Easy No-Bake Cheesecake Cupcakes Recipe

If you're a fan of no-bake desserts and cheesecake, then you need to try these no-bake cheesecake cupcakes. They take just 25 minutes to prepare plus five hours in the fridge to set. 

These mouth-watering treats are a spin on traditional cupcakes and are made with cream cheese, which adds a rich texture, as well as heavy whipping cream, which gives the cupcakes a fluffy, sweet base. Fresh strawberries provide a sweet and slightly sour flavor, while also adding a pop of color that makes these look almost too good to eat. But don't worry, one bite of these delicious mini cheesecakes will have your family and friends reaching for another, so be sure to make plenty!

Other than how good these cupcakes taste, the best thing about this recipe from Tommy Leung is the fact that it only takes around 30 minutes to make. Of course, waiting for them to set might be the most difficult part of the "cooking" process, but rest assured, they'll be worth every bite.

For the filling of these cheesecake cupcakes, you'll need cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, white sugar, vanilla extract, and a half a lemon. For the crust, you'll need unsalted butter, brown sugar, and 10 to 12 graham crackers or digestive biscuits (which are less common in America but incredibly popular in Britain, if you remember Season 1, Episode 2 of the Great British Baking Show). 

Altogether this recipe will make about 8 to 10 cupcakes, with strawberries add the perfect finishing touch.

To get started on these cheesecake cupcakes, you'll first want to make the crust. Break the biscuits into small pieces and place them in a blender, then blend them until they become a fine powder. 

If you don't have a blender, no problem. You can also crush them by hand in a large mixing bowl or place them in a Ziploc bag and use a rolling pin to smash them to a powder (make sure there's no excess air in the closed bag, or leave it a tiny bit open so it doesn't explode!).

Next, combine the powdered cookies, butter, and sugar in a bowl and mix them together well. Then divide the crust between the liners to create a thin layer on the bottom of each liner. Make sure you press each one firmly with your fingers. Place the liners on a tray and put them in the refrigerator or freezer while you prepare the filling for the cupcakes.

While the crust is chilling, it's time to get to work on the filling. Add the sugar to the cream in a large bowl or a stand mixer and mix at the highest setting (you can use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer) until stiff peaks form. Leung says a good way to know if the mixture is ready is to lift the whisk from the mixture occasionally to check for stiff peaks. 

Once you're done with the heavy cream, it's time to whip the cream cheese in a separate bowl. Leung says that this might be kind of tricky since it tends to stick to the sides of the bowls as you're whipping it. He recommends adding the lemon juice and vanilla extract before mixing to help loosen it up. Leung also says that if the cheese still feels too stiff to whip, you can add a tablespoon of the whipped cream mixture to help soften it. Or you can leave the cream cheese out of the fridge while you make the crust to let it soften. But even after you do add the lemon and vanilla or a little whipped cream, or soften the cream cheese in advance, you'll probably need to stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula from time to time. 

Once the cheese is mixed, all that's left is to carefully fold the whipped cream into the mixture.  

To give your cupcakes a perfectly layered look, Leung suggests using a piping bag. Fill the bag with the cream cheese filling and carefully squeeze it into the cupcake liners into folds using a circular motion and starting from the outside. You can also use a plastic bag with the tip cut off. 

Work your way in, squeezing more of the filling into the center to fill any open areas and then circling it a bit more to add some height. The filling should reach about an inch above the top of the liners. Be careful not to add too much height because the filling might collapse.

Next comes what might be the most difficult part of making these delicious cupcakes: letting the cream cheese filling set in the refrigerator! Leung says that the cupcakes need to chill for at least five hours, but they can stay in the fridge overnight and they'll be just fine the next day. Just remember not to add the sliced strawberries at this stage or they might make the cheesecake mushy.

Once the cupcakes are set and you're ready to eat them, you will want to slice the strawberries in half and place one section on the top of each cupcake. 

You don't have to go with strawberries. Leung notes that since these cupcakes are like mini cheesecakes, any kind of traditional cheesecake topping will do: Blueberries, blackberries, cherries, and raspberries with mint leaves are also options. 

Alternatively, you could go more decadent and top them with salted caramel. Of course, you can always enjoy them without a garnish.