• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Hungry Happenings
  • RECIPES
    • All Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Decorated Cookies
    • Decorated Cakes
    • Cheesecake Recipes
    • Everyday Desserts
    • Homemade Candy
    • Everyday Meals
    • Readers’ Gallery
    • Hungry Happenings Blog Posts
  • HOW TO
    • Chocolate Making Tips
    • Chocolate Making Course (video lessons)
    • Make Modeling Chocolate
      • Modeling Chocolate Recipe and Tutorial
      • How to Color Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Store and Work with Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Fix Greasy Modeling Chocolate
      • How to Fix Dry Modeling Chocolate
      • Use Colored Candy Melts to Make Candy Clay
    • Candy Clay Creations
    • How To Color White Chocolate and Candy Melts and Paint Candy Molds
    • How to Use Food Coloring Markers
  • HOLIDAYS
    • ALL HOLIDAY RECIPES
    • Valentine's Day
    • St. Patrick's Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
      • Hungry Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
    • New Year's Eve
    • MORE HOLIDAYS
      • Mother's Day
      • Father's Day
      • April Fools
      • Chinese New Year
      • Cinco de Mayo
      • Day of the Dead
      • Earth Day
      • Mardi Gras
  • PARTY FOOD
    • Super Bowl
    • Graduation
    • Birthday Party
    • March Madness
    • Summer Fun
    • Baby Shower
    • Wedding Shower
    • School/Teacher
    • Movie and T.V. Characters
    • Kid's Treats
    • Fun Party Recipes
  • MY COOKBOOKS
  • ABOUT
  • MY BLOGS
    • HowToMakeCerealTreats.com
    • HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    • HowToMakeEasyFudge.com
    • TheSugarAcademy.com
menu icon
go to homepage
  • recipes
  • chocolate
  • about
  • cookbooks
  • subscribe
  • holiday recipes
  • Halloween recipes
  • party food
  • appetizers
  • decorated cheese balls
  • cute food for kids
  • dessert recipes
  • homemade chocolates recipes
  • homemade candy
  • decorated cakes
  • cupcake recpes
  • cheesecake recipes
  • cookie recipes
  • rice krispie treats recipes
  • fudge recipes
  • ice cream recipes
  • popcorn recipes
  • everyday meals
  • recipe roundups
  • readers' gallery
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • recipes
    • chocolate
    • about
    • cookbooks
    • subscribe
    • holiday recipes
    • Halloween recipes
    • party food
    • appetizers
    • decorated cheese balls
    • cute food for kids
    • dessert recipes
    • homemade chocolates recipes
    • homemade candy
    • decorated cakes
    • cupcake recpes
    • cheesecake recipes
    • cookie recipes
    • rice krispie treats recipes
    • fudge recipes
    • ice cream recipes
    • popcorn recipes
    • everyday meals
    • recipe roundups
    • readers' gallery
    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Cheesecake Recipes

    Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes

    Published: Jun 11, '18 · Modified: Dec 24, '21 · By: Beth Klosterboer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Enjoy the most decadently rich, smooth, and creamy, caramel-flavored cheesecake after any meal. These Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and toffee bits, make a wonderful dessert or party treat.

    Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and toffee bits.

    I can't wait for you to try these Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes. They are so amazingly good. With each bite, you'll enjoy lusciously creamy cheesecake with a lovely caramel flavor blended with a crunchy graham cracker crust, delicate whipped cream, sweet caramel sauce, and bits of toffee.

    These desserts, baked in muffin tins, are just the right size to serve after a meal or at a party. They are super easy to make, can be frozen for up to a month, and can be served plain or dressed up.

    Have you ever tried Dulce de Leche? It is caramelized sweetened condensed milk. It's thick, yet soft, deep golden brown, with a delicate caramel flavor. You can find cans or jars of Dulce de Leche either in the baking aisle near the cans of sweetened condensed milk or in the international food aisle near the Hispanic foods in your grocery store or you can order it from Amazon (ad).

    Dulce de Leche

    If you prefer, you can caramelize your own sweetened condensed milk to make homemade Dulce de Leche.

