No-Bake Cheesecake Bites

If you are looking for the perfect fruity dessert to impress guests at your next birthday party, celebration, or gathering, these no-bake cheesecake bites are just what you are looking for. Made with a crunchy graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberry topping, they are a fun, bite-sized treat that all ages will love!

Jump to:

• 🌟 Why this is the best recipe
• 📝 Ingredient notes
• 👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe
• 📚 Flavor variations & Substitutions
• 🥣 Equipment Notes
• 🎓 Expert tips
• ❓Recipe FAQs
• 🍰 More Cheesecake Recipes
• No-Bake Cheesecake Bites

🌟 Why this is the best recipe

1. It is easy to make - This delicious no-bake cheesecake bite recipe is very easy to follow, requiring only 30 minutes of prep time. Even beginners will find this recipe a breeze.
2. No fancy equipment or ingredients required - This recipe uses simple ingredients, all of which you can find in your pantry or grocery store. Also, as a recipe that does not require you to bake, you will need minimal equipment.
3. It is the most delicious - I use the highest quality, fresh ingredients and the best technique to give every bite of this cheesecake a fresh and full-flavored taste.
4. It is the most detailed - You will not miss a beat with this detailed guide. Unlike some other recipes, I don’t just provide a step-by-step tutorial but also expert tips and an explanation of the science behind the process so that you get flawless results every time you make Philadelphia no-bake mini cheesecakes!

📝 Ingredient notes

Graham Cracker Crust

1. Biscuit Crumb - Biscuits with a firm texture are best for this recipe. I recommend graham cracker crumbs, digestive biscuits, or Biscoff cookies.
2. Butter - Use unsalted butter to give your crust the best taste and to fully control the amount of salt in the recipe. I recommend a high-quality 82% fat European-style butter. The butter needs to be melted, but not hot.
3. Salt - Salt is an essential ingredient in baking to balance the sweetness and enhance the other flavors.

Cream Cheese Layer

1. Cream Cheese - The cream cheese gives the bites a smooth, creamy texture and delicious flavor that perfectly complements the fruit toppings. For the best results, use high fat cream cheese. I prefer to use 33% fat Philadelphia cream cheese; however, any brick cream cheese works well. It needs to be cold before using it in the recipe. There is no need to bring cream cheese to room temperature as some recipes suggest.
2. Heavy Cream - Like the cream cheese, a high-fat, heavy whipping cream or double cream works best. I use a 36% fat-content heavy cream in this recipe. It also needs to be very cold before using it.
3. Powdered Sugar - Powdered sugar (or confectioner’s sugar) adds sweetness to the cream cheese filling. Do not use granulated sugar. Since this is a no-bake recipe, it will not dissolve and will give the filling a gritty texture.
4. Vanilla Extract - Vanilla extract adds a touch of sweet vanilla flavor to the filling. 

Strawberry Compote Topping

1. Strawberries - Fresh strawberries work best for this Philadelphia mini cheesecakes recipe, although frozen berries work just as well. If using frozen strawberries, you may need to increase the cooking time.
2. Granulated sugar - You will need regular granulated sugar for the compote. Refer to my sugar guide to learn more about the different types of sugar and their role in baking.
3. Lemon juice - The lemon juice enhances the natural flavor of the strawberries. For the best flavor, use freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can also use lime juice if you do not have lemons.

🛒 You’ll find detailed measurements for all ingredients in the printable version of the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post

👩‍🍳 How to make this recipe

1. Step-by-step process of making the crust

1. Take the muffin pan and line each of the cavities with muffin cases.
2. Melt the butter in the microwave. While it cools, start to prepare the crust.
3. Use a food processor or a ziplock bag and a rolling pin to crush the biscuits or graham crackers into crumbs. Once crushed, mix the crumbs with the warm, melted butter and a pinch of salt until thoroughly combined. If it is too runny, place it in the refrigerator for a few minutes to allow it to set.
4. With the help of a teaspoon, line the muffin cases with the graham cracker mixture. Make sure to evenly and tightly press it flat.
5. Once you pack each muffin case with the crust, place it in the freezer for 15 minutes to set. Meanwhile, prepare the filling.

