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!)
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 2Â 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.
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So amazing and phenomenal!Â
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!Â
Thanks – Enjoyed this post, can you make it so I receive an alert email when you publish a new update?
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 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!Â
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!
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. Â 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?Â
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!
These are so cute and yummy, too! I use a mini ice cream scoop to fill them evenly. Have made them several times and they always get favorable comments. Great recipe!
Recipe sounds wonderful! I can’t wait to try it! Have you ever frozen the cheesecake part after baking, then add pie filling before serving? I was wondering how that would turn out.Â
Hi Shawn, Yes, the cheesecakes freeze well!
I’m 25 weeks pregnant and got a major cheesecake craving. My 2 year old and I whipped these up the other day, and once they’d cooled I put them in my freezer. I’m loving having cheesecake available whenever the craving strikes, but there’s no pressure to eat a whole cheesecake while it’s fresh.
Hi, The Nilla wafers are bigger than the bottom of my mini cupcake pan AND the liners? Â What are you doing to make them fit? Â I bought the ingredients today to make this, but am holding up until I understand. Â Danke
Hi Carole, I haven’t done anything at all. I literally just drop the Nilla wafer into the muffin tin.
Just wanted to say I decided to make our own vanilla wafers and found a great recipe by Alton Brown for his Vanilla Wafers. Wow, are they good and so simple!!! Use 4 teaspoons of vanilla and it calls for vanilla sugar which we do not have but just with the 4 teaspoons of vanilla, these homemade vanilla wafers are delicious. We are eating them just plain! So good. Also they do not fit in our paper liners and never have (even with store bought vanilla wafers) so my mom would just chisel around the wafer with a small paring knifeto get them to the right size and now I am doing the same with the homemade ones. But with the homemade ones, you can at least try to get closer to your muffin pan liner size. Just FYI.
These were really good and super easy!
I’m not sure if it was the brand of Nilla wafers I bought/size of my mini muffin tin (I’m in Canada), but the wafers absolutely did not fit whatsoever into the pan! I ended up just using a regular muffin tin (even though it was slightly too big) to make 21 cookies. Each one had about 2.5 tbsp of filling and took 18 min in the oven. Still delicious!
Do you use the mini vanilla wafers for this recipe?Â
Hi Laura, No, regular size.
Thank you for posting – this was one of the recipes that my mom didn’t include in her stack and couldn’t remember how to make. These are definitely a Pittsburgh thing as we had them for every graduation and every Pittsburgh wedding I have been to, these were on the cookie table.
You have saved my bacon! Â My mother made these every Christmas Eve, but she passed away three years ago and this year I could not find the recipe. I did not know what to do and then…you put this is! Â Thank you! We will be able to enjoy one of Mom’s special treats again this year.Â
Much love to you and yours.Â
Oh Carole, I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you and your family enjoy these cookies at such a difficult time. xo
I’ve made these cheesecake treats for years as well but I use regular muffin tins lined with foil baking cups. Makes a pretty dessert
Hi BEB.
I am originally a neighbor, (Youngstown, OH), now living in LI, NY. Regarding these mini cheesecakes, I tried them years ago using mini pans, my problem was the Nilla Wafers wouldn’t fit into my pan! Do you use regular size or mini size Nilla Wafers? And one other question please, have you every experimented with Buckeyes? I was thinking of trying crunchy peanut butter instead of smooth. And have a jar of Hershey chocolate spread that I was thinking using on my regular buckeye recipe? Thoughts?
Hi Jennie, I just regular size Nilla wafers. My mom said she has trouble with hers fitting, but we realized she doesn’t have a true mini muffin pan – it’s a tassie pan. That could be why! I haven’t used crunchy peanut butter, but I recently saw a version with Rice Krispies, so I bet either would be good! I don’t think the chocolate spread would work – I don’t think it would set firm enough.
Adorably delicious! These are so simple and so perfect for all things holiday. Totally trying these soon!
Mini cheesecakes are the best!
