Even though cheesecake is a popular dessert, sometimes you want to scale it down. The solution? Baking Cheesecake For Two in Ramekins!
This plain mini cheesecake recipe makes enough dessert for two and can be customized with different toppings and batters. Mini chocolate cheesecake recipe for two also included.
Cheesecake – It’s one of my favorite desserts to eat. Probably because it’s not something I eat all the time.
It’s also one of those polarizing desserts – you either love it or hate it. I haven’t really found anyone who is neutral about it.
And naturally I found a way to scale the recipe down.
The reason I post recipes for two people is because I hate dealing with leftovers and throwing away food. But a lot of you have told me you do it for portion control, especially when it comes to dessert.
I agree with you. As much as I love cheesecake, I can’t always go making a whole one.
Sometimes I want one slice and am done (not because I don’t want the rest of the cheesecake but rather I know what the consequences would be).
My solution? Scaling it down and making Baked Cheesecake For Two in Ramekins.
You can totally customize this easy cheesecake recipe for two for each person with different toppings (or all for yourself – nobody’s looking).
Make it plain or make it chocolate. Make it with a graham cracker crust or make it crustless. The flavors really are endless!
I have a friend who sent me an “angry” text one day, asking why didn’t I have just a plain cheesecake recipe on my site?
I told her I had the perfect recipe but never posted it as is; it always had to have a little pizzazz. Since then I have posted my Classic Cheesecake recipe, but I told her she can make my mini version of it (and then share it with me because I’m a good friend. Ahem).
I scaled down my favorite cheesecake recipe, baked in ramekins, then had some fun with the toppings.
Top it with sliced strawberries or homemade strawberry sauce.
Top it with homemade whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Top it with homemade caramel sauce.
Top it with melted peanut butter chips or chopped peanut butter cups.
Make them plain. Make them chocolate. Make one plain and one chocolate.
I know you’re smart and will come up with even better flavors than that. Just let your heart (and your taste buds) guide you.
I used two 6 ounce ramekins for this easy cheesecake for two recipe. Since ramekins can vary in size, it is possible the cheesecake may sink in the middle.
This is due to the ramekin being too small, so it rises too high then sinks as it cools.
If this happens, just add extra whipped cream on top. Problem solved.
Because this cheesecake recipe is scaled down for two ramekins, it uses an egg yolk instead of a whole egg. Make sure you check out my recipes for using leftover egg whites.
One question I get a lot is whether you need a water bath for cheesecake. The answer is no! This recipe makes the perfect cheesecake without a water bath.
I can’t speak for other recipes on the internet, but I’ve tested my cheesecake recipe a lot without a water bath. There is no cracking on top, as long as you don’t overbake it.
If you do end up with a pesky crack, cover it up with whipped cream. Nobody will notice.
What To Do With Leftover Cream Cheese?
The hardest part about baking for two is sometimes you don’t use the full ingredient amount. Take cream cheese, for example. It only comes in 8 ounce blocks, but this recipe uses 5 ounces. What do you do with the rest?
Here are ways to use up leftover cream cheese:
- Make a homemade tomato sauce with Creamy Tomato and Mushroom Pasta.
- Enjoy a cup of Cheesecake Hot Chocolate.
- Make a small batch of Eggless Cheesecake Cookies.
Items You May Need:
Cheesecake For Two In Ramekins
This plain mini cheesecake recipe baked in ramekins makes enough dessert for two and can be customized with different toppings and batters. Mini chocolate cheesecake recipe for two also included.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup graham cracker or chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 5 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
- 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted (optional - only if making chocolate cheesecake)
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Various toppings, such as whipped cream, strawberries, maraschino cherries, or chopped peanut butter cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Have two 6-ounce ramekins* ready and place on a baking sheet.
- In a small bowl, mix together the crumbs and melted butter. Press into the bottom of each ramekin.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy, about 1-2 minutes.
- Scrape down the bowl then beat in the egg yolk until incorporated, about 1 minute.
- Beat in the vanilla and melted chocolate if using.
- Divide the batter between the ramekins and bake for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. There may be a slight jiggle when moved - that's ok.
- Cool completely then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Serve with various toppings.
Notes
Because ramekins can vary in size, it is possible the cheesecake may sink in the middle due to small ramekin size. If this happens, add extra toppings.
If you use 4 ounce ramekins, you may need to divide the batter among three ramekins to avoid overflow.
Recommended Products
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More Cheesecake For Two Recipes
- Small Batch Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars made in a loaf pan
- Mini Funfetti Cheesecake For Two
- No Bake Peaches and Cream Cheesecake For Two
- No Bake Mixed Berry Cheesecake For Two
- Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Dip For Two
Disclosure: This post contains Amazon affiliate links, which means I earn a small amount of money if you buy through these links. All money goes back into running this blog (mainly groceries). Thank you for your support!
Meagan @ A Zesty Bite says
It’s the perfect dessert for a couple but to be honest my husband would probably devour both in one sitting.
