Mini Cheesecake Cookies
These easy mini cheesecake cookies have been a holiday staple in my family forever! Nilla wafers are topped with cheesecake batter and cherry pie filling. A perfect bite-size treat!
It’s Christmas cookie time!
I carved out just enough time after getting the boys to bed on Friday night to whip up one of my all-time favorite Christmas recipes – these easy mini cheesecakes! I am such a sucker for cheesecake, so it’s no surprise that this recipe – one of my mom’s oldest and most popular – had always been one of my favorites as a kid. I guess my cheesecake infatuation started from a young age!
Just picture little 8-year-old me going bananas over these little cheesecakes. I was insane about them then, and still am now. These little cheesecake bites were one of three cookies I looked for on every cookie tray (along with buckeyes and peanut butter blossoms), and I always, always ate precisely one more than I really should have (oops!).
These are one of the easiest cookies to throw together, which makes them perfect for someone who needs to squeeze in baking around naps and bedtimes.
All you need to do is grab your mini muffin pans, line them with some paper cups, drop a Nilla wafer in the bottom of each one, then mix together the cheesecake batter (which takes less than 2 minutes), fill the cups, and pop them in the oven!
(Then clean up and get to the couch in enough time to do a little Netflix binging before bed!)
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Once the mini cheesecakes are cooled and chilled for a bit, pop open your favorite can of cherry pie filling (or grab a jar of homemade from your stash), and top each little cheesecake with a dollop of the pie filling.
Then take a bite… And another bite… And then another. Speaking from experience, obviously.
For a cheesecake lover like myself, these little cheesecake bites are the next best thing to a slice of regular ol’ cheesecake.
In my world, no holiday cookie tray is complete without a decent representation of these mini cheesecake cookies (but don’t leave those trays unattended, because I will eat them alllllll).
Q: What do you get most excited to see on a Christmas cookie tray?
Three years ago: Peanut Butter Swirl Chocolate Bark
Four years ago: Homemade Torrone
Mini Cheesecake Cookies
Ingredients
- 40 vanilla wafers
- 16 ounce (453.59 g) package cream cheese, at room temperature
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line two miniature muffin pans with paper liners (you will only need 40, so leave 8 cups empty). Place one Nilla wafer in the bottom of each mini muffin well. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until well combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix in the vanilla extract.
- Divide the batter evenly among each cup. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the edges and top appear set.
- Cool the cheesecakes completely in the pan, then transfer to an airtight container and chill for at least 2 hours. Top with a small amount of cherry pie filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve. The mini cheesecakes should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
This recipe was originally published on December 22, 2010.
Thanks for the recipe… Although you should change ingredients to say mini vanilla wafers. I didn’t get to make them yet because my wafers didn’t fit and I should’ve read the comments first! 🙂
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The vanilla wafer is too big for the mini muffin pan. How do I put one in the paper if it’s too big?
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So amazing and phenomenal!
Me and my husband were so eager to make these even though there were no mini cupcake tins for purchase in our area. We decided to make them anyways and suffer the consequences. They didn’t make it out clean but the flavor is definitely there! This is going to be a forever staple in our household and will definitely be making them in cupcake tins next time!
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5 star all the way! My last review only gave 4 stars…that was a big mistake!
Every baby shower, picnic, etc I am begged to bring these. And because they are so easy peasy I’m more than happy to oblige.
1) use mini nilla wafers
2) top with lemon curd, or various pie filling Or top with fresh fruit.
or use your imagination…
Thanks again for sharing this delish & easy recipe :)
What size liners do you use for these? I ordered the pan you linked here in the recipe, and I’m still waiting on delivery, but the Wilton Mini liners are too small for
the vanilla wafers! I bought the Nilla Wafer brand regular cookies. Thank you !
I see someone wrote on here that they use the mini Nilla Wafers. I didn’t know there was such a thing.
I get most excited When I see chocolate dipped Italian cookies, Russian tea cakes (cookies), cutout Christmas cookies, and toffee cookies!
I make these all the time and just follow the recipe as is (although I’m a little partial to blueberry pie filling and like to do some of those with the cherry for the 4th.)
So simple to make, always a hit, and everyone thinks I these must have taken so much time to do!
Question: Have you ever tried adapting a chocolatey version of these? I’m sure mini choc cheesecake cookies would be a big hit, I just wouldn’t know where to start :(
If you don’t put topping on these also freeze well
I just found this recipe and made them today. They turned out fantastic! The only problem I had is the same a some of the others, the Nilla wafers wouldn’t fit. I got out my handy dandy food chopper and turned them into crumbs and pressed them into the mini cupcake papers. Next time I’m going to add a smidgen of butter to see if they hold together a little better. Still good though! Would also be good with the graham cracker crust, or an oreo, or…..the possibilities are endless! I love the gingersnap/pumpkin idea!
That is exactly what I did. Ground them up and added butter to make it pasty-like.
Can you freeze the mini muffins without the cherry on them
Yes, definitely!
My aunt has been making these for years. Only difference is that before she puts the cherry on she puts a dab of sour cream for the cherry to sit in. Adds a slight bit of tartness.
I make these with the mini Nilla wafers and halve the recipe. They are fun and quick, and a big hit!
First time making these, they turned out awesome. Took them to a dinner party and they were gobbled up fast. I didn’t have Nila cookies so used gingersnaps. A must to refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. So far every one of your recipes I’ve tried has been a success, thank you.
About how much cheese mixture goes in each cup cake. I don’t know how to divide the mixture by 40! thanks
Hi Linda, I would estimate about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons.
Use fall cupcake papers, ginger snaps & pumpkin butter topping for a fall treat, delicious!
I made these about 6 months ago & they were both delicious & easy! I made a variety and topped some with lemon curd, others with cherry pie filling & the rest with blueberry pie filling. One friend said they were “Bakery Worthy”! I did have one issue though…. I used miniature muffin tins & the vanilla wafers were too BIG! I was stuck at midnight without a car so actually used a grater to try to shave some cookie down so they would fit….Wondering this time if I should try mini wafers ? Has anyone else had this issue?
I made these for Christmas and had the same issue. I know I have made these in the past, without that problem. I wondered if the vanilla water size changed over the years…? Not sure what was different.
Instead of the mini muffin pans, I also used a cookie sheet because i was making a double batch for my niece’s “sweet table” at a wedding. They turned out great
Do the nilla wafers get soggy easily?
Hi Stella, They don’t stay super crisp, but they don’t break down and get soggy.
Hi! Thanks for sharing…these were the absolute hit if the dessert tray!! However I am a little confused about one thing. There is absolutely no way a vanilla wafer would fit in my miniature muffin pan! I found myself at 11:00 pm having no choice but to use a grater on each individual cookie & shave off each side (!) so it would fit…I had 1/2 a bag of store brand wafers & 1/2 bag of Nabisco ….same result….any insight?
I’m glad you liked them! I’ve found that different brands of mini muffin tins have different size bottoms. I use the Wilton Ever-Glide pans and the Nilla wafers fit. I hope that helps!
I made these and they were the first things I ever baked!
They turned out GREAT!!!
I had to hide them out on our enclosed front porch.
Thank you!
Can these mini chesse cakes be frozen
Hi Sandra, Yes these freeze very well!