Kari
http://sweetteasweetie.com/honey-bunches-oats-almond-treats/
Hi Michelle! Â I have also made these many times, although not in a long while. Â Always used regular size muffin cups, it’s okay if the Nilla wafer doesn’t quite cover the bottom. Â I also liked the idea of someone who posted earlier about using an Oreo cookie as the bottom crust, I’d like to try that sometime! Â I’ve also used different pie fillings, especially blueberry. Â One time I saw raspberry pie filling and tried that, and it went over very well.Â
My favorite Christmas cookies are: peanut butter cookies with sugar and a Hershey’s Kiss on top; buckeyes; chocolate chip cookies with walnuts and M&Ms added; snickerdoodles; iced sugar cookies, and iced sugar cookies with crushed peppermint candies on top.Â
Hi there! Could I crumble the cookies and put them into the bottom of the mini liners? I’m having the same issue with the cookies not fitting in the bottoms of my pan!
Hi Ashley, I think that would work okay, but you might want to combine crumbs with butter to make an actual crust vs just crumbs.
I find that the Nilla wafers are to big for the mini muffin pans and to small for the large, any suggestions?
Hi Janette, The Nilla wafers fit perfectly into my mini muffin pan; I guess you could break them or buy the mini wafers?
I plan on refrigerating these cookies for about 10 days. First, is that okay to do that? And second, do I still top them before refrigerating? By the way they came out perfect. Thank you!
Hi Andrea, We keep these for a week or two around the holidays after they have been topped, because we put them out on cookie trays periodically. However, if you know you won’t be serving them for 10 days, I would hold off on topping until you’re closer to serving them (could still do it the day before).
Love your website and love this receipe!!! I tried it twice and my boyfriend loves it!! Thank you!
Hi,
These Sounds like Yummy..!!
This Mini CheeseCake Cookies looks delicious and adorable.
I love cheesecake most. I read your recipe its really unique and easy to make.
Thanks For Sharing….
Hi there. There look delicious and I’d love to try making them. Where do you get your mini cupcake liners, please? I just bought my mini-muffin pan and it’s the same one that you use, but all the mini liners I’ve seen (Michael’s, Joann’s) are too small around the base and too short. Thanks!
Hi Bernadette, I actually got those from my mom… she purchased them from a local bakery supply store. I know what you mean – the ones at the store are never the right size! I checked the packaging on mine and they are just in a cardboard tube – no markings or anything. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help, but if you have a bakery supply shop near you, check that out!
How well do you think these would fair at a bake sale indoors???
They would do well! Highly recommend these!
I also had the problem with the Nilla Wafers being too big for my muffin tin. Planning to try mini Nillas…
I made these and they were absolutely delicious! In place of the cherry filling, I used strawberry. :D
hi michelle love your recipes, can you publish the recipe of the cherry pie filling pliss?
Hi Erika, There is no recipe, I use canned cherry pie filling :)
canyou freeze these
Yes, definitely!
So simple and so awesome!
Will these hold up if baked the day before a party or will they get soggy from sitting too long?
Hi Lindsay, No you can definitely make them ahead and keep them in the fridge! My mom would make them for the holidays and keep them in the refrigerator for at least a week in case company showed up!
Wow, these look so GREAT. I’ve saved this to try sometime!
These were my absolute favorite growing up. My mom always made them in a normal-sized cupcake pan, and they are what I wanted to bring to school for birthdays and other celebrations. I made them for 4th of July about 5 years ago — half with blueberry pie filling on top, the other half with cherry — but haven’t made them since. I’ll have to dig up her recipe and make some soon! (and also see if her recipe is the same as yours — it seems like it would be)
I grew up with almost exactly the same thing
only difference is the cookie
My mom would use grandmas family shortbread recipe & use them as the base!!
delish!!!
They’re the cuttest ever !!!!
I love these! My grandma used to make them all the time for us!
RE: Jordan – I’ve made them before in a normal sized muffin pan. They’re just as good!
I wonder if these would still come out well in a normal-sized muffin pan? I don’t have a miniature one unfortunately, but the recipe looks amazing!
Jordan – I’ve never made them in regular-sized muffin pans, but I don’t see why not! You’ll get less of course and you’ll need to increase the baking time, but yum more cheesecake :)
I was searching through different recipes and found one with the tollhouse cookie dough at the bottom and the other with the Nilla. I used regular size, not mini and bought the mini Tollhouse cookie that were in little blocks that you can break apart to bake. Easy, so I thought. Well, I prebaked them for about 7 mins per someone’s suggestion but they didn’t spread very well, then the final product actually stuck to the paper so we had to bite the cookie off of the paper! LOL They were delish but I think I’ll give yours a whirl, Michelle! Nillas sound easier!
