Line each hole of the cupcake pan with a cupcake liner.
Prepare the Crust:
Add the circus animal cookies to a food processor and crush until finely ground. If you don’t have a food processor, roughly chop the cookies, then place them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. The texture should resemble sand.
In a bowl, combine the crushed cookies with the melted butter. Mix well.
Set aside a small amount of the cookie crumb mixture to use as a garnish later.
Add a heaping tablespoon of the cookie crumbs to each cupcake liner. Press the crumbs firmly to create the crust layer.
Prepare the Filling:
In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and vanilla paste or extract.
Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the ingredients together until smooth and well combined.
Assemble the Cheesecake Cups:
Evenly divide the filling among the cupcake liners, placing it on top of the cookie crust.
Use the back of a spoon to smooth out the top of each cheesecake cup, ensuring the filling is spread to the edges of the liner.
Garnish:
Sprinkle nonpareil sprinkles and the reserved cookie crumbs on top of each cheesecake cup for a whimsical touch.
Chill:
Place the tray in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or until the cheesecakes are set.
Serve:
Before serving, remove the cupcake liners from each cheesecake cup. Enjoy your fun and festive treats!