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Let's Bake

Easy Vanilla Cheesecakes

Yield Makes 9 mini cheesecakes 1x
Prep: 240 minutesCook: 25 minutesTotal: 4 hours 25 minutes

Learn how to make easy Baked Vanilla Cheesecakes from scratch.

Ingredients

Oat crust

  • 70 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
  • 150 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) quick oats (see notes)
  • 60 grams (1/3 cup) brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Vanilla cheesecake

  • 500 grams (2 and 1/2 cups) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
  • 100 grams (1/2 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar 
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 120 ml (1/2 cup) full fat sour cream
  • 1 teaspoon cornflour or corn starch

To decorate

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Set aside a 9-hole mini cheesecake pan (see notes). 
  2. To make the oat crust, place flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon (if using) and salt in a large mixing bowl. Pour over melted butter and stir together until a wet crumble forms.
  3. Spoon oat mixture into each hole of your cheesecake pan, as evenly as possible, and press down firmly using the back of a spoon. Bake crust for 5 minutes, then remove from oven and leave to cool while you make the cheesecake filling.
  4. Add cream cheese (make sure it’s at room temperature) to a large mixing bowl and beat for a minute or two until smooth and creamy. Add sugar and vanilla and beat again.
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed until incorporated. Finally, add sour cream and cornflour and beat briefly until combined –but try not to over mix. Divide cheesecake mixture over oat crusts, leaving room for the cheesecakes to rise slightly as they bake. 
  6. Bake cheesecakes in the oven for approximately 20 minutes or until they no longer wobble in the middle. Try not to over bake them as they will continue to cook as they cool.
  7. Leave cheesecakes in the oven with the door ajar (with the oven turned off) for at least 30 minutes. Remove cheesecakes and leave to cool at room temperature before transferring to the fridge.
  8. The cheesecakes are best left in the fridge for 2-3 hours until they cool completely and become nice and firm.
  9. To serve cheesecakes, dollop with whipped cream and top with fresh strawberries. 

Notes

Cheesecake pan: If you don’t have a mini cheesecake pan, you can use a regular muffin pan. This recipe will yield 12 muffin-sized cheesecakes, but keep in mind they will cook faster since they are smaller. I recommend checking them around the 15 minute mark. You can also make this recipe into one 8-inch cheesecake if you prefer. You will need to adjust the cooking time to around 35-40 minutes or until cheesecake no longer wobbles in the middle. 

Oats: Quick oats are thinner and finer than regular rolled oats. If you don’t have access to quick oats, you can briefly grind up regular rolled oats in a food processer until they form rough crumbs. 

Cream cheese: Be sure to use a block of full fat cream cheese (not light or fat free or the spreadable kind.)

Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla bean paste is vanilla extract that has vanilla beans flecks still in it – so it gives you those lovely vanilla bean spots in your cheesecake and adds a strong vanilla flavour. You can use vanilla extract instead or the seeds of 2 vanilla bean pods if you prefer.

Sour cream: You can substitute sour cream for full fat Greek yogurt. I don’t recommend leaving this ingredient out. 

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake Calories: 600 Sugar: 21.9 g Sodium: 471.8 mg Fat: 36.3 g Carbohydrates: 53.6 g Protein: 11.9 g Cholesterol: 160.8 mg
Nutrition information is a guide only.
Author: Jessica HolmesCategory: CheesecakesCuisine: American
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