1-First, heat your oven to 375°F and combine the graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar, a pinch of salt, and melted butter. Press this mix into cupcake liners in a 12-cup muffin tin for the crusts, then pre-bake for 8 minutes. Drop the oven temp to 350°F after that.

2-Creating the Filling: Next, beat the 16 ounces of room-temperature cream cheese with 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until it’s nice and creamy. Add the egg yolks one by one, mixing well each time. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a dash of granulated sugar until they’re frothy but not stiff, then gently fold that into your cream cheese mix.

3- Pour the filling into those pre-baked crusts, filling the liners almost to the top, and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Let them rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours. For a fun twist, check out this mini scone recipe if you’re in the mood for more bite-sized bakes.

4-Adding the Toppings: Once chilled, it’s topping time! For the hard shell, melt your dipping chocolate and coat the cheesecakes for that drip effect, then dip strawberries and place one on each. If you prefer ganache, heat 1/2 cup heavy cream with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, add 4 ounces of chopped chocolate, stir until smooth, and pour over the tops with dipped strawberries. The whole process takes about 3 hours and 15 minutes total, with prep around 20 minutes and cooking about 28 minutes.