Description
These Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes feature a buttery graham cracker crust, a creamy cheesecake center, and your choice of strawberry frosting or sauce—perfect for picnics, brunches, or holiday dessert tables.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
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1 cup graham cracker crumbs
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3 tablespoons brown sugar
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¼ cup melted butter
Cheesecake Filling
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16 oz cream cheese, softened
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½ cup sour cream
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¼ cup granulated sugar
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2 eggs
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberry Topping (choose one):
Fresh Strawberry Sauce
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1 cup strawberries
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½ teaspoon lemon juice
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2 teaspoons sugar
Frosting with Freeze-Dried Strawberries
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1½ cups freeze-dried strawberries (or 34 g powdered)
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4 cups powdered sugar
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1 cup cream cheese
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½ cup butter
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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Optional: 1 teaspoon cheesecake extract or swap in mascarpone
Instructions
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Prep oven and crust: Preheat oven to 325°F. Line muffin tin with paper liners. Mix crust ingredients until sandy and press 1 tbsp into each liner.
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Bake crust: Bake for 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
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Mix filling: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until just combined.
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Fill liners: Spoon batter evenly over crusts.
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Bake: Bake at 325°F for 18–20 minutes. Don’t open the oven!
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Cool slowly: Crack oven door and let cool for 30 minutes.
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Chill: Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
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Top: Add your choice of strawberry frosting or sauce before serving.
Notes
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Freeze-dried strawberries add punchy flavor and natural color to the frosting.
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Let cupcakes cool gradually to prevent sinking.
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Frozen strawberries work great in winter—just thaw and drain before simmering.
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Make-ahead friendly: Store un-topped cupcakes up to 2 days in the fridge.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 17g
- Saturated Fat: 9g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 26g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 65mg
Keywords: strawberry cheesecake cupcakes, mini cheesecake cupcakes, strawberry cheesecake frosting, cupcake tin desserts, easy strawberry cupcakes