Description
Creamy mini creme brulee cheesecakes deliver a luxurious French-inspired dessert that merges classic cheesecake with caramelized sugar perfection. Delicate textures and rich flavors promise a sophisticated treat sure to impress guests and satisfy sweet cravings.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) sugar
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups (180 grams) graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 cup (57 grams) melted butter
Topping Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar (for brulee topping)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 325F (163C) and arrange paper liners in a muffin tin, ensuring even spacing.
- Mix graham cracker crumbs with melted butter, pressing firmly into the base of each liner to create a compact crust. Bake for 5-7 minutes until edges turn light golden, then remove and let cool.
- Whip cream cheese and sugar in a large mixing bowl until achieving a silky, uniform texture without lumps.
- Incorporate egg, vanilla extract, and heavy cream into the cream cheese mixture, stirring gently until completely integrated and smooth.
- Carefully distribute cheesecake batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each approximately three-quarters full to prevent overflow during baking.
- Place muffin tin in preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, watching for centers to set and edges to become slightly firm.
- Remove cheesecakes from oven and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to stabilize structure.
- Transfer muffin tin to refrigerator and chill for minimum 2 hours to ensure complete cooling and firm consistency.
- Prior to serving, generously dust sugar across cheesecake surfaces, using a kitchen torch to caramelize until achieving a crisp, amber-colored crust.
- Allow caramelized topping to solidify for 2-3 minutes, then serve immediately for optimal taste and texture.
Notes
- Experiment with different graham cracker flavors like cinnamon or chocolate to add a unique twist to the crust base.
- Ensure cream cheese is at room temperature for smoother, lump-free mixing and a silkier cheesecake texture.
- If you don’t have a kitchen torch, place the sugar-topped cheesecakes under the broiler for 2-3 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- For a gluten-free version, swap graham cracker crumbs with almond flour or gluten-free cookie crumbs.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-27 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 215 kcal
- Sugar: 11 g
- Sodium: 110 mg
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg