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Mini Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

Tart, creamy, light, and addicting, our mini lemon cheesecake tarts are the perfect two-bite ending to any meal and are also a great addition to a buffet table or cocktail party.
Course Desserts
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 24 tarts

Ingredients

For the Crust

  • 3 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (do not melt to soften)
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

For the Cheesecake Filling

  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 5 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (do not melt to soften)
  • 1 egg lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the Lemon Curd

  • 1 tbsp. lemon zest
  • 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (3-4 large lemons)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 3 large eggs plus 4 large egg yolks (all at room temperature)
  • 4 tbsp. unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
  • fresh blueberries or raspberries

Instructions

Make the Crust

  1. In a small bowl with electric mixture, beat 3 ounces of cream cheese, 1/2 cup butter, and 1/4 tsp. lemon zest until well blended. Slowly add 1 cup flour and mix together. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
  2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Shape dough into one-inch balls and press each one into the bottom of an ungreased mini muffin pan (24 muffin size). Press the dough along the bottom and up the sides of each muffin cup.

Make the Cheesecake Filling

  1. In a small bowl with electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup sugar and 5 ounces cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1 tsp. lemon juice, and 1 egg. Continue to beat on low until well-combined. Fill the muffin cups halfway with the mixture and bake for 18-20 minutes or until set. Gently run a knife around the tarts to loosen them from the pan and cool on wire rack (20-30 min). Go slowly--they are delicate.

Make the Lemon Curd

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and yolks and set aside.
  2. When cooled, remove tarts from pan and start heaping on the lemon topping!!! Don't stop there--add fresh blueberries (maybe a sprig of mint?) or raspberries, if you prefer. Good luck not devouring these. They are delish.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook lemon zest, juice, salt, and sugar. Stir until all ingredients are combined and the sugar has dissolved. Turn off heat and slowly add a little of the eggs into the mixture (about half a cup) while whisking briskly.
  4. Pour the rest of the egg mixture into the pan and continue to whisk briskly to prevent the eggs from curdling. Turn the heat back on and continue to cook, whisking continually until the mixture has thickened. This should take about 5 minutes. Then add the butter and mix well. Remove from heat.
  5. If you see there are any egg solids, you can strain them out (this happens the first few times you make lemon or lime curd, so no worries!). After straining, cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes. Then scoop a dollop on top of each mini cheesecake tart and garnish with fresh berries and serve. ENJOY!