    How to make homemade Dulce de Leche:

    • OVEN in an oven-safe glass dish:
      • Preheat oven to 425° F.
      • Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into an 8 or 9-inch glass baking dish.
      • Cover tightly with aluminum foil and set in a larger baking dish or roasting pan.
      • Fill the larger dish with water so that the water comes about halfway up the sides of the smaller dish.
        • I have a roasting pan that has a removable flat rack with handles. I set the rack in my roasting pan, set the baking dish on top, then poured the water around the baking dish.
        • The handles and rack make it easy to remove the hot, wet, baking dish.
      • Bake for 60-90 minutes until thick and golden caramel-colored.
        • After 60 minutes, very carefully, remove the baking dish, uncover, and stir.
        • If it's not thick and golden brown in color, cover with a new piece of foil and return it to the oven for 10 more minutes.
        • Repeat this process until the caramelized sweetened condensed milk is thick and golden brown.
          • NOTE: You may need to add additional hot water if the water level gets below the top edge of the sweetened condensed milk.
          • If your oven mitts or hot pad get wet, be sure to use a dry pair when removing the pan the next time.
      • Pour the Dulce de Leche into a small mixing bowl.
      • Beat until smooth.
    • STOVETOP in a double boiler:
      • Fill the bottom pan with an inch of water.
      • Pour one can (14 ounces) of sweetened condensed milk into the top pan.
      • Bring to a boil then lower heat to low.
      • Heat for 60-90 minutes, stirring the sweetened condensed milk occasionally, until thick and golden caramel-colored.
      • Remove from heat, pour into a mixing bowl, and beat until smooth.
    • STOVETOP in a saucepan
      • Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a medium saucepan.
      • Set over medium-low heat.
      • Stir constantly for about an hour until thickened and golden brown.
      • Yep, that's a lot of stirring!!!
    • MICROWAVE in a microwave-safe bowl:
      • Pour one can of sweetened condensed milk into a large microwave-safe bowl.
      • Heat on medium (50%) power, for 2 minutes, then remove and stir.
      • Heat for 2 more minutes, then remove and stir.
      • Heat on medium-low (30%) power for 8-18 minutes, stirring ever 2 minutes, until thick and golden caramel-colored. The amount of time will depend on the wattage of your microwave.

    Caramel Cheesecakes made with Dulce de Leche and Cream Cheese

    For these caramel cheesecakes, you'll need ½ cup of Dulce de Leche plus more to drizzle over top. Store any remaining Dulce de Leche in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to a month.

    Dulce de Leche sauce is available in squeeze bottles in the grocery store. It is quite thin and has a deeper, more bitter, caramel flavor. You can use it to drizzle over the tops of your mini cheesecakes or you can simply heat some of the thicker Dulce de Leche in the microwave for a few seconds.

    Mini Caramel Cheesecakes made using dulce de leche and topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and toffee bits.

    Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes Recipe

    You can find items needed to make these small caramel desserts on amazon (commission earned for sales).

     

    5 from 1 vote
    Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes topped with whipped cream, caramel sauce, and toffee bits.
    Print
    Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes
    Prep Time
    20 mins
    Cook Time
    15 mins
    Chill
    3 hrs
    Total Time
    35 mins
     

    Rich and creamy caramel flavored cheesecakes made with a blend of Dulce de Leche and cream cheese are baked in muffin tins and can be topped with whipped cream, caramel or dulce de leche sauce, and bits of toffee. 

    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: caramel cheesecake, cheesecake, dulce de leche cheesecake
    Servings: 12
    Author: Beth Klosterboer
    Ingredients
    • 1 ¼ cup graham crackers crumbs from 10 graham crackers
    • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
    • 5 tablespoons butter, melted
    • 8 ounces (1 block) cream cheese, softened
    • ⅓ cup sugar
    • ½ cup Dulce de Leche
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
    • 1 large egg
    • ⅓ cup sour cream
    • optional toppings:
    • 1 ½ cups whipped cream
    • 2 tablespoons Dulce de Leche
    • 2 tablespoons toffee bits
    Instructions
    1. Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit.

    2. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.

    3. Equally divide the crumbs into 12 paper-lined muffin cups, about a heaping tablespoon full in each cup.

    4. Beat cream cheese on low speed, scraping down the bowl, as needed, until smooth.

    5. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.

