Description
Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Cupcakes: rich cheesecake baked in cupcake form, topped with a crisp brûlée sugar crust and infused with vanilla bean flavor.
Ingredients
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar (for crust)
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 × 8‑oz (≈ 454 g total) packages cream cheese, softened
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar (for filling)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup sugar (for topping/brûlée sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (≈163°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a small bowl, mix graham cracker crumbs, 2 tablespoons sugar, and melted butter until well combined. Press about a tablespoon of this mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner to form the crust.
- Bake the crusts for about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and 2/3 cup sugar until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds and mix well.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing fully between additions.
- Blend in sour cream and heavy cream until the filling is smooth.
- Spoon the cheesecake filling over the cooled crusts, filling each liner almost to the top.
- Bake for about 22‑25 minutes, or until the centers are set (no longer jiggly).
- Let the cupcakes cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight) so they firm up.
- Before serving, sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of sugar on top of each cupcake. Use a kitchen torch to caramelize the sugar into a golden crust. If no torch, use the broiler very carefully.
Notes
- Using full‑fat cream cheese, sour cream, and heavy cream gives richer texture.
- Make sure ingredients (cream cheese, eggs) are at room temperature to avoid lumps.
- Don’t overbake — the centers should still be slightly soft; they’ll set as they chill.
- The brûlée sugar crust should be caramelized just before serving, to preserve crispness.
- You can prepare ahead: bake and chill in advance, then brûlée the sugar topping when ready to serve.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cupcake
- Calories: ≈320‑370 kcal
- Sugar: ≈25‑35 g
- Sodium: ≈150‑250 mg
- Fat: ≈18‑25 g
- Saturated Fat: ≈10‑15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: ≈5‑10 g
- Trans Fat: ≈0.5 g or less
- Carbohydrates: ≈30‑45 g
- Fiber: ≈0‑1 g
- Protein: ≈4‑7 g
- Cholesterol: ≈100‑150 mg
