Save this
Cheesecake-stuffed strawberries bring together sweet cream cheese and juicy berries in a perfect handheld bite. You don’t need to fuss with baking. These easy crowd-pleasers look fancy, taste amazing, and only take a little effort. The creamy center, fresh berries, and a dusting of graham cracker crumbs make these a show-stopper for any get-together.
Perks of Skipping the Oven
Bite-sized cheesecake strawberries give you just enough creamy goodness with a fresh fruity twist. You won’t need to heat up your kitchen, either. They’re quick to put together, look pretty on a tray, and their small size means you can grab one or three without overdoing it.
All You Need For Ingredients
- Graham crackers: 4 whole sheets (60g), smashed up really fine with no big chunks left
- Vanilla extract: 1 teaspoon (5ml), use a pure one, clear or amber works
- Lemon juice: 1 tablespoon (15ml), squeezed fresh and strained so you don’t get seeds or pulp
- Cream cheese: 8 oz (226g), get the block kind, not whipped, full fat, softened right around 65-70°F (18-21°C)
- Sour cream: 1/3 cup (80g), full fat and let it warm up to room temperature (65-70°F/18-21°C)
- Heavy whipping cream: 1 cup (240ml), cold is best (38°F/3°C), aim for 36% milk fat, avoid ultra-pasteurized
- Granulated sugar: 2/3 cup (133g), try for a fine texture, cane sugar is great
- Fresh strawberries: 24 large berries (about 2 inches across), look for ones without any squishy bits or marks, bright red, stems on, completely dry after washing
- Garnish options:
- Shortcake crumble: 1/2 cup (60g), broken up to chunky bits, about 2-3mm each
- Dark chocolate: 4 oz (113g), melted gently to about 88-90°F (31-32°C)
- Fresh mint: 24 tiny leaves, nice and green, no brown spots
Step-By-Step Pro Directions
- Final Presentation
- Layer the stuffed berries in rings on your platter for a cool look. Press on a mint leaf if you’ve got them handy. Melted chocolate can be drizzled in a zigzag by snipping the corner off a mini plastic bag for a neat effect. Eat them soon or stash them in the fridge for up to 4 hours.
- Assembly Process
- Swirl the filling into the hollowed-out strawberry halves, starting at the edge and circling in until you finish with a peak about an inch high. Right after piping, shower them with the crushed graham crackers so they’ll stick before the filling sets. Cool them in the fridge at least 15 minutes so they firm up nicely.
- Filling Integration
- Fold your fluffy whipped cream into the creamy cheese base a bit at a time with a rubber spatula, being gentle so it stays airy. Keep mixing until it’s super smooth and just holds a little peak. Spoon or pipe the filling with a big star tip (Wilton 1M or close) into the berries.
- Cheesecake Filling Creation
- Whip your super cold cream in a chilled bowl until really stiff peaks hold up when you lift the beaters. That’ll take around 2-3 minutes on medium-high. In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until you don’t see any lumps, about 2 minutes. Mix in the sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice, whipping until it looks fluffy and smooth and all the sugar’s dissolved (about 2-3 minutes).
- Strawberry Preparation
- Grab berries that look the same size—about 2 inches across. Pat them dry super well after rinsing. Take off the stems so each berry can sit flat. Slice each berry in half from top to tip. Scoop out the insides gently with a melon baller, leaving a nice border. Blot the middles again to avoid soggy spots. You’ll get 48 halves.
Top Tricks for Nailing It
Stick with berries that are all close in size for a matching look. Let your cream cheese go really soft before starting so you don’t end up with clumps. Whip your cream in a cold bowl—it’ll firm up faster. Make sure the strawberries are totally dry so the filling stays put.
Fun Ways to Mix Things Up
Try switching up the base with other crumbs—cookies or toasted nuts work great. Pick a new flavor of cream cheese, maybe something fruity like raspberry or zesty like lemon. Add a dash of food color for parties, or swap vanilla with almond or coconut for a twist.
Save this
How To Save and Share
Keep your stuffed strawberries chilled, but don’t freeze them. They’ll stay tasty for up to 4 hours in the fridge at 40°F (4°C). For the best texture and flavor, eat them within a day.
Common Questions
- → Can I get these ready beforehand?
Totally! Prep them up to a day early. Toss on the graham bits right before you eat.
- → How do I make strawberries stay up?
Just trim off a tiny slice on the side so they sit flat.
- → Why bother with a melon baller?
It scoops perfect little spots for filling without ruining the strawberry. A small spoon's fine too.
- → Are these ok to freeze?
Freezing's not a great idea. The berries get mushy instead of tasty.
- → How do I keep the filling from slipping out?
Don’t scoop too deep, and pop them in the fridge before serving.