Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a standard 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Combine all of the crust ingredients in a medium bowl. Mixture will be sandy. Firmly press a heaping Tablespoon of crust mixture into each liner. Bake the crusts for 6 minutes.

Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium-high speed in a large bowl until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract, and beat until fully combined. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined before adding the next. Do not over-mix. Divide the batter among the liners, filling each all the way to the top. (It’s OK if the crust is still warm.)

Optional Water Bath (prevents cheesecakes from excess sinking; skip this step if desired): Boil a pot of water. You need 1 inch of water in your roasting pan for the water bath, so make sure you boil enough. Place a large metal baking or roasting pan (I usually use a 9×13-inch baking pan—do not use glass) on the bottom oven rack of the preheated oven. Pour boiling water into pan, about 1 inch deep. Immediately place the cheesecakes on the center rack. Close oven to trap the steam inside. This unique water bath adds steam to the oven without having the muffin pan sit inside the water itself, which is a traditional water bath method used for full-size cheesecakes.

Bake until the edges are set and the centers slightly jiggle when you tap the pan, about 20 minutes.

Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow cheesecakes to cool at room temperature for 45 minutes, then transfer to the refrigerator and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours. (Or place in the freezer for 1 hour to speed things up.) If chilling in the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours, loosely cover the cheesecakes. Even if you used the water bath method in step 4, the cheesecakes will slightly sink as they cool.

I used Wilton 1M tip for piping whipped cream on the pictured mini cheesecakes. Garnish with berries, mint, and/or other toppings suggested in recipe Notes. Whipped cream can be made and piped/spread on mini cheesecakes up to 24 hours in advance. Refrigerate decorated cheesecakes until ready to serve.

Cover and store leftover cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.