Concept & What to Expect
Mini Cinnamon Roll Cheesecakes are bite‑sized cheesecakes with:
A crisp or tender crust (often graham cracker, digestive, or cookie base)
A smooth cream cheese cheesecake filling
A swirl of cinnamon‑sugar “roll” filling folded into or layered on top
A glaze or frosting finish reminiscent of cinnamon roll icing
They combine best of both worlds: the tang and richness of cheesecake + the sweet spice and swirl of cinnamon rolls.
Because they’re small (muffin tin size), they bake more quickly, chill faster, and make serving easy. Many versions online follow this pattern (crust, filling, swirl, frosting, chilling).
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🛒 Ingredients (for ~12 mini cheesecakes)
Here’s a generous full list. You can scale up or down.
Crust
1 cup (≈ 120 g) graham cracker crumbs (or digestive/cookie crumbs)
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4 tbsp (≈ 56 g) unsalted butter, melted
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1 tbsp granulated sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon (optional, for extra warmth)
Cheesecake Filling
16 oz (≈ 450 g) cream cheese, softened (room temperature)
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½ cup (≈ 100 g) granulated sugar
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1 tsp vanilla extract
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½ cup (≈ 120 g) sour cream (or Greek yogurt)
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2 large eggs, room temperature
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1 tsp ground cinnamon
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Cinnamon Swirl / Filling
⅓ cup brown sugar (packed)
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1 tbsp ground cinnamon
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2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened or melted
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Frosting / Glaze / Icing (optional topping)
4 oz (≈ 113 g) cream cheese, softened
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2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
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½ cup (≈ 60–65 g) powdered sugar
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½ tsp vanilla extract
1–2 tbsp milk or cream to thin (if needed)
Extras & Garnishes
Ground cinnamon or cinnamon‑sugar to sprinkle on top
Fresh fruit or berries (optional)
Muffin liners or cupcake liners
Nonstick spray or butter for greasing
⏱ Timing & Overview
Here’s how the timeline typically goes:
Prep & mixing: ~20–30 minutes
Baking: ~20–25 minutes
Cooling & chilling: 2–4 hours (or overnight for best set)
Frosting & final touches: ~10 minutes
Total time: ~3 hours (active ~1 hr) depending on chill time.
👩🍳 Step‑by‑Step Instructions
1. Preheat & Prepare Muffin Tin
Preheat your oven to 325 °F (≈ 163 °C) (many recipes use 325 °F for mini cheesecakes)
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Line a standard 12‑cup muffin tin with paper liners or grease well.
2. Make the Crust
In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, (cinnamon), and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Divide the mixture among the muffin cups (about 1 heaping tablespoon per cup).
Press down firmly (use the bottom of a small glass or the back of a spoon) to form a solid crust base.
(Optional) You can pre‑bake the crusts for 5 minutes to set them. Some versions do this.
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Let crusts cool while you prepare the filling.
3. Prepare the Cinnamon Swirl
In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, and butter until combined into a spreadable paste.
This swirl will be used to swirl or layer into the cheesecake batter.
4. Make the Cheesecake Filling
In a large bowl (or stand mixer), beat the softened cream cheese with granulated sugar until smooth and creamy (no lumps).
Add in vanilla extract, sour cream, and ground cinnamon, mixing until well combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, gently mixing after each addition. Be careful not to overmix (to avoid incorporating too much air).
The resulting batter should be smooth, silky, and slightly thick.
5. Fill & Swirl
Spoon or pipe a bit of the cheesecake batter over each crust base (fill about half to two‑thirds of the cup).
Drop small dollops (½ teaspoon or so) of the cinnamon swirl mixture on top of the batter.
Use a toothpick or skewer to swirl the cinnamon mixture gently through the cheesecake batter, creating a marbled effect.
Add more cheesecake batter on top to fill the cups (leaving ~2 mm of headspace).
(Optional) Add additional swirl dollops on top and swirl again lightly.
6. Bake
Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet (to catch spills) and bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the edges of each mini cheesecake look set and the center has a slight jiggle.
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Once baking time is up, turn off oven, crack the oven door, and leave the mini cheesecakes inside for 10–15 minutes to cool gradually (this helps prevent cracks). Some versions do this “cool in oven” step.
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Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2–4 hours, ideally overnight, to fully set.
7. Prepare Frosting / Glaze (Optional)
While the cheesecakes chill:
In a bowl, beat softened cream cheese and butter until smooth.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mixing until creamy.
