Mini Cherry Cheesecakes are an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert that’s stayed popular for decades. Using vanilla wafers for the crust simplifies preparation and makes these perfect for potlucks, parties, or an everyday sweet treat.
If you remember these from 1990s potlucks, you’re not alone. They’re quick to assemble, bake in a single muffin tin, and finish with bright cherry pie filling for a delightful combination of creamy, sweet, and slightly tart flavors.
This version uses a couple of pantry shortcuts—vanilla wafers and canned cherry pie filling—so you can get great results with minimal fuss. There’s no water bath and no springform pan required, and the recipe yields a rich, creamy filling atop a crisp wafer base.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for exact quantities and helpful notes.
How to make mini cherry cheesecakes
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each liner (use two wafers per cup for a thicker crust, or mini wafers and a mini tin to make bite-sized cheesecakes).
In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese with sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla until the mixture is smooth. A few small lumps are fine—don’t overmix.
Divide the cream cheese filling evenly among the prepared cups, filling each about three-quarters full. You may have a small amount of extra batter; if you have an additional tin you can bake a few more cheesecakes.
Bake 18–20 minutes, or until the centers are mostly set and jiggle just slightly when you move the pan. The cheesecakes will puff while baking and settle as they cool—any slight sink in the center is perfect for holding the cherry topping.
Cool completely, then spoon cherry pie filling over each cheesecake. A 20-oz can will be more than enough; you’ll likely use about half. Refrigerate until chilled before serving. I usually leave the paper liners on for easy serving, but you can remove them carefully if you prefer.
Make ahead and Storage
These cheesecakes are ideal for making ahead. Bake and cool them, but wait to add the cherry filling until ready to serve. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 48 hours before topping. Leftovers keep up to 5 days refrigerated.
You can freeze the cheesecakes with or without topping (they freeze better without the cherry filling). Wrap tightly and freeze up to one month; thaw 24 hours in the refrigerator before serving.
Variations
- Swap the cherry pie filling for blueberry, raspberry, or strawberry for a different fruit flavor.
- Use mini Nilla wafers and a mini muffin tin to make at least 36 bite-sized cheesecakes.
- Double up the wafers for a thicker crust, or use a homemade graham cracker crust instead.
- For a chocolate twist, use an Oreo cookie as the crust in place of the vanilla wafer.
More Treats with cherry pie filling
- Old Fashioned Cherry Salad
- Cherry Coffee Cake
- Cherry Dump Cake
- Easy Chocolate Cherry Cake
- Punch Bowl Cake
- Cherry Delight
📖 Recipe
Mini Cherry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- 12 vanilla wafers
- 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 (20 oz) can cherry pie filling (you will only need about half)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each liner.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar, eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla until combined. A few small lumps are okay.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Bake 18–20 minutes, until the centers are mostly set and jiggle slightly.
- Remove from oven and cool completely. Spoon cherry pie filling over each cheesecake, refrigerate until chilled, and serve.
Notes
Make ahead: Bake and cool the cheesecakes, but don’t add the cherry topping until you’re ready to serve. Refrigerate, covered, up to 48 hours. Leftovers keep up to 5 days.
Mini version: Use mini Nilla wafers and a mini muffin tin; bake 12–15 minutes to yield at least 36 small cheesecakes.
Doneness: The centers should be mostly set with a slight jiggle. If the filling moves too freely, bake a few minutes longer and check again.
Variations: Try different pie fillings such as blueberry or raspberry, or use an Oreo for a chocolate crust.
Nutrition
More Cherry Recipes
Easy Cherry Salad-
Cherry Dump Cake with Pineapple
-
Cherry Coffee Cake
-
Poinsettia Cookies
