Cheesecake For Two (Ramekin Cheesecake)
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 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).
Top it with strawberry jam without pectin or homemade strawberry sauce.
Top it with homemade whipped cream, peanut butter whipped cream, or chocolate whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Top it with homemade caramel sauce.
Top it with blueberry jam without pectin.
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.
Don’t have ramekins? Check out cheesecake in a jar, 4 Inch Cheesecake recipe, 6 Inch Cheesecake recipe, and 7 inch cheesecake recipe.
Got an air fryer? Make Air Fryer Cheesecake using ramekins as well!
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.
Want more ramekin desserts? Check out my Brownies For Two, Mini Lava Cakes, Mini Apple Pies, and my full list of Ramekin Dessert Recipes.
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
- Loaf Pan Cheesecake
- Mini Funfetti Cheesecake For Two
- No Bake Peach Cheesecake
- No Bake Cheesecake Cups
- Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake Dip
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This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchase.
It’s the perfect dessert for a couple but to be honest my husband would probably devour both in one sitting.
That is true! It took a lot of willpower not to eat both myself ;)
I would make chocolate cheesecake and top it with mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries). I’m drooling already! :-)
Mmm I love raspberries and chocolate together. Good pick!
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!
Maybe I should rename this recipe then ;)
How fun are these pictures! These cheesecakes look amazing!
Thanks Lauren!
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!
Sounds like you need to make one of each, for taste testing purposes ;)
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.
Oh good to know goat cheese works as an easy sub for dairy! Another great recipe for a small proportion.
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:)
Thanks, Karina! I hope you find my recipes helpful for cutting down on portion sizes. Please let me know how the cheesecakes turn out!
awesome to eat and easy to make!
we added a few cut-up strawberries and cool whip on top…
delicious!
Glad you enjoyed it!
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!
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.
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!
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.
Loved the recipe! Very delicious, after resting overnight it was okay but the day after that it got better! Idk how but thank you!
Happy to hear that!
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!????
Wonderful! Happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe.
Hello, can I just devour the cheesecakes when they cooled? :)
Or do I have to chill it the fridge for 4 hours?
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.
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!
Wonderful! Glad you and your wife enjoyed the cheesecakes.
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!
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.
Turned out gr8 I tried the chocolate version,it was delicious, thanks for the recipe it’s a keeper
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the recipe.
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. :-)
Happy you enjoyed the cheesecake! Water bath isn’t necessary as long as you don’t overbake them but certainly doesn’t hurt.
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 😊
Happy this worked out for you!
I dont have any ramekins, do you think I could make it in one 7” pan instead? If so, should I increase the baking time or reduce the filling?
I think you’re better off making my 6 inch cheesecake recipe in your 7 inch pan. No changes needed, just keep an eye on baking time https://www.chocolatemoosey.com/2020/10/09/6-inch-cheesecake-recipe/
Thank you so much Carla!
These look so delicious! I’m ten, and these are very easy. Had to make two rounds so everyone could get one… I am so excited to taste text, it’s really hard not to eat them right away! Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe. Hoping to see more cheesecake recipes soon!
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed the cheesecake recipe.
How do I measure out 5 ounces of cream cheese ?
Blocks of cream cheese has measurements on the wrapper, so it’ll mark 5 ounces. If not, you can use a scale. Please don’t use tubbed cream cheese.
How can I alter recipe to make it key lime?
Haven’t personally tried it, but I would start by adding 1 tablespoon key lime juice when you add the vanilla.
I actually love how your recipes focus for small batch but could you please give an alternate measurement for ounce like cups or grams coz where I am from we don’t do ounces.
Here’s a link to convert to grams: https://www.allrecipes.com/article/cup-to-gram-conversions/
I see you generally use an egg yolk for half an egg but If I double the recipe would I just use a whole egg? Any other modifications I should consider?
Yes you can use a whole egg instead of 2 yolks.
I made the vanilla one and I loved it, it had the perfect level of sweetness. I want to try making the chocolate one next but I fear the added chocolate might make it too sweet, I’m thinking I should remove 1 spoon of sugar to balance it out, thoughts?
Removing the sugar changes more than just sweetness, so I wouldn’t touch it. Instead, use a bittersweet chocolate (70-80%).
Love this!! Had to bake for some five-ten minutes longer, but I blame that on my measurement guestimation lol. Thanks!
Probably since measuring is important in baking. Regardless I’m glad this worked out for you!
Made these for Valentine’s Day and bc of the touch test (not firm at all) I added three minutes, then another three…pulled them out still very wobbly and four hours of fridge time later they were tooooo firm. I’d like to try making them again and pulling them out at the 18 mark. Still delicious and my man was very impressed. Made them w gf Oreo crumbs.
Cheesecake will always have a slight wobble because it’s custard, so it definitely sounds like you overbaked them. If they were super duper wobbly, then I would check your oven temperature with an external oven thermometer. If you’re still unsure, you can use a digital thermometer and make sure the internal temperature reaches 150F degrees.
Want to make these in bulk and freeze. Wanted to do some blueberry and Strawberry. Any tips on how I should prepare the berries and whether or not I should freeze after making?
Are you referring to berries in the batter? Or the topping?
I was hoping to top the cheesecakes with a berry compote and freeze them individually afterwards.
I haven’t personally tried it. I know you can freeze berry compote separately. I’d be worried if you topped the cheesecake with it, it may make the top a bit soggy after thawing. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!