Cheese Cupcakes

These no-bake cheese cupcakes are miniature cheesecakes in muffin liners, each with a buttery graham cracker crust pressed into the bottom and a smooth cream cheese filling that sets in the fridge without any baking.

The filling is straightforward: softened cream cheese beaten with sugar, eggs, and vanilla until completely smooth. It goes directly into the chilled crusts and firms up during refrigeration. No water bath, no cracking, no fussing with oven temperatures.

Right before serving, each one gets a spoonful of sour cream on top and fresh strawberries or other fruit. The sour cream adds a cool, tangy layer that balances the rich filling, and the fruit gives it color and freshness.

Pro Tips

• Chill the crusts for a full hour before filling. A warm crust absorbs moisture from the filling and gets soggy.
• Beat the cream cheese until completely smooth before adding the eggs. Lumps won’t smooth out once the eggs go in.
• The sour cream and fruit go on just before serving, not ahead of time. The sour cream slides off if it sits too long, and the fruit releases juice.
• Use paper liners for easy removal. Without them, the crumb crust sticks to the muffin tin.

Variations

• Top with blueberries, raspberries, or sliced kiwi instead of strawberries.
• Swap graham cracker crumbs for crushed vanilla wafers or chocolate cookie crumbs.
• Add a tablespoon of lemon zest to the filling for a citrus cheesecake version.