Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prep and bake the graham crust
- Preheat the oven to 325F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners. Set the tin on a sheet pan to make it easier to move in and out of the oven.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, melted unsalted butter, and sugar, then press firmly into each liner. The crust should look packed and even on the bottom of each cup.
- Bake the crusts for 5 minutes at 325F. Look for a lightly set, fragrant crust before removing.
Cook the apple topping
- Cook the diced apples with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon for 5 minutes. Stir until the apples are softened and glossy, then cool completely.
Mix cheesecake filling and assemble
- Beat softened cream cheese and granulated sugar until smooth. The mixture should be creamy with no visible lumps.
- Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and cinnamon to the cream cheese mixture, then beat until fully combined. Scrape the sides as needed for an even batter.
- Fill each baked crust with cheesecake mixture and top with the cooked apples. Keep apple pieces centered so they don’t sink too far into the filling.
- Make mini crumble by mixing oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cold butter until it forms uneven sandy clumps. Scatter the crumble over each cheesecake with a gentle hand.
Bake and chill
- Bake for 20 to 22 minutes at 325F until the centers are just set. You should see a slight jiggle in the middle when the pan is tapped.
- Refrigerate for 3 hours to chill completely before serving. The tops will look firm and the filling will slice cleanly.
Notes
Pro tip: cool the apple topping fully before assembling so the cheesecake batter doesn’t loosen. Store mini cheesecakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days; freeze assembled minis (well wrapped) for up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Dietary swap: use lactose-free cream cheese and sour cream for a lactose-reduced version without changing the method.