Easy No Crust Mini Cheesecakes
These no crust mini cheesecakes are everything I love in a dessert: creamy, luscious, and easy to make. The flavor is rich with vanilla and a hint of lemon, the texture is silky-smooth, and because there’s no crust to fuss with, they come together quickly. Whether you’re celebrating the special people in your life or just treating yourself (yes, you deserve it!), this easy recipe is one you’ll come back to again and again.
Table of Contents
Why You'll Love This Recipe
These individual cheesecakes are as versatile as they are delicious. Made with cream cheese and sour cream, they strike that ideal balance of tangy and sweet, with a creamy texture that melts in your mouth. A hint of lemon zest and vanilla paste gives the filling a bright, nuanced flavor. Since they’re crustless, the prep is extra quick, and they bake in individual ramekins for easy serving (no fighting over portions!). They also freeze beautifully, making them a great make-ahead dessert for entertaining or anytime indulgence.
I love serving these cheesecakes with this Homemade Strawberry Sauce, but I couldn’t decide between that or raspberry puree, so I put it to a vote on Substack Notes—and the community was split! I therefore included both. Fresh fruit, Port-Braised Cherries, or even stewed peaches would also all be delicious. Just don’t overdo the topping—you want the cheesecake to shine. For a truly decadent twist, top them with a drizzle of chocolate ganache or a dollop of homemade whipped cream.
For crunch, I top the cheesecakes with maple almond clusters, but feel free to substitute granola, crumbled gingersnaps, or graham crackers. This recipe is flexible and encourages you to follow your intuition.
Nicki's Tip: Food can be a wonderful tool to practice reparenting ourselves. As I explained in this newsletter about emotional nourishment:
“…these moments give us an opportunity to reparent ourselves. When we feed ourselves deliberately and with intention, we can become our own loving parent, providing the nurturing our hearts are seeking. The goal isn’t to make the emotions go away, but to be with them fully and with love, feeding them as you would a small child. This can help us feel safe and supported, even if we’re all alone.”
We can intentionally take the time to make ourselves a meal or snack, simply to express our love. We can gently encourage ourselves to eat when our stomachs are tight with despair. We can bake a cake or homemade cookies for our own sheer pleasure, in celebration of being alive.
Ingredients You'll Need
All you need to pull together this crowd-pleasing dessert are a handful of simple ingredients. Here's a high level overview of what you'll need:
- Cream cheese: The base of the cheesecake filling, providing richness and body. Make sure it’s fully at room temperature to avoid lumps.
- Organic cane sugar (or regular granulated sugar): Adds sweetness.
- Lemon zest & juice: Adds brightness and cuts through the richness.
- Vanilla paste: Offers a deeper vanilla flavor than extract—my go-to secret for elevating baked goods.
- Fine sea salt: Just a pinch enhances all the other flavors.
- Sour cream: Lightens the texture while keeping it creamy.
- Large eggs: Bind the mixture and help it set during baking.
For more lovely desserts, try a slice of Cherry Almond Ricotta Cake or a cup of tea and a piece of Gluten-Free Carrot Cake.
How to Make No Crust Mini Cheesecakes
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 325°F. Spray six 8-ounce ramekins with cooking spray and dust with sugar, tapping out the excess.
Step 2: In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or use a hand mixer), blend the cream cheese and sugar until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides.
Step 3: Add lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla paste, and salt. Mix to combine. Beat in the sour cream until smooth.
Step 4: Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Step 5: Divide the batter among the ramekins. Shimmy to level, then place in a roasting pan. Add hot tap water to come halfway up the sides.
Step 6: Bake for 23–26 minutes, until the tops are matte but the centers still wobble slightly. Cool in the water bath for 1 hour, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days. To serve, run a thin knife around each ramekin and invert onto plates. Spoon over your desired topping and finish with crunchy almond clusters.
Recipe Tips
- Be sure to bring your cream cheese and eggs to room temperature before beginning—this will prevent a lumpy batter.
- Vanilla paste gives these cheesecakes a more pronounced vanilla bean flavor than extract, at a fraction of the cost of fresh vanilla beans. It’s my secret weapon when baking, and lasts forever in the pantry. You can use the seeds from ½ of a fresh bean instead, or swap in vanilla extract if you must.
- The cheesecakes bake in 8-ounce ramekins. You can use smaller ramekins or even oven-proof cups, but the cooking time will vary, so check them early.
- The homemade strawberry sauce is also fabulous on waffles, pancakes, pound cake, yogurt and ice cream.