💡 Top Tip: It helps to use a bent spoon or the bottom of a ramekin to assist in firmly packing the crumbs into the muffin tin so they do not crumble.

2. How to assemble

1. To prepare the filling, whip the cream cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar for 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, forming stiff peaks. Make sure the cream cheese and the heavy cream are very cold before mixing them. The colder the cream, the faster it will help the stiff peaks form. Then, whip in the vanilla extract.
2. Remove the frozen graham cracker crusts from the freezer and fill each muffin cavity with the cream cheese mixture. Smooth the top and place it in the refrigerator for two hours.
3. While the no bake mini cheesecakes set in the fridge, prepare the strawberry compote topping by cooking the strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice for 15-20 minutes or until the mixture slightly thickens.
4. Once the compote cools completely, decorate each mini cheesecake with one teaspoon, preferably right before serving.

💡 Top Tip: To be able to remove the muffin cases, make sure that the mini cheesecake bites are very cold and set in the fridge. You can even freeze them for 10 minutes so the paper cups can be peeled off easier.

📚 Flavor variations & Substitutions

While these mini no bake cheesecakes are quite delicious topped with fruity strawberry compote, there are several other ways that you can decorate and customize them to your liking:

With different toppings: Swap out the strawberry compote for melted chocolate, Nutella, caramel sauce, or my tasty lemon curd. Or, try them with other sweet berry toppings like I do in my no-bake raspberry lemonade cheesecake. Make it even more fancy with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh mint garnish! Or, add colorful sprinkles to make festive no bake cheesecake cupcakes.

With different flavored filling: Try the cream cheese filling with different flavors, such as pistachio, pumpkin, Biscoff, or Oreo, for fun cheesecake Oreo bites. Or, for a citrusy kick, add some lemon zest or fresh lemon juice.

With different crusts: For a dark and chocolately crust, use an Oreo crumb crust or crushed chocolate chip cookies instead of the biscuit crumbs. You can also use crushed pretzels or ice cream cones. Keep in mind that if the crust you use has a high fat content, you may need to adjust the amount of butter you use in the recipe.

Full-sized pie: Instead of bites, you can make it into a full-size cheesecake as I do in my 4th of July pie recipe.

Other ingredient substitutes: If you do not have any heavy cream, you can use one of these many heavy cream substitutes. Likewise, there are several powdered sugar replacements as well as alternatives to butter if you do not have any at home.

🥣 Equipment Notes

A digital scale is an essential piece of equipment in baking to ensure accurate and consistent ingredient measurements. The more precise the measurements, the better the results. You will also need an electric hand mixer to whip the cream cheese filling and a rubber spatula to help fill the crust with the cream cheese and then help smooth it out. Since these are mini cheesecake bites and not whole cheesecake, you will need a 12-cup muffin pan.

🎓 Expert tips

1. The best crust comes from finely ground crumbs. Make sure not to leave the pieces too large. Large pieces won’t press into the pie tin and will end up crumbling.
2. The butter is a binding agent for the crust. It must be warm (not hot) and runny when mixing with the biscuit crumb. Do not add more crumbs, as it will set while cooling in the refrigerator.
3. For a firm, neat crust, press the crumbs firmly and evenly into the side of the muffin tin cavities, working your way up. Once you neatly form the sides, continue with the bottom.
4. Keep the crust cold to prevent the butter in the crust from melting. You should not keep it outside the fridge for more than 20 minutes.
5. Use a sifter to eliminate any lumps from the powdered sugar.
6. This recipe does not need a thickener such as gelatin. The cream cheese and heavy cream combination create a mousse-like consistency that will set in the fridge. However, it needs to rest for at least two hours to set.

❓Recipe FAQs

🍰 More Cheesecake Recipes