Add milk/cream, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches a pipeable consistency.
Transfer to a piping bag with a small tip, or use a zip‑lock bag with a corner cut off.
8. Frost & Finish
Once the mini cheesecakes are chilled and set, pipe or spread the frosting on top in swirls or dollops.
Optionally, dust with cinnamon, cinnamon sugar, powdered sugar, or sprinkle crushed cookie crumbs.
Let frosting set a bit in the fridge if very soft.
9. Serve & Store
Serve chilled.
Store leftover mini cheesecakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3–4 days.
You can also freeze them (without frosting) and thaw in the fridge before serving.
🧠 Tips & Best Practices
Softened cream cheese is essential — bring it to room temperature before mixing.
Beat gently after adding eggs — avoid overmixing and creating too much air.
Swirl control: Don’t over-swirl — you want visible cinnamon ribbons, not total mixing.
Avoid cracks by cooling slowly (in oven with door cracked) and not excessively heating.
Chill thoroughly — mini cheesecakes always taste better after full chilling.
Use liners or nonstick spray for easy removal.
Uniform fill: Use a scoop or piping bag so all mini cheesecakes have similar volumes.
Flavor balance: The cinnamon swirl is sweet and strong—taste and adjust its ratio.
Freeze carefully: Frosting may not hold well after freezing; if freezing, freeze unfrosted, then frost after thawing.
Serve cold — these are best chilly, not room temperature for long.
🧩 Variations & Flavor Twists
No‑Bake Version: Some versions forego baking and use whipped cream + gelatin or whipped cream folded into cream cheese base with digestives or biscuit crust, and cinnamon sugar topping. (Kitchn has a no-bake version)
The Kitchn
Oreo Base: Use Oreo or chocolate cookie crumbs for the base (like “Mini Cinnamon Roll Oreo Cheesecakes”)
The Spiffy Cookie
Extra swirl: Use more of the cinnamon swirl in between layers or layer alternating plain and swirl.
Coffee or spice boost: Add a touch of espresso powder, nutmeg, cardamom to the cheesecake or swirl.
Fruit surprise: Add a small strawberry, raspberry, or apple chunk in the swirl or topping.
Lighter version: Use lower-fat cream cheese or half cream cheese + half Greek yogurt, though texture may lighten.
Vegan / dairy-free: Use vegan cream cheese, dairy-free yogurt, and plant-based butter; use agar or stabilizer if needed.
Mini / bite size: Use mini muffin tins for very small bites.
Layered jars: Create a parfait-style version in a glass jar: crust, cheesecake, swirl, repeat, top with frosting.
📏 Sample Clean Recipe (Printable)
Ingredients (for ~12 mini cheesecakes)
Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tbsp sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
4 tbsp melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
16 oz cream cheese, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Cinnamon Swirl
⅓ cup brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter (softened)
Frosting / Glaze (optional)
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter
½ cup powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
1–2 tbsp milk/cream
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325 °F (163 °C). Line muffin tin with liners.
Mix crust ingredients; press into bottoms of muffin cups; optionally pre-bake 5 minutes.
Mix swirl: brown sugar + cinnamon + butter.
Beat cream cheese + sugar until smooth. Add vanilla, sour cream, cinnamon. Then beat in eggs one at a time.
Fill each cup with part of cheesecake batter (about halfway). Drop swirl dollops, swirl with toothpick. Pour more batter to fill nearly full.
Bake 20–25 min until edges set and centers jiggle slightly. After baking, turn off oven, crack door, cool inside 10–15 minutes, then remove and chill fully.
Prepare frosting: beat cream cheese + butter, add powdered sugar, vanilla, thin with milk.
Frost chilled cheesecakes, dust with cinnamon sugar or garnish.
Serve chilled. Store in fridge (3–4 days).
✅ Why These Are So Good & Why You’ll Make Them Again
Combining the fan-favorite flavors of cinnamon roll + cheesecake means each bite is cozy, indulgent, and layered.
The mini size makes them perfect for parties, portion control, serving without slicing, and visual appeal.
They are customizable — you can adjust swirl amount, crust type, or frosting style.
The swirl design gives a beautiful presentation (marble effect) without complexity.
You can make ahead (cook, refrigerate, frost later) — great for planning.
They offer contrast: creamy interior, crust/bottom, sweet spice swirl, and optionally frosting.
If you like, I can convert this recipe into metric units with Moroccan local ingredients, or send you a no-bake version or keto version. Do you prefer that?
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