Individual Cheesecakes

So, if you didn't know, National Cheesecake Day was this Wednesday and to celebrate, I baked these small, individual sized cheesecakes and brought them to work. I've never made these before, but they turned out okay! Cheesecake is one my favorite desserts, but whenever I make it myself, I don't eat it. I hope the people at work liked these, they were all gone at the end of the day, so that means they did right? 

These cheesecakes are not as rich as the ones that I normally bake in a springform pan, but still creamy and cheesy. They're easier to share too.

Makes about 18 cupcake sized cheesecakes

Crust

1 package (10 pieces) of graham crackers

1 stick of melted butter

1 teaspoon of cinnamon (optional, but I think the cinnamon gives it a kick)

Filling

2 (8oz) packs of cream cheese (room temperature)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice (I just squeezed half a lemon)
3/4 cup of granulated sugar

Directions

Put pack of graham crackers in ziploc bag and crush with rolling pin, or you can put them through a food processor, but I'd rather not wash it (lazy person right here). Add the cinnamon before butter.
Melt butter and mix with crushed crackers.
Afterwards, place in refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes.
Now you can take it out and press the batter into the individual cupcake holders (I used the foil cups here).

Before you make the cheesecake filling, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat eggs and sugar until creamy. And here's another lazy person's tip, I poured everything into a blender. After eggs and sugar are mixed, put in cream cheese and mix again. Make sure there are no clumps. You'll have to scrape the sides to make sure all the cream cheese is getting mixed.  Add vanilla extract and lemon juice one at a time. Keep mixing until the filling is smooth, about 2-3 minutes.

Fill the cups about 3/4 way full. Bake for 20 minutes. 
It poofs up when its baking, but once you take it out the oven, it deflates. Once the cheesecakes are completely cool, you can add some fruit toppings or anything you want, I just left it simple here.
Once that's all done, leave in refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. And voila, your cheesecakes are done!

This recipe is super simple and it wasn't too sweet, but still very creamy and yummy. Now go make some cheesecake!