Decadent Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Cupcakes
Indulgent mini cheesecakes with a crisp caramelized sugar top and silky vanilla bean filling.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 5 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup sour cream at room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup turbinado sugar for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin pan with paper cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until all the crumbs are evenly moistened and the mixture holds together when pressed.
- Divide the crumb mixture evenly among the 12 liners, about 1 slightly heaped tablespoon per cup, and press firmly into an even layer to form the crusts. Refrigerate the pan while you prepare the filling.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the sour cream and vanilla bean paste and mix on medium speed until fully combined and silky.
- Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, mixing just until each egg is incorporated before adding the next and scraping the bowl once or twice.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in the heavy cream and mix only until the batter looks smooth and uniform.
- Remove the muffin pan from the refrigerator and divide the cheesecake batter evenly over the crusts, filling each liner about 3/4 full.
- Gently tap the pan on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles from the batter.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers still wobble slightly when you gently shake the pan and the tops look matte but not browned.
- Place the pan on a wire rack and let the cheesecake cupcakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then carefully transfer the cupcakes in their liners to the rack to cool completely to room temperature.
- Once cooled, cover and refrigerate the cupcakes for at least 2 hours, or until thoroughly chilled and set.
- Just before serving, if the tops look damp, gently blot them with a paper towel, then sprinkle each cupcake with a thin, even layer of turbinado sugar, using about 1 teaspoon per cupcake.
- Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar on top of each cupcake, moving the flame constantly in small circles a few inches above the surface until the sugar melts, bubbles, and turns deep golden.
- Let the caramelized sugar cool and harden for 1 to 2 minutes, then serve immediately for the best crème brûlée crunch.
Notes
- Make sure the cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs are at room temperature to avoid lumps in the batter.
- Do not overbake; a slight jiggle in the centers keeps the texture creamy like custard.
- If you do not have a kitchen torch, you can briefly broil the sugared tops, watching very closely, but a torch gives better control.
- For clean edges, peel the cupcake liners away only after the cheesecakes are fully chilled and set.
- Caramelize the sugar just before serving so the tops stay crisp and crackly.
- Do not overbake; a slight jiggle in the centers keeps the texture creamy like custard.
- If you do not have a kitchen torch, you can briefly broil the sugared tops, watching very closely, but a torch gives better control.
- For clean edges, peel the cupcake liners away only after the cheesecakes are fully chilled and set.
- Caramelize the sugar just before serving so the tops stay crisp and crackly.