These Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes with Strawberry Compote Topping are delicious light and flavourful treats that are perfect for afternoon tea or a party. They can be made in advance with fresh or frozen strawberries.
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Why we love this recipe
The baked Strawberry Cheesecakes with homemade Strawberry Compote topping are deliciously light little treats that are great for Spring and Summer. They have an incredibly fresh taste and creamy texture, just like my Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies!
Just like these Mini Blueberry Cheesecakes, these Strawberry Cheesecake Bites are great for an afternoon tea party, a special event & party or as every day dessert.
This individual strawberry cheesecake recipe is great because:
- You can make it ahead and the cheesecakes will last for a few days in the fridge.
- You can use fresh or frozen strawberries - both for the strawberry cheesecake cream and the strawberry compote topping.
- This recipe is made from simple ingredients. No gelatine needed, no need to whip some cream!
- They are simply made in a muffin pan, so no need for a mini cheesecake tin or even a water bath!
Ingredients
This recipe combines three different elements: a simple biscuit crust, the strawberry cream filling and a homemade strawberry sauce topping.
Scroll down to recipe card below for all quantities.
Crust:
A simple mix of melted unsalted Butter and crushed Digestive Biscuits / Cookies (but you could basically use any type of crushed cookies instead if you cannot find digestive biscuits).
Strawberry Cheesecake Batter:
- Strawberries: either fresh or frozen (thawed), blended into a smooth puree. You can pour it through a sieve to remove the skin if preferred.
- Cream Cheese: it's super important to have it at room temperature or you won't get a smooth cheesecake batter. Take it out of the fridge and leave it a room temperature for at least few hours before using it.
- Sour Cream: could be replaced by natural or greek yogurt. It should also be at room temperature. It adds some delicious creaminess to the blueberry cheesecake!
- Sugar: Caster Sugar or fine white granulated sugar.
- Vanilla: I used Vanilla Paste but Vanilla Extract will be fine as well.
- Eggs: medium size, also at room temperature.
Strawberry Compote:
A delicious thick and chunky strawberry sauce made from Strawberries (fresh or frozen), some fresh Lemon Juice, Caster Sugar and Vanilla.
How to make Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
There are four main steps required to make these baked strawberry cheesecakes: prepare the crust, make the strawberry puree, get the strawberry cheesecake cream together then prepare the thick strawberry sauce that is used as a topping.
Cookie Crusts
- Photo 1: Crush the Digestive Cookies (or your choice of biscuits/cookies) into fine crumbs. Add the melted butter.
I used my food processor to crush the cookies but you could also crush them by hands in a freezing bag with a rolling pin.
- Photo 2: Mix with a spatula until it looks like wet sand and all the cookie crumbs look evenly coated in butter.
- Photo 3: Prepare the muffin pan with muffins or cupcake liners, then firmly press the biscuit crumbs into each liner. Make sure to press well until you cannot see loose crumbs anymore.
- Place in the refrigerator while you prepare the blueberry cheesecake filling.
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Strawberry Cheesecake Batter
- Photo 4: Prepare the strawberry puree by blending the strawberries (fresh or frozen, thawed) until completely smooth with a regular blender or stick blender. Optionally, pour it through a thin mesh sieve into a small bowl to remove any seeds or unblended chunks. Set aside.
- Preheat your oven on 140°C/285°F.
- Photo 5: In your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the Cream Cheese and Sour Cream for a few minutes until smooth. Stop as soon as the cream is smooth to avoid adding too much air into the batter.
Make sure the cream cheese and sour cream are at room temperature, or you will notice some lumps.
If you do not have a stand mixer, you can also make this recipe in a large bowl and a hand mixer.
- Photo 6: Add in the Sugar, Strawberry Puree and Vanilla.
- Photo 7: Mix until just combined. Stop to scrap the edges and bottom of the bowl with a spatula if needed.
- Photo 8 & 9: Slowly mix in the Eggs one at the time and stop as soon as combined.
It is really important to avoid over-mixing the mixture because you do not want to add air bubbles in the cream. You can also mix the eggs in by hands with a spatula if preferred.
- Photo 10: Scoop the creamy cheesecake filling over the chilled crust. Tap the muffin tin on a hard surface to bring any air bubbles to the surface and pop them.
- Bake on the lowest rack of your oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The filling should be slightly wobbly in the centre (it will set when it cools down)
- Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and and leave the cheesecakes to cool down for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down at room temperature for another 30 to 60 minutes, then in the fridge until completely cool and set.
- While the strawberry cheesecakes are chilling, prepare the Strawberry Compote (if using a homemade one) following the instructions in the above recipe. The compote can also be prepared a few days in advance (it will last in the fridge for a week).
- When the cheesecakes have completely set, remove the paper liners then spoon a little bit of the fresh strawberry sauce over each cheesecake. Finish them with a strawberry slice. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs
I used Digestive Biscuits that are easily found here in Australia, but basically any crushed Cookies/Biscuits substitution will work. Biscoff Cookies will be delicious here too for example!
You could also make a Graham Cracker Crust with graham cracker crumbs if preferred, but you might want to add a little bit of sugar to the crust.
This recipe can be made with either fresh or frozen strawberries. If using frozen strawberries, make sure they are fully thawed and well drained before using. You do not want to add unwanted water in the batter.
Absolutely, the compote could be replaced with a Strawberry Coulis for example, a Mixed Berry Compote or even some Strawberry Jam or simple Whipped Cream.
