Mini Easter cheesecakes is an easy dessert for Easter that’s fun to make and even funner to eat! Easy, no-bake, make-ahead, no-fail recipe that’s fit for a crowd.
(Looking for an easy Easter dessert for kids? Make a batch of these chocolate cornflake clusters. The kids can even help you make them! They will also enjoy this Easter Bunny cake from Jennifer over at Mommy Evolution.)
Easter is such an important event for us because, among other things, it’s the first major holiday of the the new year after a long (long) winter.
So on Easter, we usher in spring and sunshine and flowers and warmer weather. Regardless of your religious beliefs, those are things definitely worth celebrating!
Chocolates (in mini eggs, Easter eggs, or any form) are the preferred Easter treat. I don’t know why that is, but I’m on board with that! And these mini Easter cheesecakes are filled with it.
Plus, they’re no-bake so you don’t need to worry about water baths and cracking and all the stress that comes with baking a cheesecake. Watch the video, it’s such an easy recipe!
Good thing too because it will be gone in a flash. You’ll definitely want to make more.
Why you’ll love making these mini cheesecakes for Easter
Easter is a busy time and these cheesecakes will soon become your go-to Easter dessert because:
- They’re easy to make. All you need to do is mix and chill. You can even get the kids to do it!
- You can make them ahead. So all you’ll need to do on Easter is bring them out and serve.
- It’s easy to make substitutions. No M&Ms? You can use Cadbury Mini Eggs. No graham crackers? You can use crushed vanilla wafers or digestive biscuits.
- It’s easy to double the recipe for a crowd. Double the recipe for double the fun.
How to make mini Easter cheesecakes (step-by-step photos)
Making these Easter cheesecakes is so easy. Use pastel or Easter-themed M&Ms for an extra boost of fun and colour.
1. MAKE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, melted butter and salt until the mixture resembles wet sand.
2. TRANSFER CRUST TO PAN. Scoop about 2 heaping tablespoons of crust into each cavity of your mini cheesecake pan
and press firmly to the bottom. If you don’t have a mini cheesecake pan, you can use a regular muffin pan
lined with cupcake liners. Set this aside while you make your cheesecake filling.
3. MAKE CREAM CHEESE MIXTURE. In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, sugar, sour cream and vanilla extract until smooth and incorporated.
4. ADD WHIPPED CREAM AND CHOCOLATES. Fold heavy cream that’s been whipped to stiff peaks. Then fold Easter M&Ms
. If you can’t find Easter or pastel M&Ms, regular M&Ms will do just fine.
5. TRANSFER TO PAN. Transfer your cream cheese mixture to your pan and smoothen the tops.
6. CHILL AND ENJOY. Chill the cheesecakes overnight. Un-mold the cheesecakes from the pan and to serve, top with more whipped cream and chocolate.
Ingredients
You’ll need basic baking and pantry staples for this recipe:
- Graham cracker crumbs
– I use the pre-crushed crumbs but you can certainly buy the cookies and crush them yourself - Granulated sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Salt
- Cream cheese – ideally, buy full-fat cream cheese. I always use Philadelphia cream cheese, the ones available in blocks
- Vanilla extract
- Sour cream
- Heavy cream – heavy cream has milk fat content between 36-40%
- M&Ms – or whatever chocolate you prefer
– I use the pre-crushed crumbs but you can certainly buy the cookies and crush them yourself
Baking tools
You can easily make these cute Easter desserts using your handheld electric mixer (like I do in the video) though I like using my stand mixer to whip the heavy cream.
I also love using my mini cheesecake pan because the mini cheesecakes come out so nice and professional. If you like baking a lot of mini cheesecakes I say go for it, it’s a worthwhile investment.
If not, I really wouldn’t bother because it’s a little pricey for something you won’t use all the time. And a regular muffin pan lined with cupcake liners works too. See FAQs for more details.
Tips for success
No-bake cheesecakes are some of the easiest desserts you can make. They’re low maintenance but taste just as delicious as their baked counterparts.
To make the process easier just remember:
- Use room temperature ingredients. This will result to a smoother cheesecake and quicker mixing time.
- Use full-fat heavy cream (fat content between 36 and 40%). They whip better and provide better structure and stability for your cheesecakes.
- Pack the crust in tightly. A common issue I have with no-bake mini cheesecakes is that sometimes the crust crumbles when I take them out of the pan. So first I make sure that the mixture is well combined before transferring to the pan. We don’t want dry pieces of graham crackers in there. Second, I make sure to pack it in tightly on the bottom of the pan using a shot glass, a teaspoon or my fingers.
- Chill overnight. Sometimes no-bake cheesecakes look ready after just 2 hours in the fridge. But don’t take the chance of taking it out too early or it will collapse. Better plan ahead so that the cheesecake can chill properly (overnight or about 8 hours) so you have perfect little desserts the next day.
