Basic Mini Cheesecakes

As I have said before, cheesecake is my absolute favorite dessert ever. I’d say chocolate, but my chocolate intake would be more than a dessert. So I call that more of a staple. That works...right?! My mom is a kindergarten teacher, mom of five, and one of the busiest people I know. I’ll never understand how she could teach full-time, run my brothers to sports practices, make dinner, watch me cheer and my sister play volleyball, get piano practiced and homework finished, and run other errands around town all while keeping the house clean. She is totally Wonder Woman. But, she always has some chocolate hidden in a jar in her classroom or in the toaster cupboard at home, and she taught me that helps the day go by a little bit smoother. So, I just have to keep it there in my life too! And of course, put it on top of these great cheesecakes.

I like to make flavored cheesecakes so much. I love trying new things and mixing new flavors together that I know I will always love because, cheesecake. But, sometimes you just need that classic flavor. One of the perks to a plain cheesecake is that you can add any toppings you would like to it. Perfect for a cheesecake bar or something like that. Some I’d recommend: fruit, nuts, chocolate, caramel, and candies.

At first, I was a little surprised by the use of sour cream in these cheesecakes, but decided to just go with it and see how they turned out. I’d say it definitely made this classic flavor even better. I worry about cheesecake being too thick, and this really evened the texture out a lot. It also made the flavor not taste super strong. It was the perfect balance that we all aspire our cheesecakes to be at. I found the recipe from Tastemade as a creme brûlée cheesecake, and it didn't work out too well trying to broil the sugar in the oven....so I decided to top with my staple and they were amazing!

Ingredients

Cheesecake filling

2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 cup sour cream

Crust

1 sleeve graham crackers

4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Toppings of choice

Directions

1. Place muffin liners inside of muffin tins
2. Crush graham crackers in a sealed bag
3. Mix graham crackers with melted butter and add about 1 Tbsp. to muffin liners and press to bottom
4. Place in fridge and let chill for 15 minutes
5. Preheat oven to 300℉
6. In a mixing bowl (KitchenAid), beat cream cheese until smooth
7. Add vanilla, sugar, and salt mix until combined
8. Add eggs and sour cream
9. Divide mixture into muffin cups
10. Bake for about 20 minutes
11. After baking, chill in fridge for at least 1 hour
12. Top with favorite flavors