Carla says
That is true! It took a lot of willpower not to eat both myself ;)
Susan says
I would make chocolate cheesecake and top it with mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries). I’m drooling already! :-)
Carla says
Mmm I love raspberries and chocolate together. Good pick!
janetfctc says
Cheesecake for two? I’m seeing cheesecake for ME… one for right away and one to hide in the cheese drawer of the fridge for later! Hehehe. This looks so good!
Carla says
Maybe I should rename this recipe then ;)
Lauren Kelly Nutrition says
How fun are these pictures! These cheesecakes look amazing!
Carla says
Thanks Lauren!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Can’t decide if I like the chocolate or plain cheesecake more! Think I will have to make both recipes.. I just love how they are single serving portions!
Carla says
Sounds like you need to make one of each, for taste testing purposes ;)
Martha says
Hey there. Long time fan, first time writer. My beloved and I have made your cheesecake a hand full of times. He is among the poor souls who cannot have cow dairy. We’ve found chevre goat cheese works well in this recipe as a substitution in place of the cream cheese :D.
Carla says
Oh good to know goat cheese works as an easy sub for dairy! Another great recipe for a small proportion.
Karina says
Awh beautiful desserts! Finally I stumbled upon a blog with smaller portion recipes;) my husband often comments how I need to cut down my recipe portions- but then I grew up in a large family so I’m used to cooking big meals. Anyways I will plan on making these asap and checking out the other recipes on the blog. Thanks for posting:)
Carla says
Thanks, Karina! I hope you find my recipes helpful for cutting down on portion sizes. Please let me know how the cheesecakes turn out!
Liz says
awesome to eat and easy to make!
we added a few cut-up strawberries and cool whip on top…
delicious!
Carla says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Michelle says
This was wonderful! We used almond extract instead of vanilla and it was heavenly, though I had to give it nearly 20 more minutes in the oven, but that was probably our ovens fault. Wonderful recipe!
Carla says
Glad you enjoyed them! Love the almond extract sub (isn’t it a great flavor?!). I highly recommending investing in an oven thermometer to double check the temperature before baking. That should help make the bake time more accurate.
Sunday says
These were perfect! First time ever making cheesecake and they were delicious, I didn’t have enough cream cheese so I added a about two teaspoons of heavy whipping cream after adding the vanilla & placed the cheesecakes in a deep dish filled almost two inches with water & baked following the same instructions and it was amazing !!!!! Came out perfect!
Carla says
Glad you were able to make it work! The water bath is certainly not needed (for anyone reading the comments thinking you need one), but I guess it doesn’t hurt either.
Ash Williams says
Loved the recipe! Very delicious, after resting overnight it was okay but the day after that it got better! Idk how but thank you!
Carla says
Happy to hear that!
Kathlyn says
I just started cooking for two when I recently married- after growing up in a very large family it’s quite a switch!! This cheesecake recipe was just what I needed – I made chocolate and we loved them!! I will be browsing your site often I think, thank you!????
Carla says
Wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Liza says
Hello, can I just devour the cheesecakes when they cooled? :)
Or do I have to chill it the fridge for 4 hours?
Carla says
Although technically speaking you can eat the cheesecakes right away, they will taste better after they chill. However, you can probably get away with an hour chill time if you’re in a hurry.
JC says
I just made the baked cheesecake for two. This recipe was simple and came out absolutely delicious! I really appreciate your site. As we don’t have kids at home, my wife and I have been working hard on avoiding food waste and expanding waistlines as well. Your recipes look great, and the results are fantastic so far. Thanks again for all your research and hard work, and for sharing!
Carla says
Wonderful! Glad you and your wife enjoyed the cheesecakes.
Helen says
Excited to try this recipe tomorrow night. Would you suggest the addition of sour cream or Greek yogurt for added tang (I notice they are almost standards in fUK ll size cheesecake recipes)? If so, how much?
Thank you!
Carla says
This recipe has not been tested with sour cream or yogurt. Personally, I think it’s perfect the way it is. The problem with adding it to this recipe in particular is if you make too much batter and fill the ramekins too full, they will rise too much then collapse in the middle, leaving you with an underbaked middle. With that said, you can probably try adding 1 tablespoon, but you really don’t need it.
Zahabia says
Turned out gr8 I tried the chocolate version,it was delicious, thanks for the recipe it’s a keeper
Carla says
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Chris says
I used the egg whites to make some fried rice while I waited on the cheese cake to cook in the oven. Turned out great. I did a water bath only because I am paranoid about surface crack even though it has no impact on the flavor. Great recipe, very yummy. :-)
Carla says
Happy you enjoyed the cheesecake! Water bath isn’t necessary as long as you don’t overbake them but certainly doesn’t hurt.
Elle says
Found this recipe via Google – looking for small serve cheesecake recipes as I’m 38w pregnant and craving cheesecake but not keen to have a whole one sitting around. This recipe is PERFECTION! Perfect size, added a bit of thickened cream to the mix as had it needing to be used up and biscuit base was speculoos, served with fresh blueberries. Will be making this one again! Thank you 😊
Carla says
Happy this worked out for you!