A mini cheesecake is a type of specialty cheesecake that is a small, often bite-sized, dessert. These are typically made in a variety of flavors; cherry, blueberry and chocolate chip are popular favorites. People who cannot manage to eat a full-sized cheesecake before it spoils often choose these tiny versions. The mini cheesecake is also a popular dessert at various events such as dinner parties, weddings and other social events. It provides a controlled portion, is easily managed and offers plenty of variety.
Various companies make and sell many kinds of gourmet cheesecakes. Typically these companies offer both a standard size and a mini cheesecake. They usually offer a wide range of flavors for customers to choose from. Unlike the larger cheesecakes that may have whole berries or other fruit in a sauce poured over the top of the cake, a mini cheesecake most often has swirls of flavor either drizzled on top or blended into the upper layer of the dessert. This generally works better than the traditional method, due to the very small size of the cake.
For carb-conscious dieters or diabetics, cheesecake is a food that can be made in a low carb version while retaining all of its original smooth, creamy texture. Sugar is replaced with a low carb sweetener, and the traditional graham cracker crust is either omitted completely or replaced with a low carb crust, such as crushed almonds. Leaving out the sugar also cuts the calories down significantly, so calorie-counters can enjoy these as well.
People who cannot afford the high cost of a ready-made mini cheesecake may prefer to make them at home. In some cases these little tarts are simply smaller versions of a bigger cheesecake. The only difference is that they are made in muffin tins using paper wrappers instead of a single large pan. These cakes can be very successful, though changes in cooking time are necessary to ensure that the cakes turn out properly.
Another way to approach making these little desserts is to use a recipe designed specifically for producing a mini cheesecake. One of the major differences with such a recipe when compared to the standard version is typically the crust. Instead of lining the pan with crushed graham crackers, these recipes often use a cookie as a substitute. Vanilla wafers, Oreos and graham crackers are all common in such recipes, and the cookie is simply placed whole in the wrapper, then covered with cheesecake filling.