Sweet, tart, and oh-so-simple, this Lemon Mini Cheesecake Recipe has been a staple of ours for years. Made with just 6 ingredients and about 10 minutes of active time, these muffin tin cheesecakes are the perfect last-minute dessert!

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Why We Love This Recipe

Whether you’re prepping for tomorrow’s bake sale your kiddo *just* told you about 🤦‍♀️ or you are hosting an impromptu gathering and want something to serve for desserts, these mini lemon cheesecakes are the way to go. 

With a rich and buttery sugar cookie crust and a creamy, dreamy, sunshiny filling, they’re everything you could possibly want out of a treat. Aside from being simply delicious, this mini lemon cheesecake recipe is:

• Quick & Easy – All you need are about 10 minutes of active time to make these simple mini cheesecakes cupcakes. Oh, and the recipe only uses ONE bowl, so cleanup is a snap, too!
• Made With Just 6 Ingredients – A short grocery list is always a reason to celebrate.
• Perfectly Portable – Since these fruit cheesecakes are already individually portioned and easy to hold in your hand, they’re great for tailgates and potlucks.

Ingredients & Substitutions

As promised, you only need 6 ingredients to make these single serving cheesecakes. Here’s what to grab:

• Sugar Cookie Dough – This store-bought hack brings big flavor without any fuss. We generally reach for Pilsbury brand, but any of the tube cookie doughs will work! Feel free to swap in gluten-free and/or vegan cookie dough as needed.
• Cream Cheese – Full-fat dairy is always the most flavorful, but you’re welcome to swap in Neufchatel cheese if you’d like something a little lighter.
• Plain Greek Yogurt – If you can’t find greek yogurt, you can strain regular plain yogurt instead. Set up a mesh strainer over a bowl, then line the strainer with cheesecloth or paper towels. Scoop the yogurt into the strainer, cover, and pop in the fridge for at least 4 hours. And don’t toss the whey when you’re done — it’ll add flavor to all kinds of tasty dishes. 
• Lemon – Fresh lemon juice simply can’t be beat, and you get the added benefit of lemon zest. To get the most juice from your fruit, give it a firm roll on the countertop for 10-15 seconds before slicing it open.
• Heavy Cream – Slightly lighter whipping cream will also work! 
• Fresh Fruit – We typically reach for strawberries or blueberries, but feel free to branch out. Berries, thinly sliced kiwi, thinly sliced mango, or pomegranate arils will all do the trick.

How To Make Lemon Mini Cheesecakes

If you ask us, the best lemon cheesecake recipe is an easy lemon cheesecake recipe. Here’s how it’s made:

Step 1: Prep. Take cream cheese out to soften to room temp. Preheat oven according to sugar cookie package directions. Divvy up the sugar cookie dough between 8 muffin tin wells and place in the oven.

Step 2: Make Sugar Cookie Cups. 5 minutes before the end baking time for the cookies, remove them from the oven and use a ¼-cup measuring spoon to turn them into cup shapes. Return to oven for final 5 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely. 

Step 3: Make No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Filling. Combine softened cream cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon zest & juice, and heavy whipping cream until creamy and uniform. 

Step 4: Assemble. Add the filling to the cooled cookie cups, then place in the fridge to set up for a minimum of 2 hours.

Step 5: Garnish & Serve. Use fresh fruit to decorate the tops of the mini cheesecakes. Enjoy!

Optional Variations

While we love these mini lemon cheesecakes just the way they’re written, there’s always room for a little customization in the CCLS kitchen! Here are a few variations to consider:

• Extra Zesty – For an extra tart lemon cheesecake filling, zest the entire lemon. Just be sure to only get the bright yellow parts, as the white pith is rather bitter. 
• Swap Your Citrus – These cheesecake cups can also be made in lime, orange, or grapefruit flavor! You’ll need about ¼ cup of citrus juice and up to a teaspoon of citrus zest.
• Trade The Cookie Base – Sugar cookies are simple, elegant, and go with whatever flavor you throw at them. Feel free to experiment with other premade cookie doughs like snickerdoodle, lemon (double citrus!), peanut butter, birthday cake, or even chocolate.
• Vegan – Use your favorite vegan cookie dough, then swap in plant-based cream cheese and yogurt and opt for canned unsweetened coconut cream (NOT cream of coconut).
• Gluten-Free – Use gluten-free cookie dough. The filling is naturally gluten-free!

Expert Tips

• Zest before juicing. It’s much cleaner that way, trust us. 😂
• Make sure to let the cookie cups cool completely before adding the filling. If the cookies are too warm, the filling won’t set up properly.
• Allow a minimum of 2 hours of refrigeration time for the cheesecake filling to set up. Patience is a virtue, y’all!

FAQs

More Easy Dessert/Easy Entertaining Recipes

• Irresistible Pecan Bacon Cheeseball
• Chocolate-Covered Oreo Delights: A Tempting Twist on a Classic Cookie
• Easy Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake
• Cream Cheese Lemon Squeeze Bars

If y’all tried this sumptuous recipe for Lemon Mini Cheesecake, holler and let us know how it turned out for you by giving us a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and commenting below. You can also always feel free to tag us (@creamcheeseandlemonsqueeze) in your social media posts so we can cheer you on.

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XO,

Anna & Ashley