Description
This creamy fluffy vanilla bean cheesecake recipe is so delicious and easy anyone can make it (even kiddos)! There's no water bath required, and uses my easy 2-Ingredient Biscoff Cookie Crust. And it bakes up in just about 30 minutes making it the perfect easy holiday dessert (or for busy families who have a sweet tooth but don't want to spend all day in the kitchen).
Ingredients
- one 8.8-ounce package of Biscoff Cookies (250g)
- 5 tablespoons butter, melted (70g)
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (453g)
- 3/4 cup granulated white or cane sugar (170g)
- 3 large eggs, room temperature (150g)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream (60g)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (4.5g)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean powder* (2.5g)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional but recommended) (7g)
- zest of 1/2 lemon (optional)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (20g)
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 325°F/170°C and prepare the springform cake pan or muffin pan. If using a springform pan, butter an 8 or 9-inch springform pan and line it with parchment paper on the bottom and sides *see step-by-step recipe photos for instructions if needed. If making mini cheesecakes, place foil muffin liners into a muffin pan and set aside.
- Prepare the Biscoff cookie crust. Add the cookies to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to crush the cookies until they resemble coarse sand. If using a plastic freezer bag and a rolling pin to crush the cookies, place the cookies into the bag, seal, and pound the cookies to crush them. Add the melted butter and combine well. Evenly distribute the cookie mixture into the prepared springform pan or muffin liners and press down using the back of your hand or a small jar to form a compact crust. Bake for 7-10 minutes until set and remove from oven to cool while you prepare the cheesecake base.
- Prepare the cheesecake base. Using a whisk, handheld mixer, or stand mixer (fitted with the paddle attachment), cream the sugar, cream cheese, and salt until light and fluffy about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean powder (if using) to a small bowl and lightly whisk with a fork just until incorporated (do not overmix). Add the egg mixture to the cream cheese mixture and blend for a few seconds until no egg streaks remain. Stir in the cream and lemon juice (and zest if using). Lastly, add the flour using a rubber spatula just until no traces of flour remain. Do not over-mix.
- Fill the cake pan or muffin foils. Pour the cheesecake batter directly into the springform cake pan or foil-lined muffin tin. Give it a gentle but firm "tap-tap" on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
- Bake the cheesecake. Bake whole cheesecakes for 45-55 minutes and bake mini cheesecakes for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until the cheesecake is set and puffy, but not browned and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean. The middle should slightly bounce or jiggle and you should be able to lightly touch the tops without sticking to your finger when the cheesecake is ready. Remove it from the oven to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. Wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 hours and even better overnight. Enjoy!
Notes
Avoid a cracked or split cheesecake by not over-mixing the cheesecake batter once you've added the eggs. Eggs hold air in the batter, which can cause the cheesecake to rise too much during baking, causing it to crack.
Always bake cheesecakes on a baking pan or cookie sheet to catch any butter that may seep out of the pan. This way, you won't ever have to worry about cleaning up any oily messes in the bottom of your oven.
For a lemony flavor, add extra lemon zest to the cheesecake batter.
For a pure vanilla flavor, omit the lemon zest.
If making mini cheesecakes, add approximately 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of Biscoff Cookie Crust mixture in each muffin liner. This is the amount I used, but if you want more (or less) it's up to you. Using a small 1/4 or 1/3 cup measuring cup is a perfect tool to press the crust into place before baking if you don't want to use your hands.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Cakes + Tortes
- Method: Oven Bake
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 mini cheesecake cupcake
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 23g
- Sodium: 215mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 13.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 33g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 98mg
