Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: Ultra fresh with the perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.
Texture: The crust is crunchy and buttery, while the cheesecake filling is super creamy, luscious, and rich.
Ease: Ridiculously easy. The hardest part is waiting for them to chill and set before eating!
Pros: Perfect spring or summer dessert. Fast, easy to transport, and requires no oven use.
Cons: I’ve noticed if you don’t use high quality bricks of cream cheese, you end up with extra moisture which makes it harder for these cheesecakes to set firmly.
Would I make this again? Absolutely!
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When it’s 110°F or hotter here in Phoenix, the last thing I want to do is turn on the oven.
Sometimes I make that sacrifice in order to continue testing new recipes to share with you. It’s a small price to pay to wake up to my dream job every day!
That’s why I love thinking up new no bake recipes once the temperatures start to soar.
I knew I wanted to create a no bake recipe incorporating berries of some kind, and I’m absolutely pleased with how delicious and beautiful these No Bake Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes turned out to be.
I’m a weirdo and would much rather eat berries raw and fresh than bake with them, so this recipe worked out perfectly to preserve the sweet and tart freshness of the blackberries.
To keep things really simple, I use blackberry jam in the cheesecake itself, then make a simple puree of fresh (or you could use defrosted frozen) blackberries to dollop on top. I find that adding fresh fruit to a no bake cheesecake “batter” makes it way too watery to set properly.
I particularly love mini cheesecakes because they’re so much quicker and simpler to make and transport than full sized cheesecakes. Plus it gives the illusion of moderation, that is until you realize you’ve actually eaten 4 mini cheesecakes…
For perfectly adorable mini cheesecakes, get yourself a mini cheesecake pan. I use mine all of the time. The bottoms are removeable just like a springform or tart pan so you can pop out each cheesecake and keep it perfectly in tact.
If you don’t have a mini cheesecake pan, you could use a muffin tin. Just be sure to line it with paper or foil liners, otherwise the graham cracker crust might crumble and the cheesecake might stick when you go to remove them. Or, another super cute idea, is to use mini mason jars to assemble and serve this recipe in. You might end up with less than 12 cheesecakes but they’d be perfect for a dinner party or BBQ.
These No Bake Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes are bound to be crowd pleasers, so if you make it be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram, tagging #handletheheat, before every last one vanishes.
Also, if you’re feeling cheesecake inspired, I’ve got a full guide on how to make perfect traditional cheesecakes. No cracks, no lumps, nothing but perfection:
No Bake Mini Blackberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 1 sleeve (9 crackers, 140 grams) graham crackers
- 4 tablespoons (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake:
- 12 ounces (340 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature*
- 1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180 grams) heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/4 cup (80 grams) blackberry preserves
For topping:
- 1 cup (145 grams) blackberries
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- Blackberries, for garnish
Instructions
For the crust:
- Thoroughly grease a mini cheesecake pan. Place the graham crackers in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add in the melted butter and pulse until moistened. Divide the mixture among the cavities of the cheesecake pan, about 1 heaping tablespoon in each. Firmly press into the bottom of each cavity (a shot glass or other small object makes easy work of this). Set aside.
For the cheesecake:
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar on medium-high speed until creamy and well combined. Add in the cream, lemon juice, and preserves and continue beating for 2 to 3 minutes, until well combined and thickened, with a texture similar to frosting. Divide the mixture among each cavity and cover with plastic wrap.
- Chill until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. The cheesecake can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
For the topping:
- Combine the berries, sugar, and lemon juice in the bowl of a blender or food processor and pulse until pureed. Top each cheesecake with a dollop of the sauce. Garnish with a more fresh blackberries. Serve.
Photos by Constance Higley.
Love this is no bake. Thinking about making a bunch of mini desserts for New Years Day.
Sounds delicious! I hope you gave this recipe a try 🙂 If you did, let us know what you think!
These were delicious & so easy to make! Thank you for such a wonderful recipe that my guests loved!
Can these little cheesecakes be made in small muffin tin with small cupcake liners instead?
Can I use a muffin tin? Should I line it? Looks amazing!
These cheesecakes are flavor bombs and have become one of our favorite desserts. They wow our company and are a great make ahead. A definite 10! Way to go Tessa! Would Like to know what brand of blackberry preserves you use.
This was so delicious! And a perfect, unique dessert for company. Picky Hubby gave it a quick 10! I did add a few steps. I wanted more blackberry flavor in the cheesecake, so I added another tablespoon of blackberry preserves, and didn’t incorporate it all the way so I would have little flecks of color and flavor inside the cheesecake. Then I doubled the topping mixture, and strained out the seeds. It was an absolute flavor bomb! I also used individual silicone cupcake molds. I was a little nervous about the cheesecake being firm enough, so put them in the freezer while we ate. They popped right out of the silicone molds perfectly. So easy, I will be making these with my 8 year old granddaughter for our next FaceTime baking session! Thank you Tessa!
How far in advance can you make these?
Can you use a no bake cheesecake mix?
Hi, will it work to make these using a muffin tin instead of a mini cheesecake pan? If so, will the baking time vary? Also, will fresh berries work as a substitute to frozen? I’d love to try this recipe!
Can you substitute with raspberry and raspberry preserves? Would it make a difference with sugar and lemon juice etc or just substitute as normal!
I would just sub as normal!
Can you freeze? for how long and how with or without topping/berry?
I am always in the lookout for desserts that cane be made in the mini dessert cups. This looks perfect!