Best Strawberry Lemonade Mini Cheesecakes Recipes

MINI NO-BAKE CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Line two standard 12-count muffin pans with cupcake liners. Make sure you have room in your refrigerator for both pans. (You refrigerate them in step 6.)
• If your graham crackers aren't crumbs yet, use a food processor to pulse them into fine crumbs. Pour crumbs into a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and melted butter until combined. Mixture will have the consistency of wet sand. Spoon 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of the crust mixture into each muffin liner and use the back of the spoon to pack it down tightly.
• The next step is optional. Though it's not required, I recommend baking the crusts for a quick 5 minutes in a 350°F (177°C) oven. The crusts are a little sturdier this way. However, if you can't use an oven or simply don't want to, you can skip this step. The crust will just be a bit crumblier. If baking, let the warm crusts cool for 10 minutes before adding the filling on top.
• Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 3 minutes. Set aside. Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth. Using your mixer on low speed or a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your rubber spatula. Combine slowly as you don't want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
• You can use a spoon or piping bag to transfer the filling on top of the crusts. Spoon or pipe about 2 Tablespoons of filling over each crust. I prefer piping the filling because it's a little easier and neater. Fit your piping bag with a large star or round piping tip, then transfer the filling to the bag and pipe. (You could also use a plastic zipped-top bag. Spoon the filling inside, snip an end off a corner, and pipe.) Use the back of a spoon to smooth the tops so they are flat.
• Refrigerate the mini cheesecakes in the pans for at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. If refrigerating for longer than 3 hours, I recommend covering with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
• Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Serve with optional toppings (see recipe Note). The cheesecakes begin to soften and stick to the liners after about 30-60 minutes at room temperature.
• Cover and store leftover mini cheesecakes in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

STRAWBERRY LEMONADE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch springform pan.
• Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 cup melted butter, and 1/3 cup white sugar in a bowl until well mixed; press into the prepared springform pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until crust is lightly browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Beat cream cheese and ricotta cheese together in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cup white sugar; beat on low speed until well blended, about 2 minutes.
• Stir 1/2 cup melted butter, cornstarch, flour, lemon juice, lemon zest, and vanilla extract into cream cheese mixture until combined. Gently stir eggs, 1 at a time, into mixture; fold in sour cream just until batter is mixed. Pour batter over the crust. Pour strawberry pie filling over the batter. Gently swirl strawberry pie filling into batter using a butter knife just enough to form a swirl pattern on the top.
• Bake in the preheated oven without opening the door for 1 hour 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour more.
• Remove cheesecake form oven and cool on a wire rack for 2 hours. Cover and refrigerate cheesecake, 6 hours to overnight. Remove springform and slice.

MINI STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Line 6 cups of a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
• Place melted butter for crust in a medium bowl. Stir in graham cracker crumbs and sugar until completely incorporated and mixture looks like wet sand.
• Divide crumb mixture evenly into the prepared muffin cups. Use the bottom of a glass to press the crumbs down until smooth.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden, 5 to 6 minutes.
• While the crusts are baking, prepare filling: blend cream cheese in a stand mixer until smooth and creamy. Add sour cream and sugar and blend until smooth. Blend in vanilla. Add egg; mix on medium speed until well combined and smooth, scraping down the sides and bottom as needed.
• Remove crusts from the oven and spoon filling mixture over top. My liners were very close to overflowing; you can fill them all the way to the top.
• Return to the oven and bake until just slightly wiggly in the very center of the cheesecakes, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for about 15 minutes. Carefully transfer cheesecakes to a plate and place in the refrigerator to cool for at least 3 to 4 hours.
• Combine strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and maintain a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened, about 15 minutes.
• Scrape sauce into a bowl and let cool until close to room temperature, 15 to 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• When ready to serve, plate cheesecakes and top with a generous spoonful or two of the strawberry sauce.