Mini Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes
These Mini Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes have a cinnamon graham cracker crust and a vanilla cheesecake base with lots of cinnamon roll filling swirled in!
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 12-tin muffin pan
- paper muffin liners (optional, but recommended)
- silicone spatula
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust
- 1 cup graham crackers (finely crushed, about 7 sheets)
- 5 tablespoons butter (melted)
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
For the cheesecake base
- 16 ounces cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- ¼ teaspoon salt
For the cinnamon filling
- 6 tablespoons butter (softened, not melted)
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
To make the crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Use a food processor (or gallon bag and rolling pin) to finely crush the graham crackers.
- Place the crushed graham crackers in a medium mixing bowl and add the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Mix until well combined.
- Place cupcake liners in a 12 count cupcake pan.
- Use a measuring spoon to press the crust mixture into the bottom of each lined cupcake tin (I typically use about 2 tablespoons of mixture for each mini cheesecake). Set aside.
To make the cheesecake batter
- Place the softened cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl and cream it well using a hand or stand mixer.
- Add the sugar and cream it until smooth. Scrape down the bowl once complete.
- Add flour, vanilla and salt. Mix until combined.
- Add the room temperature egg and mix until just combined. Scrape down the bowl once complete. Set aside.
To make the cinnamon filling
- Place the softened butter in a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add the brown sugar, cinnamon and flour to the butter and mix well until combined (use a fork or a hand mixer). Mixture should resemble a paste.
- Add ¼ cup of the cheesecake batter to the cinnamon filling. Mix well until combined.
To assemble the mini cheesecakes
- Use a 1-inch cookie scoop or a spoon to add a layer of cheesecake batter to each muffin tin (this should fill them about halfway).
- Spoon 1-2 teaspoons of the cinnamon filling over the cheesecake layer.
- Spoon a final layer of cheesecake batter over the cinnamon filling. Gently spread the cheesecake batter through the muffin tin to cover the cinnamon filling layer. Use up all of the cheesecake batter on this step.
- Add another 1 teaspoon of cinnamon filling to the tops of mini cheesecakes. Use up all of the filling on this step.
- Use a toothpick to swirl the cinnamon filling and cheesecake batter together in each mini cheesecake,
- Bake them for 20-22 minutes or until the center is not jiggly.
- Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool to room temperature. After they have cooled to room temperature, place them in the fridge for at least 4 hours to set.