Healthy Gluten Free Mini Cheesecakes (Easy & Kid-Approved)

No Fuss Cheesecake for Every One

Whether you’re after refined sugar free, gluten free, healthy kid-approved, easy or mini desserts, these cheesecake cups are the answer. With this simple recipe, you can make healthy gluten free mini cheesecakes that everyone loves for parties, holidays or every day desserts.

These healthy cheesecake bites are loved by kids and adults alike and make the perfect guilt-free treats. Created to be simple and easy to throw together, you don’t have to carve out an entire afternoon to make these individual cheesecakes that are equally as easy to serve.

I remember a white chocolate cheesecake recipe I used to make with my mom when I was a teenager. It was absolutely delicious, but we only made it for certain special occasions because it was so time-consuming to make and bake.

I recall having to check on it every 15 minutes while it baked, turning the oven temperature down at a certain point and being extra careful to bake it just the right amount of time.

But you don’t have to worry about babysitting these healthy gluten free mini cheesecakes. Because this truly is a super easy mini cheesecake recipe that only requires 7 minutes for the crust to bake and 15 minutes for the cheesecakes to bake, no temperature changes required.

And besides how simple these healthy cheesecake bites are to make, they are also a perfect blank slate that works for a variety of taste preferences. As a plain cheesecake recipe, you can serve these mini cheesecake bites as-is or you can easily dress them up with drizzles, dollops and toppings.

Of course, one of the best parts about this recipe for healthy gluten free mini cheesecakes is the fact that it is gluten free! So whether you have a child or other family member with a gluten allergy/intolerance or you simply want to cut down on wheat in your family’s diet, this gluten free cheesecake recipe is a very tasty solution 🙂

On the other hand, even those who can freely eat gluten still enjoy these bite size cheesecakes.

When to Serve Mini Cheesecakes

The thing I love the most about these healthy gluten free mini cheesecakes is the fact that they are so simple to make and only require 6 ingredients. Simple treats are always a win in my kitchen, but even more so when I’m planning for company or a party.

Planning parties and events can be stressful and time-consuming. So having an easy homemade cheesecake recipe handy for these times is incredibly helpful. With this recipe, you can quickly whip up an irresistible party dessert without spending an entire afternoon doing it.

But I also love that these easy mini cheesecakes are perfect to serve as individual cheesecakes. With no mess and no fork required, you can dish up a sweet treat for a sweet tooth at a moments notice.

This combination of easy-to-make and mess-free makes these healthy cheesecake bites ideal for holiday celebrations. I especially love these finger-treats for the Fourth of July, but they could be used for just about any holiday or gathering.

I envision mini Christmas cheesecakes with red and green buttercream frosting or whipped cream on top. Imagine Halloween or fall cheesecakes with spiced chocolate pumpkins on each little cheesecake bite.

Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Easter, Birthdays … Like, I said earlier, these healthy cheesecake cups are basically a blank slate that allows you to decorate or dress them up however you want for so many different occasions.

These also work as every day treats too. My 3-year-old loves them and since they are simple to make, I don’t mind whipping up a batch of healthy gluten free mini cheesecakes to have on hand as refined sugar free desserts to serve after lunch.

And last but not least, these individual cheesecakes are also the perfect after-school-snack or lunchbox snack option. It’s always fun to be able to give your kids a treat to enjoy during their busy day full of learning without the guilt of adding extra refined sugar to their diet.

Ingredients

• Oats: Oats are the base of the crust on these gluten free cheesecakes. I use sprouted oats from Costco and blend them up in my Ninja Express Chop to make them into a course flour. You can also just buy oat flour to use.

• Butter: Butter is part of the flavor of the crust. I use Irish grass-fed or organic butter.

• Maple Syrup: Maple syrup is the only sweetener in these mini cheesecakes. Make sure you have pure, Grade A maple syrup.

• Cream Cheese: Cream cheese is, of course, the main flavor of cheesecake. If you can find organic cream cheese, that’s a bonus.

• Vanilla Extract: Vanilla adds a touch of essential flavor to the cheesecake. Make sure you use 100% pure vanilla extract and not imitation vanilla.

• Egg: An egg is essential for achieving the correct texture and binding in the cheesecake. I use farm-fresh, cage-free and/or organic.

Instructions

Make the Crust

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 2

In a small pot over low heat, melt butter. Meanwhile, add ground oats and maple syrup to a small bowl. When butter is melted, add it to the small bowl and mix everything until combined.

Step 3

Divide crust mixture evenly between all 24 mini cups. It will feel like it’s not enough, but you want the crust to be very thin because the cheesecakes are very small.

Press the crust mixture down into each cup so it evenly covers the bottoms.

Step 4

Bake crusts for 7 minutes.

Leave the oven on after removing the crusts.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

Step 1

While crusts are baking, make the filling. Add cream cheese, maple syrup and vanilla extract to a medium-size bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on medium speed until everything is combined and the cream cheese is smooth without lumps.

Step 2

Add the egg and mix carefully by hand with a spatula. Do not mix briskly as this will whip too much air into the egg and cause your cheesecake to poof too much and have air bubbles.

Step 3

Evenly divide the cheesecake filling between all 24 muffin cups. The cups will be very full, but you should be able to use all of the batter.

Step 4

Bake cheesecakes for 15 minutes until the tops are jiggly but firm. They will be puffed up and will deflate as they cool.

Allow to completely cool before removing cheesecakes from the muffin pan. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to one week.

Substitutions & Tips

• For the crusts on these healthy gluten free mini cheesecakes, you can either use oat flour or blend your own oats. I use sprouted oats and blend them in my trusty Ninja Express Chop (I seriously love this thing for so many purposes).

• Make sure your cream cheese has at least 10-15 minutes to sit at room temp before mixing it with the other ingredients. This helps the lumps to break down easier so you get a smooth finish to your mini cheesecake filling.

• When filling your muffin cups, you will probably feel like you don’t have enough crust and you have too much filling. But trust the recipe! These healthy cheesecake bites are very small. If you have more than a very thin layer of crust, it will be too much.

• These individual cheesecakes are particularly tasty with homemade honey-sweetened whipped cream and chopped fruit on top. Alternatively, you could also top them with jam.