I make these exact same ones! But i use reduced fat/fatfree cream cheese to keep is healthy. I also make a chocolate version by adding some melted bittersweet chocolate to the batter and chocolate Nilla Wafers! mmm :)
I was planning on making these today, but am now in a bit of a situation.
The Nilla wafers don’t seem to fit in the mini-muffin liners that I purchased because they are too large. And then in the average size muffin liner they are too small.
Did anyone else have this problem?
that’s what i was thinking too! maybe they sell mini nilla wafers or something?
They do sell mini Nilla wafers, but you could also just break the wafers in half if they’re not quite fitting. Somehow the Nillas fit absolutely perfectly in my pan – I have the Calphalon non-stick mini muffin pan.
My goodness, you’re right, these are amazing! I hope you don’t mind, I made them and shared on my blog – giving you all the credit of course. Thank you, thank you!
BTW – I love your blog!
looks wonderfull…i think the taste will be so great…..i like all your topics…am egyptian by the way ….& happy new year browneyebaker ;-)…..
Made these for Christmas dinner. Actually made them 2 days ahead and plated them up Christmas Day. Super easy and super delish! I placed them on a glass pedestal cake plate with a glass lid. Made a beautiful presentation.
Very cute dessert. I like the red contrast with the light cake base. I wonder if these can be chilled enoughto be mailed to friends and family?
Unless you could somehow ship in an insulated container and ship overnight, I don’t think that they would stay cool enough to endure shipping.
These look super cute, yummy and easy – thanks for sharing! And congrats on making Top 9!
Another delicious recipe…thanks!!
These were quick and easy! The only thing I had trouble with was filling the cupcake liners with cheesecake filling. I finally settled on putting the cheesecake filling in a frosting bag and piping it into the cups. Make it less messy!
I have made other versions with chocolate chips in the batter before. Funny enough we just had a Christmas cookie exchange and I made Oreo Truffles but my favorite thing to make are the peanut butter cookies with a Reese cup stuck in the middle.
But I have a quick question. I have a friend that is allergic to eggs but loves cheesecake. What is a good substitute for the eggs since there are no health food stores close to me where I can find the egg replacer? Thanks for the help in advance.
Unfortunately I’m not at all familiar with egg substitutes when it comes to allergies and would hate to steer you in the wrong direction. I’m sorry! :(
Like Tina from PA above, I’ve been making these since way back when. A friend brought these to a party and I was so excited at how delicious they were and “easy” to make. I’ve been making them for large gatherings ever since then. They make a great presentation and who could ask for more! And they are flexible, you can choose any topping you like.
Thanks for sharing,
Happy Holiday!
Joanne
Oh, my grandma used to make these each Christmas! She did both cherry and blueberry, and us grandkids always ate them right up! Yum! Happy holidays!
looks wonderful happy holidays
That’s it. I’ve decided: You are a genius!! Sheer genius!! :D
Oh wow–I sure love cheesecake, and am a huge fan of cookies, so combining the two is like the best idea ever in my book! It’d be fun to use all sorts of pie fillings too :-) I think cherry would be my first pick, then blueberry!
Wow these cheesecake cookies look so adorable. I wish I had some of that for my party. Can’t wait to try this :)
These cookies look just great. Love the cherry topping
Oh so easy to overeat!
I love mini anythings and mini versions of cheesecake are just tooo darn tempting to pass up! :P My fave cookies to put out will always be gorgeous chocolatey chocolate chip cookies… nothing store bought can ever match a home made version.
I love these bite sized treats! Who needs a cookie when you can have cheesecake?
Love these little classics!
Oh I love cheesecake! These are so cute! Great job!
I love this recipe! It’s so simple but sounds delicious! I’m in charge of bringing cookies for dessert at a New Years pot luck next week. Guess what I’ll be bringing!
Ooh those look really cute. Thanks for sharing the recipe! I’m not sure I’d have time left to do any more baking but these would be perfect for Christmas parties. :)
That dollop of red on top is beautiful! Lovely cookies :)
My favorite cookie to put on the cookie tray is the cookie with sugar in it! :D
These are just adorable. I don’t bake Christmas cookies, per se. I just make what I feel like making. This time it was a new chocolate chip cookie recipe, from Jessica Seinfeld’s new book. I also made a batch that I added Andes Candies Bits to. Yum. I normally make candy and caramel corn at this time of the year. I made 2 kinds of bark, 2 batches of caramel corn, some applesauce muffins, the cookies and a batch of brownies.
