This summer, I’ve been loving swirled desserts. They’re fun to make and look incredible. It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to an end though. Since school started last week and summer fruits are slowly disappearing from stores, I decided to make one final summer dessert. Usually when I eat cheesecake, a whole slice is a little overwhelming, but these minis turned out to be the perfect size.

Mini Raspberry Swirl Cheesecakes (click to print)
makes 24 mini cheesecakes
adapted from Martha Stewart via Zoom Yummy

Crust
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3 tablespoons sugar

Swirl
1 container (6 ounces) fresh raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling
2 pounds cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Set aside.

Stir together ground graham crackers, melted butter, and sugar. Press 1 tablespoon of the mixture firmly into the bottom of each lined cup. Bake until set, about 5 minutes. Let cool.

In the bowl of a food processor, process the raspberries until smooth. Strain puree through a fine sieve into a small bowl, pressing with a flexible spatula to strain through as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Whisk in 2 tablespoons sugar. Set aside.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese until fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the sugar in a steady stream. Add the salt and vanilla. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until just combined after each addition.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of filling over the crust in each cup. Dollop small drops of raspberry puree over the filling. With a wooden skewer or toothpick, swirl the puree into the filling. Bake until the filling is set, about 22-25 minutes. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.