I'm not sure why but I have I have always been scared to bake a cheesecake. I guess I just assumed it was tricky, required a special pan, and was going to taste bad. But none of those things are true! These mini cheesecake bites are my proof!
I'm glad I decided to develop this recipe because it was easy and the reward was delicious. If you think that baking a cheesecake is super complicated, let me convince you–it's not! After all, I'm all about easy desserts!
I wanted to come up with a creative dessert that was easy to make but would impress guests at our recent family dinner party. I like being able to serve bite-sized desserts on a platter so guests can take one (or two) and pass them around.
Bonus: Serving bite-sized pieces also makes cleaning up easier cause there is less dishes to do after everyone has gone home.
Gather a few ingredients and get ready to bake (you’ll find the full recipe below). Don't be intimidated (like I was) at the idea of making your own cheesecake from scratch.
I promise it wasn't difficult and it tastes much better than the no bake-versions I have tried in the past. The star is the Philadelphia Cream Cheese which is made with, fresh milk, real cream, and no preservatives – nothing else tastes like it.
Tips for Making Mini Cheesecake Bites
See, no special pan! I simply lined an 8x8 baking dish with parchment paper. You'll want to let it overhang about 2" on each side so you can later "lift" the baked cheesecake out of the dish. If your parchment paper isn't big enough, just use two pieces that criss-cross the pan. The bottom part of the dish will be your graham cracker crust layer. Then, you'll pour in the creamy cheesecake mixture on top before putting it in the oven.
It bakes low and slow for about 35 minutes at 350 degrees. This ensures your cheesecake top doesn't crack. But don't worry too much about it even if it does because you're going to top it with drizzled chocolate and candy bar pieces so no one will even notice.
While it's baking, cut your favorite candy bars into bite-sized pieces. You'll use these for your cheesecake toppings. You'll need about 36-40 pieces.
After it comes out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes and then place it in the freezer for another hour, (be sure to cover it with plastic wrap first). This cools it down so it can harden a bit, which will help you cut the cheesecake into nice 1-inch pieces.
Once you have cut your pieces, add a drop of chocolate sauce or fudge to each piece and then place a candy bar on top. That's it. Easy, right?
Place these mini cheesecake bites on a platter or use a cake stand. I promise, they won't last long!
Frequently Asked Questions About This Recipe
You can use the pre-made crusts but it will be in a round shape which doesn't work as well for this recipe. Since you end up cutting the cheesecake into 1.5 inch bit size pieces, using a square or rectangle pan just works better.
The beauty of this recipe is that it isn't that big of a deal if your cheesecake cracks while baking. You end up topping the cheesecake bites with drizzled chocolate and candy bar pieces so you won't even be able to tell if there's a crack or two!
Since you cut this recipe into bit sized pieces, make sure your topping isn't too messy when eating with your hands. Because of that I would avoid canned fruit filling.
If you're not into the candy bar topping, you could use mini Oreo cookies, single raspberries, or strawberry slices. You could also just do a dollop of whipped cream on top of each cheesecake bite and keep things simple.
Related Recipes
Mini Cheesecake Bites
Equipment
- 1 8x8 Baking Pan
- 1 Mixer Handheld or standing
Ingredients
- 2 8 ounce Packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese Soften
- ½ Cup Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
- 2 Eggs
For the crust
- 1 ½ Cups Graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 6 tablespoon Butter Melted
Instructions
To Make the Crust
- Heat oven to 350 degrees
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar together in a medium bowl,
- Stir in the melted butter
- Combine until mixed (it will be course)
- Press the mixture into the bottom of your pan (lined with parchment paper)
- Bake the crust for 8 minutes at 350 (while it's baking, begin on the cheesecake filling)
To Make the Cheesecake Filling
- Heat oven to 325 once crust is done baking
- Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla using a mixer until well blended.
- Add the eggs; beat a bit more just until they are mixed in
- Pour filling into the pan with the crust
- Bake for about 35-40 minutes (your time might be slightly less, just make sure the center is set)
- Cool on the counter for 15 minutes then cover it with plastic wrap and place it in the freezer for an additional hour
To Make Topping
- Once cooled, you can make your cheesecake bites! With a sharp knife, cut the cheesecake into about 1.5 inch pieces
- Drizzle melted chocolate (or chocolate syrup) over the cheesecake pieces
- Top each cheesecake bit with a piece of your favorite candy bar
Notes
- You can use a premade graham cracker crust if you want but they are typically round. This recipe is baked in a rectangle or square pan which is why it's best to make your own
- I like to use a variety of popular candy bars. My favorites to use as toppings in this recipe are Reeses, Snickers, and Twix.
LG says
I made these for a potluck yesterday! Very very good. In hindsight, I would have baked them for 40-42 minutes instead of 30; the squares in the middle were alllllmost set but not quite.
I also got 36 bars out of this rather than 48. Anyway, thanks for posting! They were a hit!
Tiffany at Weird Little French Cookie says
Made these today! I found that a package of about 8 graham crackers was exactly the amount I needed for 1-1/2 cups. I also baked this in a 7 x 11 , 30 minutes, still a bit of jiggle when it came out but then firmed up with cooling. I plan on topping them with a chocolate kiss glued on with some melted semisweet chocolate. Thanks!
Tori says
Hi Tiffany! So glad you made these. I hope you enjoyed them!
Clarissa says
These look so good! And that is way easier than I expected it to be! Can't wait to try it out!
-Clarissa @ The View From Here