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Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes are a deliciously festive dessert and the perfect single serving egg nog dessert for holiday parties or gatherings. Eggnog cheesecake is full of warm cozy flavor from eggnog, nutmeg, and cinnamon inside a buttery graham cracker crust – in mini form made in a muffin pan!
Can’t get enough eggnog during the holidays? Be sure and also make these amazing Eggnog Muffins that have this incredible brown sugar crumble and an eggnog glaze on top. Try my No Bake Eggnog Cream Pie for a simple no bake dessert that can be made the day before. Or this dessert-like breakfast or brunch and make Eggnog Bread Pudding complete with an eggnog custard sauce on top.
A Tasty Festive Eggnog Dessert Recipe
Portable, mini-sized, individual servings of eggnog cheesecake 😍 What could be better than that!
These mini sized cheesecakes with a buttery graham cracker crust, filled with a creamy and cozy eggnog cheesecake filling and then topped with whipped cream – are going to be a hit at any gathering or family dessert this holiday season.
I love making mini cheesecakes because cheesecake is naturally a very decadent and rich dessert, but in smaller size portions, it’s one of my favorite desserts. And this eggnog version is so cozy delicious.
Ingredients Needed
Graham Cracker Crust Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crumbs : You can buy these already crushed in fine crumbs (they come in a box which you can find in the baking aisle) or use whole graham cracker sheets and a food processor, to crush graham crackers into fine crumbs. Measure the crumbs for the correct amount if crushing your own.
- Light Brown Sugar
- Ground Nutmeg
- Salt : I use sea salt or kosher salt when baking.
- Butter : I use salted butter but unsalted butter can be used just as well if that’s what you prefer baking with.
Eggnog Cheesecake Ingredients
- Full-Fat Cream Cheese : For the best flavor and thick, creamy texture I highly recommend only using full-fat cream cheese. Lite or reduced-fat tends to have more water in it which makes it thinner and not as thick and creamy in desserts; especially in cheesecake.
- Granulated Sugar
- Sour Cream : It’s best to use full-fat sour cream.
- Eggnog
- Vanilla Extract
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Salt : Just a very small pinch, about 1/8 teaspoon, is all you need. I use sea salt when baking but kosher salt also works good.
- Large Eggs
How To Make Mini Eggnog Cheesecake In A Muffin Pan (Printable Recipe Card)
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a regular sized muffin pan (with 12 cups) with parchment paper liners and set the pan aside.
Make The Graham Cracker Crust : Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the melted butter in and stir until all the crumbs are thoroughly coated and the mixture looks like wet sand.
Divide the graham cracker crust mixture evenly amongst the lined muffin cups (about 1.5 tablespoons per muffin cup) and firmly press down to create the crust. Use the bottom of a glass cup or something small enough to fit inside the muffin cup so you can firmly compact the crust down.
Bake the crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely while you prepare the filling.
Make The Eggnog Cheesecake : In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or use a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and sour cream until smooth and creamy.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggnog, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat until well incorporated and combined.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. Do not overmix the eggs; beat in each egg just until it’s combined.
Fill each muffin cup with some cheesecake mixture; each one should be mostly full.
Bake the cheesecakes for 18-22 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly golden brown and the center is still slightly jiggly.
Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely, inside the muffin pan, to room temperature; about 1 hour.
Transfer the cheesecakes to an airtight container, or a plate covered with plastic wrap, or cover the muffin pan with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight for the best results.
When ready to serve, decorate each mini eggnog cheesecake with whipped cream (store-bought or homemade) and a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon. Enjoy these mini cheesecakes chilled.
How To Store Mini Cheesecakes
Store the cheesecakes inside an airtight container, in the refrigerator, for up to 3 to 4 days. Cheesecake is best served chilled straight from the fridge.
To freeze the cheesecakes, make sure they are completely cooled to room temperature, before placing the pan of mini cheesecakes into the freezer for 1 hour. Freezing them in the pan first ensures that they keep their shape. Remove the partially frozen cheesecakes to a freezer-safe container or bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the cheesecakes to thaw in the fridge before serving chilled.
Pro Tips From The Test Kitchen
- Use full-fat dairy products; cream cheese, sour cream, and eggnog for the richest and creamiest results.
