Description
Silky vanilla bean creme brulee cheesecake cupcakes deliver a luxurious French-inspired dessert that blends creamy cheesecake with caramelized sugar magic. Classic elegance meets modern indulgence in these compact, irresistible treats you’ll savor to the last delectable bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Dairy and Cream Base:
- 16 ounces (453 grams) cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup (120 milliliters) heavy cream
- 2 large eggs
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) sour cream
- 1 vanilla bean, scraped
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
Crust Ingredients:
- 1 cup (240 milliliters) graham cracker crumbs
- 4 tablespoons (60 grams) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated sugar
Topping and Finishing Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated sugar (for brulee topping)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F and arrange cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter until thoroughly blended.
- Distribute approximately one tablespoon of crust mixture into each liner, compressing firmly with a spoon to create an even foundation.
- Using an electric mixer, whip cream cheese and sugar until achieving a silky, uniform consistency.
- Incorporate eggs individually, mixing gently after each addition. Fold in vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, and sour cream until harmoniously integrated.
- Carefully ladle cheesecake batter over prepared crusts, filling liners nearly to their rim.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, monitoring until centers appear set yet retain a subtle tremor when gently nudged.
- Extract from oven and allow cupcakes to normalize to room temperature.
- Refrigerate for minimum two hours, ensuring complete chilling and structural solidity.
- Prior to serving, delicately remove cupcake liners and dust each surface with granulated sugar.
- Employ a kitchen torch to caramelize sugar, transforming surface into a golden, brittle shell.
- Permit caramelized sugar to cool and solidify momentarily before serving.
- Savor chilled, cracking the crisp brulee topping just moments before indulgence.
Notes
- Substitute graham cracker crumbs with gluten-free alternatives like almond flour or crushed gluten-free cookies for a celiac-friendly version.
- Use a digital thermometer to ensure cream cheese mixture reaches perfect smoothness without overbeating, preventing cracks in the cupcakes.
- If you don’t own a kitchen torch, carefully broil the sugar topping in the oven for 12 minutes, watching closely to prevent burning.
- Enhance flavor complexity by infusing cream cheese mixture with Madagascar vanilla beans or high-quality vanilla extract for deeper aromatic notes.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: French-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 92 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 33 mg
- Fat: 6 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Fiber: 0.4 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 17 mg