Decadently rich, smooth, and impossibly creamy. These mini cheesecakes are the ultimate caramel-lover's dream. With a crunchy graham cracker crust, a velvety dulce de leche center, and a crown of whipped cream and toffee bits, they are the perfect bite-sized indulgence for any party or weeknight treat.
I can't wait for you to try these Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes.
Why You’ll Love Them:
Perfectly Portioned: Baked in a muffin tin for easy serving.
Make-Ahead Friendly: These freeze beautifully for up to a month!
Versatile: Serve them plain for a simple treat or "dress them up" with extra toppings.
What is Dulce de Leche?
If you haven't tried it yet, prepare to be obsessed! Dulce de leche is sweetened condensed milk that has been slowly heated until it transforms into a thick, golden, caramel-like sauce.
Pro Tip: You can find it in the baking aisle (near the condensed milk) or in the international foods aisle. Look for cans or jars, but avoid the "syrup" versions in squeeze bottles if you want that signature thick texture.
👩🍳 How to Make Homemade Dulce de Leche
If you can’t find it at the store, don’t worry! You can make your own at home using a single can of sweetened condensed milk. Here are the four best ways to do it:
1. The Oven Method (Most Consistent)
Preheat oven to 425°F.
Pour 1 can of condensed milk into an 8 or 9-inch glass dish. Cover tightly with foil.
Place the dish inside a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with water until it reaches halfway up the side of the glass dish (a water bath).
Bake for 60–90 minutes. Stir every 30 minutes until thick and golden.
Once finished, whisk until smooth.
2. The Double Boiler (Best for Monitoring)
Fill the bottom pan with an inch of water.
Pour the milk into the top pan.
Simmer on low for 60–90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it reaches a deep caramel color.
3. The Microwave (Fastest!)
Pour milk into a large microwave-safe bowl.
Heat on 50% power for 2 minutes; stir. Repeat once.
Lower the power to 30% and heat in 2-minute intervals (stirring in between) for 8–18 minutes until thick.
4. The Stovetop (The "Arm Workout")
- Pour milk into a saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Stir constantly for about an hour. It’s a lot of work, but the results are delicious!
Putting it All Together
For this recipe, you will need ½ cup of Dulce de Leche for the cheesecake batter, plus extra for drizzling.
The Finishing Touches: To make these "party-ready," top each chilled cheesecake with:
☁️ A dollop of fresh whipped cream
🍯 A drizzle of warm Dulce de Leche
🍫 A sprinkle of crunchy toffee bits
Storage Tip:
Have leftovers? Store your homemade Dulce de Leche in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one month. It’s amazing on toast, ice cream, or just eaten with a spoon!
Supplies
You can find items needed to make these small caramel desserts on Amazon (commission earned for sales).
La Lechera Dulce De Leche C...Shop on Amazon
Wilton Recipe Right Nonstic...Shop on Amazon
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Recipe
Ready to bake? Scroll down for the full printable recipe card!
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.
- 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
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Preheat your oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
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Stir together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter.
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Equally divide the crumbs into 12 paper-lined muffin cups, about a heaping tablespoon full in each cup.
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Beat cream cheese on low speed, scraping down the bowl, as needed, until smooth.
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Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.
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Mix in the Dulce de Leche then add the vanilla and egg and beat until creamy.
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Stir in the sour cream.
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Equally divide cheesecake filling among the 12 muffin cups, spooning about 2 tablespoons of filling into each.
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Bake on the middle rack in the oven for 14-16 minutes until the cheesecakes no longer look wet, but the center still jiggles.
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Remove and set on a cooling rack.
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Allow to cool for about 45 minutes then refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
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Before serving, pop the cheesecakes into the freezer for 15 minutes (this will help the wrappers peel off easier).
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Remove and immediately peel away the paper liners.
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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 Video
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 like these Mini Dulce de Leche Cheesecakes, you might also like these other dessert recipes.
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- Pineapple Fudge (No Candy Thermometer Needed!) - March 4, 2026
- No-Bake Peanut Butter Pie Recipe - March 3, 2026
Kathie says
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 🙂
Beth Klosterboer says
I'm glad you left a comment! Thanks for making me laugh today. 🙂
Adele says
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.
Beth says
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!
Tina says
Curious, it looks like your video shows two 8oz packages of cream cheese but the recipe calls for one. Can you clarify please?
Beth says
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.
Lyrical Soul says
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!
Beth says
I'm glad you like this recipe. You can find my recipe for plain mini cheesecakes here - https://hungryhappenings.com/mini-cheesecakes/
The Partiologist says
I know about a thousand people who would love these, starting with ME!