No Bake Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes

The day I made these cheesecakes it almost reached 120°F here in Phoenix.

Needless to say, I was NOT about to turn on my oven. Or stove. The recipes I had planned on testing that day had to wait, because something fresh and delightful with no extra heat required was simply a necessity.

I’m almost happy it got so hot that day because I’m not sure I would have ended up creating these No Bake Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes otherwise!

I just love how adorable and bright these cheesecakes are. You kind of get an idea of what they’re going to taste like just by looking at them! And they’re about a million times easier to make than a full sized baked cheesecake.

No Bake Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes Recipe Tips

The Pan

I used my beloved Mini Cheesecake Pan for this recipe, but if you don’t have one go ahead and use a standard muffin tin with paper liners sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Also make sure to grease your mini cheesecake pan if you’re using that. We don’t want any sticking here since there is no baking!

The Crust

This is a simple graham cracker crust made with finely ground crackers and a generous amount of butter to ensure the crust holds its shape since there’s no baking here. To make quick and easy work of assembling the crust, I like to take a heaping tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture and place it into each cavity. Then I take a shot glass or small tamper and to firmly press the crust down into the pan so it’s nice and compact and neat. If there are a lot of stray crumbs up the sides of the cavities I’ll try to brush them away so they don’t end up on the actual cheesecake.

The Cheesecake

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. Since there are no eggs in this recipe and we aren’t baking it, there’s no risk of overmixing the batter. That means you can beat it to oblivion to make sure it’s completely smooth and creamy with no lumps. You can also fill each cavity with cheesecake filling all the way to the top, again because there’s no risk of it overflowing while baking. Make sure you chill the cheesecakes for at least 4 hours, or until firm enough to hold their shape. This may take more time depending on your fridge and the weather, so I usually just chill overnight to ensure they’re firmed.

Making Ahead & Storing

The plain cheesecakes, without the topping or garnishes, can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container up to 2 days ahead of time. Once you add the strawberry puree on top, and especially once you add the garnishes, the cheesecakes should be served within a few hours to preserve their appearance. This also ensures the extra water from the garnishes doesn’t seep into the cheesecakes.

5 from 3 votes

How to make

No Bake Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes

Yield: 12 mini cheesecakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

No Bake Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes are adorably fresh, tart, and fruity and will be the star of any summer cookout!

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 heavy cream
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

For topping::

• 5 ounces (142 grams) strawberries, hulled and chopped
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• Strawberry slices
• Lemon slices

Directions

For the crust:

1. 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:

1. 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, zest, and juice and continue beating until well combined and thickened. Divide the mixture among each cavity and cover with plastic wrap.
2. 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:

1. Combine the strawberries, 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 strawberry and lemon slice. Serve.

Recipe Video

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!

Recipe by Tessa Arias