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Sous Vide Upside-Down Cheesecake Cups

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on March 20, 2019

Time

Sous vide: 176°F/80°C; active cooking time: 30 minutes, plus resting and chilling time

Yield

Serves 8

Sous Vide Temperature

176°F/80°C

Sous Vide Upside-Down Cheesecake Cups

Ingredients

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 ½ teaspoons plus ⅔ cup sugar ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon Salt 16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, softened1 teaspoon vanilla extract ¼ cup sour cream 2 large eggs, room temperature

Before You Begin

You will need eight 4-ounce regular mouth Mason jars for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jars before placing them in the water bath; it can cause the glass to crack. Serve with fresh berries if desired. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

  1. Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 176°F/80°C in 7-quart container.
  2. Pulse graham crackers in food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, 1½ teaspoons sugar, cinnamon, and pinch salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer graham cracker topping to small bowl and set aside for serving.
  3. Wipe food processor bowl clean. Process cream cheese, vanilla, ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ⅔ cup sugar until combined, about 15 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and eggs and process until just incorporated, about 15 seconds; do not overprocess. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup, then divide evenly among eight 4-ounce wide-mouthed Mason jars. Gently tap jars on counter to remove any air bubbles, then seal; do not overtighten lids.
  4. Gently lower jars into water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 60 minutes or up to 75 minutes.
  5. Transfer jars to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Let cheesecake cups sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with graham cracker topping and serve.
  6. to make ahead

  7. Cheesecake cups can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Graham cracker crumble can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Sous Vide Upside-Down Cheesecake Cups
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Kendra McKnight.

Sous Vide Upside-Down Cheesecake Cups

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By America's Test Kitchen
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Time

Sous vide: 176°F/80°C; active cooking time: 30 minutes, plus resting and chilling time

Yield

Serves 8

Sous Vide Temperature

176°F/80°C

Ingredients

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons plus ⅔ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt
16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Ingredients

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons plus ⅔ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt
16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Ingredients

3 whole graham crackers, broken into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons plus ⅔ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Salt
16 ounces (454 grams) cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup sour cream
2 large eggs, room temperature

Why This Recipe Works

Cheesecake is often a baking project reserved for special occasions. But we found that using sous vide (and Mason jars) turned this decadent cake into a streamlined dessert. The cheesecake base came together in a snap in the food processor; sour cream provided a little tang to balance out the sweetness of cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla. We transformed the traditional graham cracker crust into a quick stovetop crumble topping. Sharing is optional. 

Before You Begin

You will need eight 4-ounce regular mouth Mason jars for this recipe. Be careful not to overtighten the jars before placing them in the water bath; it can cause the glass to crack. Serve with fresh berries if desired. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.

Instructions

  1. Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 176°F/80°C in 7-quart container.
  2. Pulse graham crackers in food processor to fine crumbs, about 15 pulses. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in graham cracker crumbs, 1½ teaspoons sugar, cinnamon, and pinch salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute; transfer graham cracker topping to small bowl and set aside for serving.
  3. Wipe food processor bowl clean. Process cream cheese, vanilla, ¼ teaspoon salt, and remaining ⅔ cup sugar until combined, about 15 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and eggs and process until just incorporated, about 15 seconds; do not overprocess. Strain mixture through fine-mesh strainer into 4-cup liquid measuring cup, then divide evenly among eight 4-ounce wide-mouthed Mason jars. Gently tap jars on counter to remove any air bubbles, then seal; do not overtighten lids.
  4. Gently lower jars into water bath until fully submerged. Cover and cook for at least 60 minutes or up to 75 minutes.
  5. Transfer jars to wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 4 hours. Let cheesecake cups sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then sprinkle with graham cracker topping and serve.
  6. to make ahead

  7. Cheesecake cups can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Graham cracker crumble can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.

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