Ingredients:

  • 1 ½ cups finely crushed Vanilla Wafers (about 125g)
  • 2 tablespoons Granulated Sugar (for crust)
  • 5 tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted (70g)
  • 16 ounces full-fat Cream Cheese, very soft (450g)
  • ¾ cup Granulated Sugar (150g, for filling)
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup Sour Cream or Full-Fat Greek Yogurt, room temperature (120ml)
  • 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 1 teaspoon Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
  • ¼ cup reserved crushed Vanilla Wafers (for layering)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
  2. Prepare the crust: In a food processor or bowl, pulse/mix 1 ¼ cups of the vanilla wafers and 2 tbsp sugar until fine crumbs form. Add the melted butter and mix until evenly moistened. Reserve ¼ cup of the fine crumbs for the layering step.
  3. Form the base: Press about 1 ½ tablespoons of the main crust mixture firmly into the bottom of each liner. Chill the crusts in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes while preparing the filling.
  4. Cream the cheese: In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until completely smooth and lump-free. Gradually beat in the ¾ cup sugar until combined.
  5. Incorporate liquids and flavour: Beat in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until just combined. Do not overmix.
  6. Add eggs: Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing only until the yolk disappears after each addition. Stop mixing immediately once incorporated.
  7. Layer the filling: Spoon half of the cream cheese batter over the chilled crusts. Sprinkle the reserved ¼ cup of crushed vanilla wafers evenly over this first layer. Top carefully with the remaining cream cheese batter.
  8. Bake for 20–25 minutes. The edges should appear set, but the very centre should still have a slight wobble.
  9. Cooling: Turn off the oven, crack the door open slightly, and allow the cheesecakes to cool inside the oven for 30 minutes. This gentle cooling prevents cracking.
  10. Chill completely: Remove from the oven, allow to cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, before serving.