Mini Blackberry Lavender Cheesecakes (Printable)
Floral blackberry and lavender mini cheesecakes with buttery graham crusts, no oven required.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crust
01 - 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
02 - 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
→ Cheesecake Filling
04 - 1 cup fresh blackberries (plus extra for garnish)
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
06 - 1 teaspoon culinary lavender buds
07 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
09 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
10 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Blackberry Lavender Sauce (optional)
11 - 1/2 cup fresh blackberries
12 - 2 tablespoons honey
13 - 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
14 - 1/4 teaspoon dried culinary lavender
# How to Make It:
01 - Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with 8 paper liners, spacing them evenly apart.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar. Stir until the mixture resembles wet sand and holds together when pressed.
03 - Divide the crumb mixture evenly among the 8 paper liners. Using the back of a spoon or a small measuring cup, press the crumbs firmly into an even layer at the bottom of each liner. Place the muffin tin in the refrigerator to chill while preparing the filling.
04 - In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of fresh blackberries, lemon juice, and culinary lavender buds. Cook over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, gently mashing the berries with a spoon as they soften and release their juices. Remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the seeds and lavender buds. Allow the puree to cool completely.
05 - In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar together using a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
06 - Add the vanilla extract and the cooled blackberry-lavender puree to the cream cheese mixture. Beat on low speed until evenly combined and the mixture is uniformly tinted purple.
07 - In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks using a hand mixer. Using a spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in three additions, preserving as much volume as possible.
08 - Spoon or pipe the filling evenly into the chilled crusts, filling each liner to just below the rim. Smooth the tops with a small spatula or the back of a spoon.
09 - Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes for at least 4 hours, or ideally overnight, until the filling is firm and fully set.
10 - If making the sauce, combine 1/2 cup fresh blackberries, honey, lemon juice, and dried culinary lavender in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, mashing the berries as they break down. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and let the sauce cool completely before serving.
11 - Carefully remove the cheesecakes from the paper liners. Top each with fresh blackberries and a drizzle of the blackberry-lavender sauce, if desired. Serve chilled.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- No oven means you can make these even on the hottest August afternoon without breaking a sweat.
- The floral lavender paired with jammy blackberries tastes like something you would find at a tiny bakery you stumbled into on vacation.
02 -
- Skipping the straining step leaves bits of lavender bud and seeds in the filling, which creates an unpleasant gritty texture.
- Under chilling is the most common reason the cheesecakes fall apart when unwrapped, so be patient and give them a full four hours.
03 -
- A piping bag gives you cleaner, more bakery worthy domes on top, but a zip top bag with the corner snipped works in a pinch.
- The single biggest secret to a silky filling is cream cheese that is truly at room temperature, so plan ahead and set it out early.