- Make sure you are using the brick-style cream cheese, not the whipped cream cheese in a tub. The whipped cream cheese will break down during the baking process and leak excess moisture into the cheesecakes, resulting in an unpleasant texture.
- Ensure the dairy ingredients are at room temperature before starting. Set them out at room temperature for up to 2 hours before starting. This will ensure a smooth, creamy cheesecake filling with no lumps.
- Refrain from overmixing the cheesecake batter once the eggs have been added. Overmixing the eggs will incorporate additional air into the batter and may cause the cheesecakes to crack once baked.
- Do not overbake the cheesecakes. They are done baking when the edges look set and just starting to get a very light golden brown color to them. The center of each cheesecake should still have a slight jiggle to it – that is ok and it’s want you want to see. The centers will continue to set while cooling and you’ll end up with a soft and creamy cheesecake.
- Feel free to change up the crust by using Nilla wafer crumbs, gingersnap cookie crumbs, Golden Oreos or another favorite cookie. I recommend not using the nutmeg if you’re using gingersnap cookie crumbs.
Mini Eggnog Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon salt (I use sea salt)
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
Eggnog Cheesecake
- 2 bars (8 oz each) full-fat cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons full-fat sour cream
- 1/3 cup eggnog
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ⅛ teaspoon salt (just a small pinch)
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. Line a regular sized muffin pan (with 12 cups) with parchment paper liners and set the pan aside.
Make The Graham Cracker Crust
- Add the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, nutmeg, and salt to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine.1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add the melted butter in and stir until all the crumbs are thoroughly coated and the mixture looks like wet sand.3 tablespoons butter
- Divide the graham cracker crust mixture evenly amongst the lined muffin cups (about 1.5 tablespoons per muffin cup) and firmly press down to create the crust.*Use the bottom of a glass cup or something small enough to fit inside the muffin cup so you can firmly compact the crust down.
- Bake the crusts for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely while you prepare the filling.
Make The Eggnog Cheesecake
- In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or use a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, and sour cream until smooth and creamy.2 bars (8 oz each) full-fat cream cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 3 tablespoons full-fat sour cream
- Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the eggnog, vanilla extract, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt and beat until well incorporated and combined.1/3 cup eggnog, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed just until incorporated. Do not overmix the eggs; beat in each egg just until it's combined.2 large eggs
- Fill each muffin cup with some cheesecake mixture; each one should be mostly full.
- Bake the cheesecakes for 18-22 minutes or until the edges are set and lightly golden brown and the center is still slightly jiggly.
- Remove the cheesecakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely, inside the muffin pan, to room temperature; about 1 hour.
- Transfer the cheesecakes to an airtight container, or a plate covered with plastic wrap, or cover the muffin pan with plastic wrap or a lid, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to overnight for the best results.
- When ready to serve, decorate each mini eggnog cheesecake with whipped cream (store-bought or homemade) and a dusting of nutmeg or cinnamon. Enjoy these mini cheesecakes chilled.
Notes
- Use full-fat dairy products; cream cheese, sour cream, and eggnog for the richest and creamiest results.
- Make sure you are using the brick-style cream cheese, not the whipped cream cheese in a tub. The whipped cream cheese will break down during the baking process and leak excess moisture into the cheesecakes, resulting in an unpleasant texture.
- Ensure the dairy ingredients are at room temperature before starting. Set them out at room temperature for up to 2 hours before starting. This will ensure a smooth, creamy cheesecake filling with no lumps.
- Refrain from overmixing the cheesecake batter once the eggs have been added. Overmixing the eggs will incorporate additional air into the batter and may cause the cheesecakes to crack once baked.
- Do not overbake the cheesecakes. They are done baking when the edges look set and just starting to get a very light golden brown color to them. The center of each cheesecake should still have a slight jiggle to it – that is ok and it’s want you want to see. The centers will continue to set while cooling and you’ll end up with a soft and creamy cheesecake.
- Feel free to change up the crust by using Nilla wafer crumbs, gingersnap cookie crumbs, Golden Oreos or another favorite cookie. I recommend not using the nutmeg if you’re using gingersnap cookie crumbs.
Nutrition
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