Cuteness! teeny leetle cheesecakes!
they are adorable and tasty!!! :D
like a couple of others said, this is an awesome “quick fix” for holiday cheesecake cravings! Theresa
My mom makes cookies like that at Christmas time but doesn’t add the fruit on top. Yours look super pretty and tasty!
For me nothing says Christmas like a plate of peanut clusters. My mother’s favorite, so she made SCADS of them every year for friends, family, and neighbors. In fact I found a plate of them in my car yesterday and new Mom had been there!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Amanda
oh those are absolutely darling! they look delish!
these look really yummy! so easy too
Ohh these are so pretty. Love them. My favorite are lussekatter “safron bread” and swedish pepparkakor “ginger snaps.” When it comes to Christmas i go back to my Swedish traditions, that is the only thing i will not ever give up.
These look fantastic! The perfect bite. The possibilities for fillings are endless- caramel, chocolate, strawberries. Perfection!
I used to make these for the holidays, years ago when I was a ‘stay at home’ mom!! They are always a hit!! I would top them with a variety of things…cherry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, whipped cream, strawberry slices….they look beautiful and decadent!!! YUM!!!
How do you think these would fare in the freezer? I am a lifelong cheesecake lover, but I never make it because, well, I don’t want to even attempt to eat a whole cheesecake before it goes bad. But little mini cheesecakes tucked away in the freezer would be so perfect.
These are perfect for the freezer! Just save the topping for when you’re ready to eat them!
These were always the go to dessert at my house too. I haven’t seen the recipe posted until now but these are super easy and delish. You can also top with peaches and blueberries and they are just as yummy as the cherry ones. :)
You just put the biggest smile on my face! My grandmother always used to make these. She would use cherry, blueberry, apple, and pineapple fillings so we’d have an assortment. My fave was always the apple. She will be 92 in January and hasn’t made these in forever. Thanks for the recipe…now I can make my own!!!!
I love mini cheesecakes!!
These are so cute! I love mini treats!
Pefect little cheesecake bites for the holidays. My family would go crazy for these! Now I have to go back to the store for some cherry pie filling as these are going out on our Christmas eve platters.
These are so pretty, perfect for the holidays!
Too funny!! I’m making these today ,it must be a Pittsburgh thing! I’ve been making these since the early 80’s , my husband loves them, one of his top 3 ,along with mini ladylocks and black bottom cupcakes! Hope you have a Very Merry Christmas!!!!
I’m not a big fan of cherry flavors, so a quick swap with strawberry will make these amazing for me!
For me, it’s buddy bars. A chocolate chip bar cookie with peanut butter and then more chocolate on top. How could you go wrong?
Great looking treat!!! will have to try, love the easy, peasy part!!!
Adorable! Little cheesecake cookies are excellent for the holidays.
This was the first year I did a tray of cookies for both work and family. I made two kinds of rum balls, lemon rosemary thumbprint cookies with strawberry preserves, pfeffernussen, coconut macaroons (plain and dipped in dark chocolate), and your fabulous salted double chocolate peanut butter cookies. I may even make more for the weekend..
Michelle – Have you seen these?
http://www.lottieanddoof.com/2010/12/not-nutter-butters/
David Lebovitz posted them on facebook, and they look amazing. I’m going to give them a go once I get to my in-laws’ this weekend!
i used to do this with an oreo in place of a nilla wafer, so easy and delicious
They seem easy to cook, and also very delicious, so I’ll save the recipe to try it :)
Thanks!
going to need heavy duty exercise of the treadmill kind after i finish baking all your great recipes…this holiday season its all about BEB for me!!
pecan tassies (super yum), coffee + espresso cheesecake (a staple in my repertoire= fab!), cranberry & pistachio bark, toffee pretzel bark (yippee for both), & cowboy cookies…up next your buckeyes!
i love all cookies with chocolate!
feel like picking one
So cute! Talk about a quick and easy way to get cheesecake. I’m in!
My favorite cookies to put on a tray are peanut butter blossoms. Their proper place is not in a jar, as the Hershey’s Kiss will get smooshed; their glory is to be displayed for all the world to see!
Sounds like just what I’m looking for…quick and easy. I just had surgery and this is ideal for me. Thanks Michelle! Thanks also for posting the info about the Kitchenaid 6qt mixer. Merry Christmas to me ; )