For a more decadent treat, you could also top the mini cheesecakes with a Chocolate Whipped Ganache Frosting!
To check if the cheesecakes are baked, gently move the pan back and forth. You should see a little bit of movement in the centre of the cheesecake, but the edges shouldn't move.
Tips for success
- It is very important to use room temperature ingredients when making the cheesecake filling (cream cheese, sour cream and eggs). This is to insure the ingredients combine properly without creating lumps in the batter or require you to mix the ingredients for too long.
- You want to avoid adding too much air into the cheesecake mixter, which would make it rise then collapse or crack when baking. To do so, make sure you do not over-mix the ingredient and mix them until just combined.
- To keep Mini Cheesecakes from sinking or cracking, bake them low and slow. This mean baking them at a lower temperature, on the lowest rack of your oven. It is also really important to let them cool down slowly (first in the turned off oven, then at room temperature and lastly in the fridge), as a fast change of temperature will make the cheesecakes crack.
- Wait for the strawberry cheesecakes to have chilled and set completely before removing the paper liners. The cheesecake batter tends to stick to the liners when still warm.
Storing & Freezing
The mini strawberry cheesecakes should be kept in the fridge until ready to serve where they will last for up to 3 days. You can make both the strawberry cheesecakes and the compote topping in advance, but I recommend combining them a few hours before serving only.
Once cool, you can freeze the cheesecakes (as well as the strawberry compote, but separately). To do so, place them in the freezer on a flat tray in the freezer until fully frozen, the transfer into a container. Thaw in the fridge for a few hours (or overnight) then top with the strawberry compote.
More Cheesecake Recipes
- Mini Lemon Cheesecakes
- Biscoff Cheesecake
- Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
- Apple Crumble Cheesecake
- Coffee Cheesecake
- Raspberry Passion Fruit Cheesecake
- Passion Fruit Cheesecake
- Mini Biscoff Cheesecakes
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Recipe
Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Cookie Crust
- 150 gr (1 1/2 cup crushed) Digestive Biscuits - crushed
- 75 gr (5 tablespoons) Unsalted Butter - melted
Strawberry Cheesecake
- 100 gr (3,5 oz) Strawberries - fresh or frozen (see note 1)
- 450 gr (16 oz) Cream Cheese - at room temperature
- 120 gr (1/2 cup) Sour Cream - at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Paste
- 80 gr (1/3 cup) Caster Sugar
- 2 Eggs - at room temperature
Strawberry Compote Topping
- 175 gr (6 oz) Strawberries - fresh or frozen
- 25 gr (2 tablespoons) Caster Sugar
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) Lemon Juice
- 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Disclaimer
I highly recommend using the measurements in grams & ml (instead of cups & spoons) for more accuracy and better results.
Instructions
Cookie Crust
- Melt the Butter and Crush the Digestive Biscuits (or your choice of cookies) using a food processor or by crushing them inside a freezing bag.
- Combine the crushed biscuits and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until it looks like wet sand and all the cookie crumbs look evenly coated in butter.
- Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners, then firmly press the cookie crust into each liner. Place in the fridge.
Strawberry Cheesecake
- Prepare the strawberry puree: blend the strawberries with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth (see note 2). Set aside.
- Preheat your oven on 140°C/285°F.
- Mix the Cream Cheese and Sour Cream in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for a few minutes until very smooth (see note 3).
- Add in the Sugar, blended Strawberry Puree and Vanilla. Mix until just combined, stopping to scrap the edges and bottom of the bowl with a spatula if required.
- Slowly mix in the Eggs one at the time and stop as soon as combined (see note 4).
- Scoop the mixture over the chilled crust. Tap the pan on a hard surface to bring any air bubbles to the surface and pop them.
- Bake on the lowest rack of your oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The filling should be slightly wobbly in the centre (see note 5).
- Turn the oven off, open the door slightly and and leave the cheesecakes to cool down for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave to cool down at room temperature for another 30 to 60 minutes, then in the fridge until completely cool and set.
Strawberry Compote Topping
- Cut the Strawberries in half and place them in a small saucepan with the Sugar, Lemon Juice and Vanilla. Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon (see note 6)
- Turn on low to medium heat and leave to simmer for 10 to 20 minutes (see note 7) until the fruits have softened and the liquid starts to thicken.
- Leave to cool down then place in the fridge.
Assembling the Cheesecakes
- When the cheesecakes have completely set, remove the paper liners then spoon a little bit of strawberry compote over each cheesecake. Optionally, finish them with a strawberry slice. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
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Notes
- If using frozen strawberries, make sure to thaw them fully and drain any excess liquid before blending them.
- Optionally, you can pour the strawberry puree through a thin mesh sieve to remove any seeds or unblended chunks.
- Make sure the cream cheese and sour cream are at room temperature or it will be hard to combine and you will see lumps of unmixed cream cheese. Stop mixing as soon as the cream is smooth to avoid adding too much air into the batter.
- It is really important to avoid over-mixing the mixture because you do not want to add air bubbles in the cream. You can also mix the eggs in by hands with a spatula if preferred.
- To check if the cheesecakes are baked, gently move the pan back and forth. You should see a little bit of movement in the centre of the cheesecake, but the edges shouldn't move.
- If using fresh strawberries, I recommend adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water to help the fruits start cooking. This is not necessary with frozen strawberries.
- The exact cooking time will depend on the size of the strawberries and how much water they naturally contain.
Nutrition
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