These individual no bake mini cheesecakes are cute and delicious. Perfect for a party or get-together when you need to feed a crowd.
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These mini no bake cheesecakes are the ultimate easy dessert to feed a crowd. Fabulous on their own but also hugely versatile. I have given these a red white and blue makeover with some strawberries, raspberries and blueberries, making them great for a patriotic party or picnic for the 4th of July or Memorial Day.
But they also pair perfectly with other juicy fresh fruits or compotes, a dreamy chocolate ganache or some fun sprinkles to match your party or occasion colors.
Recipe tips and frequently asked questions
Can I make individual cheesecakes in glasses or cups?
You sure can. In fact this is an easy way to make mini cheesecakes for a crowd. Any small glass container will do but I like to use small mason jars. They are super cute, you can pop the lid on to keep them in the fridge and then decorate them to your heart's content.
What can I serve these with?
These small no bake vanilla cheesecakes are fabulous on their own but also lend themselves to a wealth of delicious flavors. Try them with your favorite fresh fruit or some tasty options include:
- A classic strawberry compote
- Passion fruit coulis
- Raspberry compote
- Mango coulis
- Cherry compote
- Peach compote
Why is my no bake cheesecake gooey?
A couple of reasons. The main reason no bake cheesecake doesn't set is because the cream wasn't whipped into firm peaks or they haven't been left to set for long enough in the fridge.
If you've already made the cheesecake try leaving it to set for longer. If it's still just not setting you can try scraping off the filling and adding gelatine or agar agar. Or transfer it to some pretty glasses or jars and know one will know the difference!
Looking for more fabulous cheesecakes? Why not try making my bigger version of these, classic Philadelphia no bake cheesecake coming soon!), mini burnt cheesecake or San Sebastian cheesecake.
Ingredients
Cream cheese: full fat cream cheese is best for this recipe for that classic creamy cheesecake taste. If you use light cream cheese it may not set properly.
Cream: I use thickened cream which has a fat content of about 34%. You could also use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream which is similar.
Vanilla extract: sometimes also called vanilla essence, depending on where you live. You can use either, or imitation vanilla essence, depending on your preference and budget.
Lemons: a dash of lemon juice helps balance the sweetness of the cream cheese frosting filling. Fresh is best, I don't recommend bottled lemon juice.
White Sugar: white sugar is best in this recipe. You could use castor sugar if you prefer. I don't recommend using other types of sugar, they will be hard to dissolve and will compete with the flavors in this no-bake cheesecake.
Digestive biscuits: are a type of sweet wholemeal cookie sold in Australia. If you can't get digestives you can use the same amount of alternative sweet cookie such as Graham crackers or crumbs or even nilla wafers.
Unsalted Butter: because butter makes most things taste better. In this case it binds and sets the base.
How to make no bake mini cheesecakes
See the full recipe card at the end of the post for ingredient amounts and instructions.
To make the base
Break the cookies up and blitz them into crumbs in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor you can put them into a plastic bag on a chopping board, cover with a tea towel and bash (carefully) with a rolling pin, or even the base of a small pot.
Melt the butter in a microwave or in a pot on the stove. Add the butter to the crumbs and mix well. Spoon the cookie mix into silicon molds or lined muffin tins. Press down with the back of a spoon and chill for at least thirty minutes, and up to twenty-four hours before filling. You want to press down enough for the base to hold together but not too firmly to your base will be too hard.
Hot tip: do not skip chilling the bases. If it's too hot when you add the filling it can make the filling weep, resulting in a soggy cheesecake base. If you are pressed for time on the day you can make the base the day before and store it in the fridge.
To make the mini cheesecake filling
Whip the cream until firm peaks form. In a separate bowl add the lemon juice, sugar and vanilla to the room temperature cream cheese and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved.
Hot tip: Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This can take anywhere from thirty minutes to one hour depending on where you live. If your cream cheese is too cold it won't mix in properly and is one of the main causes of lumpy or grainy cheesecake.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined. Spoon the cheesecake filling onto the mini bases and smooth down. The filling will be quite thick, so take care to smooth it down right to the edges and try to press out any air bubbles. Chill in the fridge for at least three hours and up to overnight.
Once set run a spatula around the edge, then push from the bottom of the mold to pop them out. Smooth the edges with a spatula or leave them as they are.
How to serve
To serve these no bake mini vanilla cheesecakes decorate with your favorite cheesecake toppings, pop them onto a plate and enjoy!
Fabulous on their own or decorate them to your heart's content. I decorated these with easy fresh berries but they also pair perfectly with just about anything, from strawberry compote to sprinkles or chocolate ganache. Delicious!
How to store
These individual no bake vanilla cheesecakes will store undecorated in the fridge for up to three days for maximum taste and freshness. At a pinch they will be ok for up to five days but they won't be as fresh.
They can be stored undecorated in the freezer for upto two months, but again are best eaten within a month.
Have you made this recipe? Tell me how it went in the comments below and tag me on instagram so I can see your delicious creations! @keep_calm_and_eat_icecream
Looking for more yummy dessert recipes?
Why not try making
- Mini Burnt Cheesecake
- Philadelphia No Bake Cheesecake (recipe coming soon!)
- San Sebastian Cheesecake
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecake
- Biscoff Cheesecake
Follow me on Facebook or Pinterest for many more delicious recipes.
📋 Recipe
No Bake Mini Cheesecakes
Equipment
- 12 hole Silicon or muffin tins
- muffin cases (optional)
- Electric hand beaters or stand mixer
- Stick/immersion blender with chopping bowl attachment or food processor
Ingredients
For the chesecake bases
- 1 cup and 2 tablespoons (125gms) digestives or graham crackers
- ½ stick (¼ cup/60gms) unsalted butter
For the cheesecake fillings
- 1 x 8 ounce tube (225gms) full fat cream cheese
- ¼ cup (55gms) white sugar
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ cup (125mls) thickened cream
Optional decorations
- fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberies
Instructions
To make the chesecake bases
- If using muffin tins line them with muffin cases/patty pans. If using silicon molds you don't need to line them.
- Break up the cookies and blitz briefly in a food processor into crumbs.
- Melt the butter by cubing, adding to a microwave proof bowl and microwave for a minute or two.
- Pour the melted butter into the biscuits crumbs and mix until it resembles fine bread crumbs.
- Pour into lined springform tin and press down at the bottom to form the base. Do not press too firmly or your base may become too hard.
- Chill in fridge for at least one hour and up to overnight.
To make the cheesecake fillings
- NB Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature.
- Add the lemon juice, sugar and vanilla to the room temperature cream cheese to a bowl or stand mixer and beat on low until combined and the sugar has all dissolved.
- In a separate bowl whip the cream until firm peaks form.
- Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix until well combined. Spoon the cheesecake filling onto the prepared bases and smooth down.
- Chill in the fridge for at least three hours and up to overnight.
To decorate the cheesecakes
- If using silicon molds carefully run a small spatuar around the edge of the molds and push from the bottom to pop out. Smooth the sides with the spatula if you like.
- Slice the strawberries into quarters. Arrange the berries on top of the cheesecakes and you're done! Or why not try them drizzled with one of my fabulious fruit compots, curds or coulises? Delicious!
Notes
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Wendy
These were so delicious! it was light, and creamy, with beautiful, complimentary berry flavours with a hint of citrus.
Sarah Brooks
Thanks for the feedback Wendy, I'm so glad you loved them. The fresh berries really add some fresh summery flavors to these cute little cheesecakes 🙂