Pin
Creamy meets tangy in these mini pineapple upside down cheesecakes, packed with a buttery crumb base and a golden, candy-like pineapple layer topped with a cherry. Every bite pops with fresh flavor, and they're always the first to disappear at brunch parties I go to.
The first time I threw these together was for a family night, and the crowd wouldn't let me leave before sharing extras. Now, everybody, old or young, expects them to show up during holidays.
Irresistible Ingredients
- Maraschino cherries: For that cheerful, classic look. Go for cherries that are firm and bright
- Brown sugar: Melts on top to create a sweet, gooey lid. Pack it down so every bite is tasty
- Crushed pineapple: Key to the juicy topping. Make sure to drain it so the cheesecake isn't soggy
- Large eggs: Adds fluffiness and helps the creamy middle set up. Room-temperature eggs blend way better
- Vanilla extract: Adds a soft background flavor. If you have pure vanilla, use that for best taste
- Sugar: Makes both the base and filling sweet. Try to use white, fine sugar
- Cream cheese: Gives it creamy body and subtle tang. Blocks of full-fat cream cheese work best
- Melted butter: Helps stick the crust together and deepens the flavor. Butter straight from the fridge doesn't melt as evenly
- Sugar: Holds the crust and makes everything a little sweeter. No need for fancy kinds, just fresh regular sugar is perfect
- Crushed graham crackers: The base of each cheesecake bite. Finer crumbs mean a better crust
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Bake and Chill:
- Pop the pan into a 325 open oven and cook about 20–25 minutes, just until set at the sides and still a bit wiggly in the center. Cool totally before you pull them out for the neatest edges
- Finish with Caramel and Cherries:
- Toss brown sugar on the top of each before baking to get that rich caramel taste, then stick a cherry right in the middle
- Fill the Muffin Cups:
- Spoon even helpings of cheesecake onto each crust. Smooth them out so they look nice and bake evenly
- Mix Cheesecake Filling:
- Beat room-temperature cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until satiny and lump-free. Mix eggs in one by one so the filling stays fluffy, then carefully fold in pineapple so you keep things light
- Build the Bottom Layer:
- Blend together the graham crumbs, sugar, and melted butter till it looks like chunky sand. Divide into muffin wells and press down until you've got a flat, packed crust
Pin
We once made a double batch for summer grilling, and not a crumb made it home. My niece has a blast squishing the crust into pans and always sneaks an extra cherry for herself.
Storage Tips
Stash them in a tight container in your fridge and they'll stay fresh for up to four days. Want to freeze them? Just wrap well and tuck them in the freezer for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight and they're just as good as day one.
Ingredient Swaps
Feel like switching it up? Try vanilla wafers instead of graham crackers. Toss in a bit of coconut or chopped pecans to the crust for extra crunch. Fresh pineapple (chopped fine and drained really well) is an awesome upgrade. Want it a little lighter? Mix in some neufchatel cheese with your cream cheese.
Serving Ideas
Line up these cuties on a pretty stand and sprinkle extra cherries everywhere. Whipped cream or a little caramel sauce on the side lets everyone jazz up their own. Sometimes we finish with toasted coconut—it's just fun at home or parties.
Pin
Where This Treat Started
Pineapple upside down cakes got big with home cooks when canned pineapple first hit the shelves in the early 1900s. Turning these into bite-sized cheesecake cups gives you that throwback flavor in a totally new way, and it makes passing them around super easy.
Recipe FAQs
- → Which kind of pineapple should I use here?
Fresh or canned crushed pineapple both do the trick. Just squeeze out as much juice as you can so they're not wet and soggy.
- → How can I keep my cheesecakes from sticking to the muffin pan?
Either pop in some paper cupcake liners or give the muffin cups a light coat of oil so you can pull them out without any mess.
- → Are these okay to make the day before?
Totally, just chill your cheesecakes for a while or even let them sit overnight. They'll firm up and be even easier to serve.
- → What's a good way to dress these up for serving?
Keep them chilled and add a swirl of whipped cream and a few extra cherries if you want to jazz them up for guests.
- → How do I keep the cheesecake filling really smooth?
Let your cream cheese get soft first, then mix it until it's smooth. After that, toss in your sugar and eggs a bit at a time, mixing gently as you go.