss Simo,
Simo’s Cooking
Those chesecakes are looking absolutely amazing. Many thanks for the share, will make sure to give this recipe a try over the weekend.
hi michelle! i just wanted to ask, do you think its better if I leave the cheesecakes to cool in the oven before removing or even use an extra pan filled with water while baking to keep everything moistened so to prevent cracking and that almost instant sinking when you remove them from the oven? thanks!
Hi Demi, I’ve seen and used both methods for whole cheesecakes (you don’t need to do it for mini cheesecakes like this).
Is there a reason you use Kahlua instead of Marsala wine ?
I like Kahlua better.
Hi. these looks super yummy. just wondering wether i can exclude the kahlua?
Yes, you can.
Hi, can I freeze tiramisu cheesecake. I’m hosting the biggest morning tea
A fundraisers for cancer.need to bake ahead . Thanks
Hi Maria, Yes, you can freeze these. Enjoy!
Hi Michelle, I recently made these mini tiramisu cheesecakes and they were absolutely delish! Everyone raved about them from grandparents to the youngest family member. They are a delight to make and will be making these again and again. Thank you for inspiring this mom to the fullest!
Can you bake this in a 9″ springform pan and make a regular size cheesecake or would the recipe need to be altered?
Hi Jill, I haven’t made this recipe as a whole cheesecake, but you can take a look at other cheesecake recipes on the site (https://www.browneyedbaker.com/category/recipes/cheesecake-recipes/) to see how the ingredient quantities vary and play around with the amounts and baking time.
I recently discovered your blog and made your Easter sweet bread and tiramisu cheesecake cupcakes. I always made cream cheese cupcakes and so this recipe really grabbed my attention. They were a glowing success as we made them for our Italian side of the family for Palm Sunday and I will make them again for other family members to enjoy on Easter! I had a small problem with the consistency of the sweet bread, but the flavor was absolutely what I remember having as a child…thank you so much for sharing your wonderful recipes and for giving me the incentive to bake again! I am going to attempt your cheese and bacon bread for Easter morning! You are truly wonderful at this..and I am so glad I found your site! Buono mangiata è tanto grazie.
I made these this past weekend (almost freaked out since the sugar amount was missing!) and they came out awesome! Will definitely keep them in the rotation! So good!
Looks super delicious and inviting.. love the presentation too.. great clicks :)
Mmm… this sounds delicious! Surprisingly, I have never had tiramisu before, so I’ll have to try this soon. :)
I have not used ladyfingers for a crust before…brilliant!
Thanks for sharing!
~Liz@HoosierHomemade
Tiramisu and cheesecake are my two favourite desserts – your mini cheesecakes look like heaven to me!
I’m right there with you on cream cheese – that’s one product I prefer Philadelphia Cream cheese brand to generic!! These look fantastic Michelle!
I had NO idea that philidelphia sorces their ingredients from local dair farms. I love that… Thanks for sharing.
I can’t get your recipes to save in Ziplist today. I have lots of others saved there. :(
Hi Dianne, Thanks for the heads up, I will check into it. So sorry for the inconvenience!
The texture of the cheesecake and the flavors of the tiramisu — what a delightful combination!
Wow, I have been searching for a decadent pud to compliment an italian themed meal that I am hosting in a couple of weeks. This will SO be on the menu, Italian Tiramisu with a real difference….love it!!
Perfect morsels of deliciousness!
Can this recipe be made in a mini cheesecake pan that makes 12 minis? Or do you need to use the baking cups in a muffin tin?
Hi Lindsay, I don’t see why you couldn’t do that.
Oh yum! I like any type of cheesecake! My favorite is just a plain regular cheesecake though!
I love the look of these!! Yum!
Is the baking time similar if you have a mini-cheesecake pan? I made mini-pumpkin cheesecakes at thanskgiving and I”m dying for another mini recipe.
Thanks! (oh , and I seriously never considered that there are actually other brands of cream cheese. Are there?? I don’t really thing there are.)
Hi Michelle, I’m not familiar with a mini cheesecake pan, unless you mean a mini muffin tin? If so, the baking time would be reduced.
There are actually mini cheesecake pans.
http://www.amazon.com/Chicago-Metallic-Cheesecake-13-90-Inch-10-60-Inch/dp/B0006SJZJ8
Who knew??
Great little bites of big flavour!
Gorgeous cheesecakes! Such a brilliant cheesecake combination.
I love your photos!! These look delicious – do you deliver?
How can I make the cheesecake without eggs?. It looks really good.
Hi Jessica, Eggs are pretty much a standard ingredient in cheesecakes. I would suggest searching for a vegan or dairy-free cheesecake recipe, but both of those would eliminate the cream cheese.
