Indulge in a sweet and creamy treat with these No Bake Cheesecake Bites. Featuring a buttery graham cracker crust and a tangy berry compote topping. No oven needed, simple ingredients and the perfect bite-sized dessert for any gathering.
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This recipe is sponsored by California Giant Berry Farms. As always, all opinions are my own. Thank you for continuing to support my work and help Fit Mitten Kitchen bring new recipes to life!
If you’re a cheesecake lover, you will most certainly love this no bake version in bite-sized form. I love that this recipe doesn’t require turning on the oven, and all in all it comes together in just a few simple steps.
Whether you’re looking to make these for a little indulgent treat, share with friends and family or you’re just looking for an excuse to do some (non) baking, I cannot recommend these no bake cheesecake bites enough.
Recipe Highlights:
- A quick recipe that only takes about 15 minutes of prep time.
- The perfect dessert to prepare ahead of time.
- A lower sugar dessert option, best served with my healthy berry compote.
- A gluten free friendly recipe when using certified gluten free graham crackers.
- No oven required!
Ingredient Notes:
These no bake mini cheesecakes are made with just a handful of simple ingredients:
- cream cheese – make sure it’s softened to room temperature for even mixing. Full-fat cream cheese or 1/3 less fat cream cheese both work.
- greek yogurt – gives these no bake cheesecake bites their tangy taste you know and love from traditional cheesecake. Plus adds a tiny bit of protein. Sour cream is an okay sub.
- sugar – use granulated white sugar so it easily dissolves into the cream cheese mixture.
- heavy whipping cream – this adds a fluffy, creamy texture to no bake cheesecakes, and helps the filling set once chilled.
- butter – to combine with the crumbs to create the crusts.
- graham crackers – you’ll need 8 full crackers and process them down into crumbs. If using another cookie, make sure you process enough for 1 cup of crumbs. Biscoff cookies, or digestive biscuits mixed with a little sugar also work.
- lemon juice – a traditional ingredient for cheesecake recipes. If you happen to be out, you can omit and the recipe won’t change significantly. Or feel free to sub in lime juice.
- vanilla extract – for a hint of floral sweetness.
Berries Make the Best Topping
I love serving this no bake cheesecake with a fruit topping. And for this, we’re making a simple berry compote using fresh strawberries and fresh blueberries, and a little lemon juice.
Here are some tips for when selecting your berries at the store:
Blueberries: Look for firm and dry berries, with an even dark blue color and silvery powder (called “bloom”).
Strawberries: Look for dry, bright red coloring with fresh green leaves.
QUICK TIP: I like to use chia seeds for a nutritional boost in berry compote and it helps quickly thicken the compote as well!
Helpful Equipment:
- Muffin pan and paper liners
- Electric Hand Mixer
- Metal mixing bowl
Find the full detailed instructions with measurements in the recipe card below, at the end of this post.
Step-by-Step Instructions
While there are a few different steps in this no bake mini cheesecake recipe, everything is simple to put together. Here is a step-by-step overview of how to make this recipe.
1
Make the Crusts
Start by crushing graham crackers into fine crumbs and mixing them with a little sugar and melted butter. Press this mixture into the bottom of a lined muffin pan to create the crust for your cheesecakes. Chill in the freezer while you make the filling.
TIP: Use a food processor to easily make the graham cracker crumbs! Otherwise, take a big ziplock baggie and crush with a rolling pin.
2
Make Fresh Whipped Cream
Using an electric hand mixer is best for this, since you’re only whipping 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream. Mix on medium-high speed, gradually working up to high speed, until stiff peaks form. This will take several minutes, just be patient!
3
Make Cheesecake Filling
Using an electric hand mixer and a separate bowl, begin mixing together the cream cheese with granulated sugar until creamy. Then add in yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla, mixing again until smooth. Finally, fold in the whipped cream until fully incorporated.
4
Assemble Cheesecakes
Scoop the no bake cheesecake filling on top of the chilled graham cracker crusts in the muffin tins – gently press down filling the entire cavity. Chill for 4 hours (3 will work, but 4 is best).
TIP: I used a medium cookie scoop for easy distribution. You could also use a piping bag.
5
Make Berry Compote
While your cheesecake bites are chilling, prepare the berry compote by cooking the fresh berries with a little lemon juice in a saucepan until they break down and release their juices. You can add chia seeds for a nutritional boost and natural thickening agent. Let the compote cool completely before storing in the fridge.
