Air Fryer Cheesecake (Classic)

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Rich, creamy, and with a subtle sweetness to compliment the tang, this Air Fryer Cheesecake recipe is so quick and to make. A classic cream cheese filling overtop of a graham cracker crust, you’ll love how simple it is to put together.

Making cheesecakes in the air fryer is perfect if you don’t want to make a giant one for only one to two servings. This air fryer cheesecake recipe makes two small cheesecakes.

If you’re not a fan of prepping a water bath when baking cheesecakes, you’ll love this air fryer version. No water bath needed!

Cheesecakes can seem intimidating at first (this Japanese cheesecake takes a bit of work but its worth it!) but this air fryer version only requires a handful of ingredients that don’t take a lot of work. You probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen already!

The cook time is also much less than if you’ve popped this in the oven (this strawberry shortcake cheesecake takes a lot longer to chill) so you can quickly and easily prep this the morning before you plan on serving.

Don't forget to check out the air fryer cheesecake web story!

What is an Air Fryer?

The Air Fryer is a healthier alternative to frying foods. It's basically a small, powerful convection oven that sits on your countertop.

It circulates hot air around the food you're cooking, which is what gives it that crisp texture that mimics fried food (without all the grease).

Read more about the health benefits of using an air fryer.

I personally use this Ninja MAX XL Air Fryer because it hold 5.5 quarts, which is more than most. It has worked great so far and we just love how easy it is to use!

Why This Recipe Works

1. Due to the size of the mini cheesecakes, the cook time and chill time is much lower than a traditional cheesecake. This means you’ll be able to enjoy your air fryer cheesecake much sooner.
2. You can go wild with your toppings of choice. This is a classic cheesecake that can go with many different flavor combinations for toppings.
3. This is pretty much a foolproof cheesecake recipe. No worries about cracking your cheesecake or a water bath!

The Ingredients

For this air fryer cheesecake recipe, you won’t believe that you only need seven simple ingredients!

Cream cheese — It’s important to ensure your cream cheese has softened to room temperature or it’ll be lumpy. I also always recommend using full fat cream cheese for the best texture.

Egg — Just one egg is needed for this recipe. Again, make sure it’s at room temperature.

Graham crackers — For the best melt in your mouth crust, we use graham crackers and mix them with butter. Any kind of graham crackers work!

Sugar — We use both brown and granulated white sugar for this air fryer cheesecake recipe.

The full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Step By Step Instructions

Place the cream cheese in a bowl and beat with a mixer until slightly fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the sugar and beat another 1-2 minutes.

Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat for 30 seconds.

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Pour the mixture on top of the crust (see below for crust instructions) and cook in the air fryer (on the air fry setting) at 300F degrees for 12 minutes.

Turn the air fryer off and let the cheesecake sit inside for 30 minutes. Remove and let it cool fully at room temperature.

Chill in the fridge for 3 hours or overnight before serving.

Serve topped with whipped cream, strawberries, blueberries or chocolate syrup. I LOVE this cheesecake served with these candied cherries - it's one of the best things ever!

How to Make Graham Cracker Crust

Use a food processor to grind the graham crackers into crumbs.

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix until the graham crackers are dampened and starting to stick together.

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Line 2 mini springform pans with parchment paper.

Press the crust into the bottom of each pan.

Cook in the air fryer (on the air fry setting) at 350F degrees for 3 minutes. Remove and let cool fully before adding cheesecake filling.

Topping Variations

• Melted chocolate
• Berry compote
• Caramel sauce
• Whipped cream
• Fresh fruit
• Oreo cookies
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Lemon curd
• Candied cherries

Don’t Have Graham Crackers?

If you don’t have graham crackers on hand to make the crust for this air fryer cheesecake, you can try the following cookies:

• Oreo cookies (we made an Oreo crust for this chocolate mousse pie that was so yummy)
• Biscotti cookies
• Gingersnap cookies (we used gingersnaps to make a crust for this lemon chiffon pie and it was incredible!)
• Digestive biscuits
• Or any type of cookies you have in your pantry

Expert Tips

• Use full fat cream cheese for the best results.
• Make sure you are using the cream cheese blocks and not the spreadable kind in a tub. They do not yield the same results.
• Let the crust cool fully before adding the cheesecake mixture so it doesn’t get soggy.
• Line the mini springform pans with parchment paper to make it easy to remove the cheesecakes.
• Test the cheesecake doneness with a toothpick. Stick it in the middle – if it comes out clean (or mostly clean) it’s done.
• Let the cheesecake chill for at least 3 hours to allow them time to firm up.
• This recipe can be easily doubled or tripled.
• Having your ingredients at room temperature helps keep your filling creamy and smooth instead of lumpy.
• Only want to enjoy one of these cheesecakes? Freeze the second one by wrapping it up in plastic wrap once chilled and then in tinfoil before transferring to the freezer.
• Avoid over mixing the ingredients as it can cause your cheesecake to be dense.
• You may need to cook separately if your air fryer isn't large enough to cook both at the same time.

If you're a huge cheesecake fan like myself, you'll probably also love these no bake cheesecake bites or this ultra creamy sous vide cheesecake!

Common Questions

Did you make this air fryer cheesecake recipe? rate it and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!