    6. Mix in the Dulce de Leche then add the vanilla and egg and beat until creamy.

    7. Stir in the sour cream.

    8. Equally divide cheesecake filling among the 12 muffin cups, spooning about 2 tablespoons of filling into each.

    9. Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 14-16 minutes until the cheesecakes no longer look wet, but the center still jiggles.

    10. Remove and set on a cooling rack.

    11. Allow to cool for about 45 minutes then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

    12. Before serving, pop the cheesecakes into the freezer for 15 minutes (this will help the wrappers peel off easier).

    13. Remove and immediately peel away the paper liners.

    14. Set on a serving dish or individual dessert plates and serve plain or topped with a dollop of whipped cream, and drizzle of warmed Dulce de Leche, and a sprinkle of toffee bits.  

    Recipe Notes

    To make the Dulce de Leche thin enough to drizzle over top of your cheesecakes, heat in the microwave, on 50% power for 5 second bursts of power, stirring after each, until thin and smooth. 

    Drizzle over cheesecakes while still warm and thin. It will thicken as it cools. 

    If you love to make desserts for after dinner then these recipes are perfect for you. Each of these everyday dessert recipes is easy enough to make for a weeknight meal but is nice enough to take along to a dinner party, potluck, backyard picnic, or birthday party.

    If you like these Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes you might also like these other dessert recipes.

     

    • Author
    • Recent Posts
    Beth Klosterboer
    Beth Klosterboer
    Hi, I'm Beth Jackson Klosterboer, a professional chocolatier & baker, cookbook author, and event planner. I love sharing recipes for happy occasions here on Hungry Happenings. I also create easy fudge recipes to share at HowToMakeEasyFudge.com, rice krispie treat recipes at HowToMakeCerealTreats.com, and easy cookie recipes at HowToMakeEasyCookies.com
    Beth Klosterboer
    Latest posts by Beth Klosterboer (see all)
    • Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes - June 20, 2023
    • Homemade Chocolate Easter Bunnies - April 3, 2023
    • Mini Basketball Cheeseburgers - February 15, 2023

    More Cheesecake recipes and decorated cheesecakes

    • Mini peanut butter cheesecakes served with whipped cream, chocolate ganache, peanut butter, jelly, and tiny peanut butter cookies.
      Mini Peanut Butter Cheesecakes
    • New Year's Eve Appetizers and Desserts including a savory cheesecake countdown clock and mini cheese balls
      New Year's Eve Party Food
    • Mini Butterfinger Cheesecakes Recipe Image
      Mini Butterfinger Cheesecakes
    • Red, white, and blue no-bake cheesecake with blue cookie crust and raspberry gelee on top
      No-bake cheesecake with raspberry Gelée

    About Beth Klosterboer

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Please leave a comment. Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Kathie

      September 12, 2023 at 8:26 am

      No one's left any comments for this recipe because they're too busy eating their cheesecakes and their fingers are too sticky to use the keyboard 🙂

      Reply
      • Beth Klosterboer

        September 12, 2023 at 10:16 am

        I'm glad you left a comment! Thanks for making me laugh today. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Adele

      January 25, 2023 at 10:03 pm

      These are beautiful and I know they are delicious. I’m assuming these are made in a regular size muffin pan. What do you think about making really bite sized ones in a mini muffin pan? I’m planning a dessert bar for a party and I think having the smaller cheesecakes would make it easy for people to tr everything.

      Reply
      • Beth

        January 26, 2023 at 4:11 pm

        Thanks, Adele! I'm sure they can be made using a mini muffin pan. I just haven't done it yet. I need to give that a try. I'd start by baking them for 9 minutes. Check them to see if they need to go longer. They should take too long to bake. If you give them a try, I'd love to hear how it all worked out. Enjoy the recipe!

        Reply
    3. Tina

      December 24, 2021 at 8:44 am

      Curious, it looks like your video shows two 8oz packages of cream cheese but the recipe calls for one. Can you clarify please?

      Reply
      • Beth

        December 24, 2021 at 10:44 am

        Oh, my goodness, I'm sorry! I accidentally used footage from my mini cheesecakes video for the intro. I noticed the quantity of graham cracker mixture is also more in the video than it is in the recipe. So, I have removed the video. The recipe is correct. I just made a batch of the Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes to check it and it is accurate as written.