Recipe FAQs
If you don’t have a mini cheesecake pan, you can:
– Use a regular cupcake pan lined with cupcake liners or
– Layer your cheesecake in mason jars or parfait cups
Unlike many no-bake cheesecake recipes, this one doesn’t use gelatine to help set the filling. To ensure it firms up properly:
– Use heavy cream (36-40% milk fat content)
– Whip it to stiff peaks
– Allow the cheesecake enough time to set (I usually chill mine overnight)
Some of the common reasons no bake cheesecakes don’t set include: using the wrong kind of cream, not whipping the cream enough, not chilling the cake long enough, or ratios are just off.
Happily, there are easy fixes.
– Try to freeze the cheesecake instead of chilling it in the fridge. Take it out after a few hours and see if you can get a clean slice.
– Instead of serving the cheesecake sliced on a plate, serve it in bowls. It will still be delicious.
You must make this recipe at least 1 day ahead of when you’re planning to serve to give the cheesecake time to set.
I personally only chill my cheesecakes but I’ve read that they freeze beautifully. Here’s a great read on how to properly freeze cheesecakes that you might want to check out.
It’s best to serve this the day after it’s made.
Leftovers can keep up to 3 days in the fridge, stored in an airtight container.
You can still eat them after that, however, you’ll notice that the crust will start to become soggy and liquid will begin to pool at the bottom of your container as the cream begins to melt and break down.
You can have fun with these Easter cheesecakes and make them your own.
Top them with whipped cream and chocolate. Sprinkle chopped nuts or toasted coconut. Drizzle them with chocolate or caramel syrup.
You can even set up a make-your-own cheesecake bar for the ultimate Easter dessert fun.
More Easter desserts recipes
No-bake mini Easter cheesecakes are just so colourful and fun. Easy to make and they contain no eggs and no gelatin too. Hope you like them!
If you’re looking for more yummy treats to serve on this special occasion, try these other no-bake desserts.
Filipinos love refrigerator cakes (sometimes called graham cracker cakes or icebox cakes) because they’re so easy to make and they’re nice and cold!
Choose from either this mango graham cake or mango float or this strawberry refrigerator cake. You will not be disappointed.
If you want to stick to cheesecakes, you will love this no-bake lemon cheesecake. Light, creamy, lemony cheesecake on an Oreo cookie crust. Or try this creamy, dreamy no-bake orange cheesecake for a spectacularly refreshing treat.
Peeps sugar cookies are a fun and delicious Easter treat too. We love making no bake Toblerone cheesecakes as well.
If you’re looking for stunning cakes to welcome spring and celebrate Easter, check out this delicious recipe round-up.
Enjoy!
Mini Easter Cheesecakes (No Bake)
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- pinch salt
For the cream cheese filling:
- 1 8-oz block cream cheese softened
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup heavy cream whipped to stiff peaks
- 1 cup M&Ms chocolate roughly chopped or crushed
Instructions
- If you're using a mini cheesecake pan, lightly spray the bottom of each cavity with cooking spray. If you're using a muffin pan, line each cavity with a cupcake liner. Set aside.
- To make the crust, in a large bowl, combine 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tbsp granulated sugar, ¼ cup melted butter and a pinch salt. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand.
- Scoop about 2 heaping tablespoons of crust into each cavity of your mini cheesecake pan or muffin pan and press firmly to the bottom. Set aside while you make your cheesecake filling.
- In a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat cream cheese, ¼ cup sugar, ½ cup sour cream and ½ tsp vanilla extract until smooth and incorporated.
- Fold your whipped cream until incorporated.
- Next fold your crushed M&M chocolate until combined and evenly distributed.
- Transfer your cream cheese mixture to your pan and smoothen the tops.
- Chill the cheesecakes overnight. Un-mold the cheesecakes from the pan and to serve, top with more whipped cream and chocolate.
Video
Notes
- The yield may vary according to the kind of pan you use.
- See the post for the complete step-by-step photos and tips for making perfect no-bake cheesecakes every time.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
Happy no-baking!
Did you make mini Easter cheesecakes? I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below.
Janice
I was lucky to have all ingredients on hand except M&Ms so used Cadbury chocolate eggs instead and everyone loved it. So easy to make I never thought cheesecake was so easy to do. Thanks for the recipe! Definitely making again.
Jolina
Hi Janice! Glad you liked them. This is one of my most requested cheesecake recipes when people come over 🙂
Christa
These are so colorful and festive! They also look delicious. This would be such a fun recipe to try with the kids.
Nell
These are perfect for Easter! And I love no-bake treats.
Asia
Love no-bake recipes, they are easy to make and easy to clean up! I have to try this for the Easter season! I love cheesecake!
Mel
My kids will go ga-ga over these! How fun are those M&Ms! I think I see them on shelves already. Definitely making these mini cheesecakes for Easter.
Nati
These mini cheesecakes are so cute and look delicious! They are perfect for so many occasions, not only Easter!
Jolina
I agree! I want them for my birthday…every year LOL 🙂
Anziee
These mini cheesecakes look so cute and yummy And they are easy to make also, definitely will give your recipe a try!
Stephanie
Yes, these look amazing!! Cheesecake is my husband’s favorite and I love anything chocolate so this is a great way to combine them both for us!
Holly Lasha
Ooh, yummy. These cheesecakes look delicious. I love whipping up fun Easter themed desserts.