Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with baking liners.
Grind the graham cracker into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the graham crackers with the melted butter and stir until well combined.
Spoon 1 heaping tablespoon of the graham cracker mixer into each cupcake liner, and press into the pan with a spoon. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until well combined and free of any lumps, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Next beat in the eggs and vanilla paste until well combined. Finally, beat the sour cream until the mixture is completely smooth.
Use a large cookie scoop (or ¼ cup measuring cup) to spoon the batter into the prepared cupcake liners. A heaping cooking scoop should fill the liners nearly full, leaving about ¼-inch at the top.
Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes. The centers of the cheesecake should be slightly jiggly. Remove from the oven and cool completely. Then refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours prior to serving. Keep stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Add toppings prior to serving.
For the topping: Prepare the whipped cream. Place the mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to chill. Pour the heavy whipping cream into the chilled bowl and use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks start to form. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form. Pipe or spoon onto chilled cheesecakes and top with fresh fruit.
Recipe notes:
Room temperature ingredients: The ingredients are best mixed at room temperature to ensure a smooth, lump-free cheesecake batter. If you forget this step, you can quickly soften the cream cheese in the microwave. Unwrap and microwave for 20 seconds. Spend additional time beating the filling with each addition of the ingredients to ensure the batter is as smooth as possible.
Make ahead instructions: These can be prepared up to 2 day in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Make sure they are completely cooled prior to placing in the container.
Freezing instructions: Once chilled, transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Toppings: All toppings are best added prior to serving. Try topping these with lemon zest or lemon curd, caramel or hot fudge sauce, crushed nuts or cookies or fruit preserves.
Crust Options: You can use any type of cracker or cookie crust for these. If you’re using a cookie with a filling such as Oreos, reduce the butter by 1 tablespoon.
This recipe can easily be halved to make 8 mini cheesecakes.