6
Last step: add compote
To serve, spoon the chilled berry compote over the cheesecakes. Serve on a plate and gently pull back the liners.
Serving Suggestions:
While you definitely don’t need an excuse to make no bake cheesecakes, here are some ideas for how you could serve these for different occasions:
- Mother’s Day Brunch: A lovely dessert to accompany Lemon Sweet Rolls, Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad and Kale Goat Cheese Frittata
- Graduation Parties: Would be a delicious little hand held dessert next to some Strawberry Sheet Cake.
- 4th of July: A great Red, White, and Blue dessert alongside this American Flag Cake.
- Baby’s First Birthday: Make these for the adults to enjoy while the baby digs into their First Birthday Cake.
How to Store No Bake Cheesecake
It’s best to store the no bake cheesecakes without berry compote. If you have leftover cheesecake, cover and store in the refrigerator, up to 4 days.
Freeze: For best results, wrap the individual cheesecakes in plastic wrap and place in an airtight container. Freeze for 2-3 months.
Thaw: Transfer to the fridge to thaw overnight before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Use room temperature ingredients – this allows the cream cheese and yogurt to get smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Use a chilled bowl for whipped cream – Use a chilled bowl when mixing the heavy whipping cream. Start on medium speed gradually moving to high speed.
- Chill for a full 3 hours, but overnight is also fine.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make these gluten-free?
Absolutely! Just use certified gluten-free graham crackers and process enough for 1 cup of crumbs. Grain-free graham cracker thins from Simple Mills should also work.
How long does no bake cheesecake have to chill?
At a minimum of 3 hours, but you can also prepare these ahead of time, up to 2 days in advance.
How do I get the cheesecakes out of the pan?
Carefully grab the liner and support the bottom of the cheesecake with your hand when taking them out. Place them on a sturdy tray before adding the berry compote. Or allow guests to serve the compote themselves.
How long can these stay at room temperature?
The filling does soften when out of the fridge, so enjoy within 30 minutes, otherwise keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.
If you make these Mini No Bake Cheesecakes, be sure to leave a comment and star rating on the blog! I love hearing from you, and it helps others learn more about the recipe too.
No Bake Cheesecake Bites
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 8 sheets (gluten free as needed)
- 5 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Filling:
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 8 ounces cream cheese, low fat or regular
- 3 tablespoons non fat plain greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Berry Compote:
- 1 cup chopped strawberries, weighed 155g
- ½ cup blueberries
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- Optional: 3-4 tablespoons sweetener to taste, 1/2 tablespoon chia seeds
Instructions
- Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners and set aside.
- Make the crust: First melt the butter in a medium heatproof bowl on half power, in 30-45 second increments until completely melted. Set aside to cool. In the bowl of a food processor, process graham crackers into fine crumbs. Transfer crumb mixture to melted butter and stir until completely combined. Mixture should look like the texture of wet sand. Evenly distribute crumbs into each cup – it will be about 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon per cup. Use the bottom of a flat measuring cup (mine was ¼ cup) or 8 ounce mason jar to flatten and pack down the crumbs. Place the pan in the freezer while you make the filling.
- Make the filling: Pour the heavy whipping cream into a cold small metal bowl. Use an electric hand mixer on medium-high speed and beat the cream until stiff peaks form. This will take a few minutes or so. Chill in fridge.
- In a separate medium-large bowl, add softened cream cheese and sugar. Beat on medium speed until sugar is fully combined and mixture is creamy. Add in yogurt, lemon juice and vanilla, mixing again on medium speed until fully combined. Fold in chilled whipped cream until fully incorporated.
- Assemble: Remove crusts from freezer and begin distributing the cream cheese mixture into each cup – I used a medium cookie scoop. A piping bag will also work. Use the back of a spoon or small spatula to press the cream cheese slightly down. Cover and chill in fridge for 4 hours, or overnight.
- Make the berry compote: In a small pan over medium heat, add sliced strawberries, blueberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat and mash berries as they begin to burst. Continue cooking down berries until juices continue to release and mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. You can cook the berries longer and mash them more, or leave some whole. Remove from heat and stir in chia seeds, if using. Allow berry compote to cool before storing in a glass jar in the fridge.
- Serve: When ready to enjoy, carefully remove the cheesecakes from the pan and set on a tray. Spoon as much berry compote over the cheesecakes as you’d like. Enjoy!
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