Thanks for the recipe! I was wondering if you think that this could be made in a standard springform pan also?
Hi Andrea, You definitely could, although I’m not sure how the measurements would translate to a full pan recipe. You might want to compare to some other recipes to make sure you don’t need to scale it up at all.
I love that you use ladyfingers as the crust! I have several tiramisu cheesecake recipes saved and I almost passed over this one (I mean, how many can 1 person bookmark, right?), until I realized this was the only one to do that. It just feels so much more authentic!
Love everything about this! Pictures are gorgeous!
Oh wow, this looks so good
I didn’t know PHILADELPHIA was so “local”, thanks for the insight! As always making me drool over here! Haha!
xoxo
Your cheesecakes are just beautiful! I love cheesecake, but I prefer to eat mini ones as they can be quite heavy. I love cheesecake with cherry pie filling or lemon curd!
Can these be frozen?
Yes!
Aboslutely look delish!!!. Have you ever tried to Roast or dry regular lady fingers, or do you think it would work? Can’t wait to try. I so enjoy your post every week.
Hi Margaret, If have never done that, I’ve only ever bought the packaged dry ladyfingers.
I really, really, love this idea! I love tiramisu but have always thought the mascarpone part would be better if it tasted more like cheesecake! Conveniently, I just bought a new bottle of Kalua. Nothing to hold me back from baking these right now!
Love that you combined tiramisu and cheesecake!
omg, yummmm! love this!
I LOVE Philadelphia cream cheese. I’ve tried other brands and …ick. (they just didn’t have the right flavor.) LOVE it on bagels too. (and by itself, but don’t tell) Thank you for a recipe that I’m going to try.
Tiramisu and cheesecake combined? Perfect! Love this take on the challenge. Wish I could taste one of yours! Who, who am I kidding? I’d want the whole thing!
I can’t wait to try these! My son loves tiramisu and I love cheesecake so these are perfect!!!! Thanks for the recipe!
My aunt lived next to a baker when she was young and her mother got a cheesecake recipe with a crust. We have had this all of our lives and now I make the cheesecake. I will be making it for Easter and it feeds a lot of people since it is made in a 9×13 pan(really good). I also make my mom’s cheese tarts, really easy and so good. I would love to try your tiramisu cheesecakes. They would go over big in my family since we are Italian and everyone loves something new.
I need these in my life today. Fabulous.
My husband would DIE for these.
These look incredible! I love, love, love, tiramisu and combined with cheesecake, this is definitely a winner!
Can I just say that now that I know where you’ll be living & you’re so close, I might just show up at your house randomly to see what you’ve been baking??? ;) YUM!
Do it! Taste testers are always welcome :)
Great to partner up with you today, Michelle! And my husband would go bonkers if I made this cheesecake- such a clever idea! Delicious!
My favorite cheesecake is actually just plain ol’ homemade with (of course) homemade salted caramel sauce all over. This tiramisu looks absolutely scrumptious! It’s making me want to dive right into that last pic! (=
This sounds heavenly!! I love mini desserts. They are perfect for entertaining — as well as when it is just my husband and I and we want just a little something sweet (or two). Pinning these Tiramisu Cheesecakes to make this spring!
Kenley
These are so cute and sound amazing! I love mini anything, so I’m definitely going to have to give these a try. :)
You had me at tiramisu.
And is there any other brand of cream cheese? I think not!
Cheesecake in any variety is MY FAVORITE. These are so great!! Love the Kahlua & espresso tiramisu flavors in these– and the dried lady fingers crust!
can’t wait to make this!
LOVE tiramisu. In cheesecake??
Michelle,
All I can say is Wow! Were you able to buy the dried lady fingers locally or did you have to get it through a speciality store. I have never seen that.
Hi Lori, I have found them in the international aisle (Italian section) of one of the larger grocery stores in my area. I have also purchased them at a little Italian grocer.
This looks so moist and decadent! Your photos are beautiful!
Looks yummy!
How much sugar do you put in the filling? Looks like it was left out.
Hi Andrea, I’m so sorry for the error, I have fixed it in the recipe above. The amount is 3/4 cup.
This time i landed perfectly on your site for the yummy
cheddar cheese. Would love prepare your recipes on weekend. Thanks dear.
Ooooh looks so good can’t wait to make these! but how much sugar do we put in?
You make it look so easy to make these! The last picture makes me want to grab a fork and take a bite now!
Michelle it’s beautiful – the recipe, flavors, photos, the fact they’re MINI. So cute. And so pretty. All in one!
oops you dont say how much sugar to put in the filling! looks yummy though!
Hi Samantha, So sorry for that omission, I have fixed it!
Maria Hi ,love that tiramisu cheese cake. Does anyone know if I can freeze them.
Hi Maria, Yes you can freeze these.