This super easy make ahead mini cheesecake recipe takes all the “fuddling” out of the crust – as it’s sprinkled on top, since we’re making them upside down! A silicone mini muffin pan is needed. Can be done in a regular mini muffin tin, but they’re trickier to pop out.

Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipe – Cherry with Rumball Crust:

Filling:

3  8 oz pkgs cream cheese (softened at room temp)- we were pleasantly surprised with Lactantia and PC’s cream cheese, even Wal-mart’s was good (Great Value).

3/4 cup cane sugar (or white)

3 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 tablespoon clubhouse rum

Crust:

1 cup (heaping) crushed oreo crumbs (chocolate wafer crumbs, can use gluten free graham crumbs too)

2 tablespoons melted butter (or oil)

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 tablespoon clubhouse rum (grocery store)

In small mixing bowl, combine above ingredients – stir well (we use a fork)

Topping:

1 Can cherry pie filling (for topping)

Combine cream cheese until well blended,  sugar mixing at medium speed on electric mixer until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, ensuring each is well mixed before adding the next. Blend in sour cream, vanilla, and rum.

Grease the sides of the silicone mini muffin cups pan (I use cooking spray) place 1 Tablespoon of cherry topping into the bottom of the mini pan, add approx 3 tablespoons filling – enough so that it comes up to just below the ridge of the muffin cup – and sprinkle crust over filling. Basically we’re making them upside-down and popping them out later, thus, when they’re right side up, it’s 3 tiered.

Bake at 325°F for 12-15 min (if using convection, check earlier).  Let Cool, then Freeze.

When frozen, pop out and place in plastic freezer container. Once ready to eat, remove from freezer let stand at room temp approx 15 min. If uneaten (ya right) chill any remaining in the refrigerator.

Yield: 24 mini servings