Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the center. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with liners.
- Stir the graham crumbs, 2 tbsp sugar and melted butter until it looks like wet sand. Press a heaping 1 1/2 tbsp firmly into each liner with the bottom of a small glass.
- Bake the crusts 5 minutes, then set the tin on a rack.
- Beat the cream cheese on low speed about 1 minute until completely smooth, scraping the bowl. Add the sugar, flour and salt and beat on low 1 minute.
- Beat in the sour cream and vanilla on low, then the eggs one at a time, mixing only until each disappears. Scrape the bowl and fold by hand until smooth; don't overmix.
- Fill each liner almost to the top (a scant 1/4 cup each) and tap the tin on the counter 2 or 3 times to release air bubbles.
- Bake 18 to 22 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers jiggle slightly. Don't open the oven during the first 15 minutes.
- Turn off the oven, prop the door open a few inches and leave the tin inside 15 minutes. Cool on a rack 30 minutes.
- Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Peel off the liners and add toppings just before serving.
Notes
Mini-muffin tin: use 2 tsp crust and about 1 1/2 tbsp filling per cup for about 24, and bake 12 to 15 minutes. Jumbo tin: 6 cheesecakes, 25 to 30 minutes. Use room-temperature, full-fat brick cream cheese, sour cream and eggs. Don't taste the raw batter. Keep refrigerated, never at room temperature more than 2 hours; store covered up to 5 days or freeze plain (no toppings) up to 2 months. Calories are an estimate per mini cheesecake (1/12), without toppings, from USDA FoodData Central values.
