Easy Mini Lemon Cheesecakes, with a Blueberry Lavender Compote

Trying to find that perfect dessert for a party well look no further these mini lemon cheesecakes are the way to go. They are easy to make and will be devoured in seconds. These cheesecakes are creamy, tart and zesty, but balanced with a sweet blueberry lavender compote top.

• Baked vs No bake Cheesecakes
• Tools & Ingredients for Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
• How to make Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
• Decoration

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Baked vs No bake Cheesecakes

There are two types of cheesecakes the ones you need to bake and those that you don’t bake. So is one actually better than the other or are they pretty much the same?

Quick answer would be no they are not the same they each have distinct differences and these differences can be make or break for a lot of people. So lets look at some of these difference. I will also explain why I chose to do a baked cheesecake for this recipe.

Baked cheesecake key points:

• They tend to be denser, more substantial.
• The texture is described as rich and creamy.
• Baked cheesecakes will hold their shape.
• It uses eggs
• Need some skill when baking as they tend to crack if baked incorrectly, but for this recipe this isn’t a concern because of their size.

No Bake Cheesecake Key Points:

• They have a light, creamy and airy texture.
• No bake cheesecakes are quick and simple to make.
• Require a fridge to set
• They may need gelatin so that they will set up.
• If they are left out they will melt.

So whether you want a denser more substantial cheesecake or a light very creamy cheesecake there will be something for just right for you. So what about this recipe?

‘Baked’ Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

This recipe will use the baked cheesecake method but the difference between these mini cheesecakes and their larger counterparts is in the actual baking. Larger cheesecakes can be prone to cracking if baked incorrectly they require water baths aka bain maries and careful watching. These mini lemon cheesecakes do not require any of this they bake so quickly it really isn’t an issue.

I also think because these mini cheesecakes bake so quickly they retain more moisture, meaning the end results a deliciously light and creamy while at the same time holding their shape.

Holding their shape was also another reason for choosing the baked method. I didn’t want them melting and falling apart when left out without some sort of container. I wanted simple also with minimal cost. These cheesecakes just need cupcake liners and when left out they will retain their shape.

Tools & Ingredients for Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

Tools:

• Mixing bowl
• Electric beater or stand mixer with whisk attachment
• Small saucepan
• Spatulas or wooden spoons
• Mini chopper/ blender. or a ziplock® bag and rolling pin for crushing your Graham crackers.
• Muffin tins, you will need at least two as this recipe makes around 18 to 19 cheesecakes.
• Standard cupcake liners, you do not need fancy liners as they will be thrown away once the cheesecakes have cooled.
• Large cookie scoop, the 3 tablespoon, 45 ml size.

Ingredients:

• Graham crackers, you can crush them yourself which I like to do or you could buy the crumb if you want to make it easier. or if you are adventurous you could make your own graham crackers.
• Butter
• Granulated sugar
• Cream cheese, I buy the blocks rather than the plastic tubs for recipes like these, you ge more and they tend to be cheaper. Just a little tip.
• Sour cream, apparently by adding sour cream makes it more like a New York cheesecake.
• Large eggs
• Fresh lemon, you will need zest and juice. Might want an extra lemon if you would like to decorate them with a mini lemon slice. Candied peel might also be a lovely option too.
• Vanilla extract
• Blueberries, you can use fresh or frozen for the coulis. To decorate though you may want to use fresh blueberries.
• Lavender flowers, dried or fresh will work.
• Tea strainer or teabags

How to make Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

Line two muffin tins with cupcake liners.

Blueberry Lavender Compote topping

Begin by making the compote topping as this will need time to cook and then cool.

Place the blueberries, sugar into a small saucepan over a medium heat let the sugar melt down. Stir the sugar until it melts down, then add in the lavender that has been placed into either a tea strainer or teabag.

On a medium high heat simmer for around 12 minutes. We want to reduce the water content so that it will thicken as it cools. Make sure to give it a stir every now and again.

Place the compote off to the side to cool while you make the cheesecakes. You can leave the lavender in the compote as it cools, it only needs to be removed when you use the compote.

Base

To make the base start by crushing your graham crackers. Use either a mini blender or place the crackers into a bag and smash them with a rolling pin. You want them to be crushed down to into a fine texture.

Place these crumbs into a mixing bowl along with sugar and melted butter, mix them together well until the graham crackers look damp from the butter.

Add the crumb into each of the 18 liners, this should be just under dessertspoons worth. Use your fingers to press it down firmly into the base.

Place the muffin tins into the fridge to let the bases set and firm up. This only needs to be for around fifteen minutes to half an hour.

Cheesecake Filling

While the bases firm up in the fridge make the lemon cheesecake filling.

In a mixing bowl add the cream cheese and beat it really until it looks smooth, this should help avoid lumps in the filling

Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the sour cream, sugar, and pre beaten eggs. Beat these ingredients until it looks light and creamy.

Lastly add in the lemon zest and juice. Beat the filling once again to distribute the juice and zest thoroughly. You might need to scrape down the sides or even knock any cream cheese out of the beaters part way through.

Assembling Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

Now it is time to put all of these parts together.

Preheat oven to 350F, 175C

Take the bases out of the fridge and fill them with the cheesecake filling. If you have a larger sized cookie scoop use this, just over one scoop per liner is the perfect amount. You can also just use a spoon and fill the liners nearly to the top with the filling.

Place the cheesecakes into the preheated oven and bake for around 18 minutes. Do the jiggle test to see that they are done, wiggle the muffin tin gently and if the center of the cheesecakes jiggle a lot give the more time, you only want a little jiggle.

Remove the tins from the oven and leave the cheesecakes to cool. Do not remove the cheesecakes from the muffin tins yet. Don’t worry if they look a little domed shaped they will settle and flatten as they cool.

Once they have cooled down, now they can still be warm and once you see that the cheesecakes have flattened spoon a little of the compote over the tops. Spreading it well to cover the whole surface of the cheesecake.

Place the muffin tins in the fridge to finish cooling and setting up. Leave them for at least an hour or so. I tend to store them there until closer to the time that I need them.

To serve these mini lemon cheesecakes remove them carefully from the muffin tins. If they have become a little stuck just take a dinner or butter knife and gently nudge the side of the cheesecake and it should easily pop loose.

Now gently remove each mini cheesecake from the liners placing them onto a serving plate or platter and then decorate.

Decoration

If you would like to decorate the cheesecakes, here are a few of my personal suggestions to get you started. For example, you could use one—or even a combination—of these on your mini lemon cheesecakes:

• Fresh blueberries
• A mini lemon slice
• Candied lemon peel
• Candied lemons
• Lavender sprig
• Yellow and purple viola flower