
These creamy, bite-sized mini cheesecakes feature a buttery graham cracker crust and a silky smooth filling topped with fresh berries. Perfectly portioned for parties, they are much easier to bake than a full-sized cheesecake and just as delicious.
Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F), or 140°C for fan-forced ovens. Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Line a standard 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners.
Prepare the crust: Place the digestive biscuits or graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they form fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, 1 tablespoon of caster sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Pulse until the mixture resembles wet sand.
Divide the crust mixture evenly among the 12 muffin holes. Press the mixture down firmly into a flat, even layer using the bottom of a small glass or a 1/3 cup measuring tool.
Bake the crusts for 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake filling.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth (about 10 seconds). Do not over-beat.
Add the flour, vanilla extract, sour cream, remaining sugar, and lemon zest to the cream cheese. Beat on medium speed just until the ingredients are combined.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating on low speed after each addition until just incorporated. The batter should be thick and smooth, similar to pancake batter.
Divide the filling evenly among the muffin holes, filling them almost to the rim (about 3mm from the top). Bake for 20 minutes. The centers should still have a slight jiggle.
Remove from the oven and let the cheesecakes cool in the tin at room temperature for 1 hour. Once cooled, cover loosely with parchment paper and plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 6 hours (preferably overnight) to set.
Before serving, prepare the Chantilly cream: In a chilled bowl, beat the heavy cream and icing sugar until stiff peaks form.
Gently peel the paper liners off the chilled cheesecakes. Top each with a dollop of cream, fresh berries, and a sprig of mint. Dust lightly with icing sugar and serve.
For the smoothest filling, ensure your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature before mixing. To prevent cracks, avoid over-beating the batter once the eggs are added, as this incorporates too much air.