- To make raspberry puree, cook a 10-ounce bag of frozen raspberries in a small pot over medium-low heat until the berries are softened and bubbling (you can add a small splash of water, if needed). Strain the raspberries through a fine-mesh strainer, using a rubber spatula to push and scrape out as much puree as possible. You can serve the puree as-is, or sweeten it with powdered sugar to taste. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, but be sure to line them with parchment or paper liners. The baking time may decrease slightly.
They should look set around the edges and just slightly wobbly in the center. Don’t overbake!
Strawberry jam, raspberry puree, fresh fruit, chocolate ganache, raspberry puree (see the tips), fresh berries, fruit compote, roasted rhubarb, lemon curd, stewed peaches, or a dollop of homemade whipped cream are all great options.
Definitely. Try granola, crumbled cookies, or even nothing at all for a pure cheesecake experience.
*This post contains Amazon and other affiliate links to products I use and love (from which I earn income, at no cost to you). Thank you for supporting From Scratch Fast!
These crustless mini cheesecakes are a creamy, customizable treat that you can truly make your own. Whether you’re baking for a special occasion or stashing a few in the freezer for later, they’re a gluten-free cheesecake that always hits the spot.
If you try this mini cheesecake recipe, I’d love to hear how you topped them—leave a comment or snap a pic and tag me! For another simple summer favorite, you might love these Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcakes.
More Delicious Dessert Recipes
I'd love to answer any of your questions and see what you're cooking!! Don't forget to give this recipe a star rating and leave a comment below. Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube & Pinterest, and be sure to tag @nickisizemore so that I can share your creations!
Easy No Crust Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- ¼ cup (50g) organic cane sugar (or regular granulated sugar), plus more for ramekins
- 12 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 cup (240g) sour cream
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
For serving (optional):
- Homemade Strawberry Sauce raspberry puree (see the notes below), fresh berries, fruit compote or curd. Click to get the strawberry sauce recipe.
- Maple Almond Clusters, recipe below
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325˚F (160˚C). Spray six 8-ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Dust them with sugar to coat, tapping out the excess sugar (this will ensure a non-stick coating).
Make the cheesecakes:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or you can use hand beaters), combine the cream cheese and ¼ cup sugar. Beat until completely smooth and creamy, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides. Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, vanilla and salt. Beat until combined. Plop in the sour cream and beat until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides once or twice. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each. Be sure to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Divide the mixture among the prepared ramekins. Shimmy the ramekins back and forth on your counter to smooth out the batter. Transfer the ramekins to a straight-sided baking dish or roasting pan. Carefully pour hot tap water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
- Bake the cheesecakes until they’re just set—they should look matte on top but should wobble ever so slightly in the middle—about 23–26 minutes. Let the cheesecakes cool in the water bath for 1 hour, then remove them from the pan and refrigerate (covered) until cold, at least 3 hours, or up to 2 days.
To serve:
- Run a small, thin knife around each cheesecake. Invert the cheesecakes onto serving plates—to do this, place a plate on top of the ramekin then flip it over. Give it a gentle shake up and down to release the cake from the ramekin. There will be some liquid that comes out of the ramekin—you can carefully pour it off, blot it dry, or simply not worry about it (it’s due in part to the sugar coating).
- Spoon the strawberry sauce on top of the cheesecakes or drizzle the raspberry puree around the edges (or garnish them any way you’d like!). Sprinkle the cheesecakes with the candied almond clusters, and enjoy.
Notes
- Vanilla paste gives these cheesecakes a more pronounced vanilla bean flavor than extract, at a fraction of the cost of fresh vanilla beans. It’s my secret weapon when baking, and lasts forever in the pantry. You can use the seeds from ½ of a fresh bean instead, or swap in vanilla extract if you must.
- The cheesecakes bake in 8-ounce ramekins. You can use smaller ramekins or even oven-proof cups, but the cooking time will vary, so check them early.
- The homemade strawberry sauce is also fabulous on waffles, pancakes, pound cake, yogurt and ice cream.
- To make raspberry puree, cook a 10-ounce bag of frozen raspberries in a small pot over medium-low heat until the berries are softened and bubbling (you can add a small splash of water, if needed). Strain the raspberries through a fine-mesh strainer, using a rubber spatula to push and scrape out as much puree as possible. You can serve the puree as-is, or sweeten it with powdered sugar to taste. It will keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Maple Almond Clusters
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or virgin coconut oil
- 1½ tablespoons maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup sliced almonds
