These easy Mini Cheesecakes with Vanilla Wafers are the perfect quick and easy dessert to make for a party or potluck. They’re a handheld sweet treat that allow you to eat the perfect miniature cheesecake in just two bites! And they’re three layers of deliciousness with a sweet cookie crust, creamy cheesecake filling and fruit topping.
If you’re a fan of cherry desserts, you might like my cherry turnovers, cherry pie and cherry cobbler too!
I’ve been making these cute mini cherry cheesecake bites with vanilla wafer cookies for the crust since my college days. You might recognize them too because this recipe has been around for a long time. This is a super easy-to-make, semi-homemade treat. Mini cheesecakes are the kind of dessert that you can bake at the last minute with minimal ingredients. And if you like these, then you might like my cherry cheesecake bars too. And if you don’t mind using the canned cherry pie filling, you’ll really enjoy this no bake cherry cheesecake.
🛒 Ingredients Needed:
- eggs
- granulated white sugar
- cream cheese
- vanilla extract
- vanilla wafers
- canned cherry pie filling
✏️ How to make Mini Cheesecakes with Vanilla Wafers:
*The complete, printable recipe is in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Preheat the oven to 375℉. Line a muffin pan or two with 16 to 18 paper liners.
- In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs with the sugar. Add pieces of cream cheese a little at a time. Beat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Place a single vanilla wafer in the bottom of each paper cupcake liner. Fill ¾ full with the cheesecake filling.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheesecake mixture is set. Cool completely.
- Remove cupcake liners and gently top with cherry pie filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Recipe Tips
- No need to make a crust with graham crackers when a vanilla wafer crust works perfectly! Change things up and use a gingersnap cookie as the crust for the cheesecake instead of vanilla wafers. You can also use a single OREO for the crust. Be creative!
- Use room temperature eggs and cream cheese. This will help the ingredients to combine easier without lumps to create a nice, smooth filling. It also helps to prevent the tops of the cheesecakes from cracking. If they DO crack, don’t worry. The topping will cover up any cheesecake cracks.
- Lighten up the recipe a bit by using low fat cream cheese. Full fat cream cheese will make the best tasting cheesecake though! And whatever you do, don’t use tub cream cheese. You need the packages of cream cheese for this recipe.
- If using cherry topping, try using almond extract instead of vanilla extract. The almond-cherry combination is delicious.
- Use any flavor of pie filling to top these little cheesecake bites. Think blueberry, apple or strawberry.
❤️ What I Love About This Recipe:
- It’s a good dessert to take to a potluck. Make them ahead and pack them in an airtight container. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to go.
- This mini cheesecake recipe is such an easy dessert!
- Anyone can make these. You don’t have to be a great baker or anything like that.
Mini Cherry Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¾ cup granulated white sugar
- Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature, cut into pieces
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 18 whole vanilla wafers
- 1 can cherry pie filling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375℉. Line cupcake tins with 16 to 18 paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs with the sugar. Add pieces of cream cheese a little at a time. Beat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla extract.
- Place a vanilla wafer in each paper cupcake liner. Fill ¾ full with cream cheese mixture.
- Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cheesecake mixture is set. Cool completely.
- Remove cupcake liners and gently top with cherry pie filling. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I followed this to the T And I agree something is missing? And why do I have pm much left over mix? And the consistency is like thin cottage cheese mix not a cheesecake texture.. really confused
They should be just like little cheesecakes when cooked… topped w/ the cherry topping.
I have used this recipe many times and these are great. Everybody loves them and they disappear quickly.
This recipe was missing something. The batter was very thin and the end result was not the consistency of a cheescake and didn’t really set. Wouldn’t use this recipe again.
I made these at Christmas, and they were gone in two seconds! Absolutely fabulous…
Use fancy cupcake liners, and these look special, taste great, and are quick and easy. Great for a holiday treat. We like cherry best, but any berry fruit filling works well (blueberry, strawberry, etc.)
Confirm these are mini and not regular cupcakes size?
No, they are cupcake size. See instructions: Line cupcake tins with 16 to 18 paper liners.