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Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Cheesecake Cupcakes

Deliciously indulgent cupcakes featuring a creamy cheesecake center topped with a caramelized sugar crust, perfect for impressing guests or enjoying at home.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 2 hours
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Course: Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Baked
Calories: 250
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the Cheesecake Base
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 16 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 bean vanilla bean, seeds scraped
For the Crème Brûlée Topping
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
For Assembly
  • to taste Fresh berries (optional) Add fresh berries for garnish.

Method
 

Preparation
  1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and line a standard muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until moistened and crumbly. Press this mixture into the bottoms of the cupcake liners.
Cheesecake Filling
  1. In a large bowl, blend the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds, and mix until creamy.
  2. Spoon the cheesecake mixture into the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 full.
Baking
  1. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are set; the center may still be slightly jiggly.
  2. Once baked, cool for 30 minutes at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Before serving, sprinkle a thin layer of granulated sugar on top of each cupcake and caramelize using a kitchen torch or under the broiler.
Serving
  1. Top each cupcake with fresh berries right before serving for added color and flavor.

Notes

Cupcakes can be made a day in advance, but hold off on the sugar topping until ready to serve. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can caramelize under your oven's broiler, keeping a close watch.