        Reply
    4. Lyrical Soul

      September 22, 2019 at 6:00 pm

      Very easy to make, and so very delicious! Thanks for sharing this. I'm going to. Figure out how to make this as a while cheesecake!

      Reply
      • Beth

        September 24, 2019 at 3:57 pm

        I'm glad you like this recipe. You can find my recipe for plain mini cheesecakes here - https://hungryhappenings.com/mini-cheesecakes/

        Reply
    5. The Partiologist

      June 12, 2018 at 9:08 am

      I know about a thousand people who would love these, starting with ME!

      Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

    Read more about me →

    Popular

    • Mini cheesecakes collage of images with plain cheesecakes, cheesecake cups with toppings, and decorated edible flower cheesecakes.
      Mini Cheesecakes
    • Cakesicles with red and green drizzle, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle
      How to make Cakesicles (cake pop popsicles)
    • Halloween appetizer - Jack Skellington Chicken Dip
      Halloween Appetizer - Jack Skellington Dip
    • This Halloween freak out your friends and family by serving them some Stuffed Pizza Skulls. They are really easy to make yet look so amazingly cool that no one will realize they took minutes to make.
      Stuffed Pizza Skulls
    • four sugar skulls decorated with colorful royal icing flowers, hearts, spider webs and more on a black background
      Sugar Skull Video Tutorial
    • Cake Ball Brains are sure to creep out your friends and family at Halloween but they are really tasty treats.
      Cake Ball Brains Oozing Cherry Blood - Creepy Halloween Sweets
    • chocolate rice krispie treat turkeys
      Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Pops
    • Giant Reese's Cup on a cake stand with a slice cut and served on a small dessert plate.
      Giant Peanut Butter Cup
    • skillet dip snowman with bread puffs surrounding hot chicken dip decorated with black olives and a carrot nose
      Skillet Dip Snowman - Christmas Appetizer
    • a stack of green copycake IHOP Grinch pancakes topped with cream cheese glaze, green whipped cream, and candy hearts on a white plate are set in front of a red and white striped cup filled with grinch hot chocolate
      Copycat IHOP Grinch Pancakes Recipe

    Buy my cookbooks

    Beth Jackson Klosterboer

    Welcome to Hungry Happenings!

    I'm Beth. I've been a professional chocolatier & baker for over 30 years, have written 5 cookbooks, and love creating fun food for holidays and special occasions.

    Read more about me →

    Popular

    • Mini cheesecakes collage of images with plain cheesecakes, cheesecake cups with toppings, and decorated edible flower cheesecakes.
      Mini Cheesecakes
    • Cakesicles with red and green drizzle, rainbow sprinkles, and chocolate drizzle
      How to make Cakesicles (cake pop popsicles)
    • Halloween appetizer - Jack Skellington Chicken Dip
      Halloween Appetizer - Jack Skellington Dip
    • This Halloween freak out your friends and family by serving them some Stuffed Pizza Skulls. They are really easy to make yet look so amazingly cool that no one will realize they took minutes to make.
      Stuffed Pizza Skulls
    • four sugar skulls decorated with colorful royal icing flowers, hearts, spider webs and more on a black background
      Sugar Skull Video Tutorial
    • Cake Ball Brains are sure to creep out your friends and family at Halloween but they are really tasty treats.
      Cake Ball Brains Oozing Cherry Blood - Creepy Halloween Sweets
    • chocolate rice krispie treat turkeys
      Chocolate Dipped Rice Krispie Treat Turkey Pops
    • Giant Reese's Cup on a cake stand with a slice cut and served on a small dessert plate.
      Giant Peanut Butter Cup
    • skillet dip snowman with bread puffs surrounding hot chicken dip decorated with black olives and a carrot nose
      Skillet Dip Snowman - Christmas Appetizer
    • a stack of green copycake IHOP Grinch pancakes topped with cream cheese glaze, green whipped cream, and candy hearts on a white plate are set in front of a red and white striped cup filled with grinch hot chocolate
      Copycat IHOP Grinch Pancakes Recipe

    Buy my cookbooks

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    use policies

    • privacy policy
    • photo-use policy
    • terms of service

    join us

    • subscribe (newsletter)
    • our online courses
    • readers' gallery

    contact

    • contact
    • about Beth
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 Hungry Happenings