Healthy no bake mini cheesecake bites are naturally sweetened and made with lower-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt for a lightened up but super creamy and delicious cheesecake dessert!
Hey, hey my friends!
How is the week treating you so far? I hope very well but if not, it’s already Thursday (thirsty Thursday at that), so grab a drink and hang in there! 🥃😜
We’ve had a busy week with the kids at two different morning camps, meaning two drop-offs and two pick-ups every day. And my husband has had all kinds of work commitments keeping him away.
Plus me with my work-from-home job (I’m a health/nutrition editor; it’s all online content) plus some blog work and a dentist appointment to juggle. Oh and there’s swim lessons this afternoon. 😬
Whew… I’m ready to kick back and unwind! Hopefully we’ll have good weather and can spend some mornings walking/biking on the greenway and some lazy afternoons at the pool this weekend. 👌
For now, can we pause and say happy birthday?! 🎉🎈🎁
Recipe Redux — the monthly recipe challenge group I participate in with other healthy food bloggers and registered dietitians — is 6 years old!
So to celebrate, we’re all bringing mini desserts to the party. Cause then you get to try a little of everything!
I had a hard time deciding on what I wanted to feature. I had five or six ideas listed out and let my husband vote.
He wanted these healthy no bake mini cheesecake bites, and that was A-OK by me!
These are sweet and creamy and rich and delicious and full of all your favorite flavors, just lightened up a bit!
So we can have more 🙌
(And cause mini desserts are just fun. See chocolate strawberry pretzel fudge cups (also no-bake!) and healthy double chocolate mini cupcakes.)
Plus you can add any fun fruit toppings you want! Or add a drizzle of chocolate – I think I’ll do that next time!
Notes on healthy no bake mini cheesecake bites:
- My mini cheesecakes are naturally sweetened with honey but you could try maple syrup or agave syrup.
- They are also lower in fat — no heavy cream or sweetened condensed milk here. If you don’t want to use butter, you could try substituting coconut oil.
- We always have nonfat plain Greek yogurt on hand (which has no added sweeteners), but you could substitute a flavored yogurt to change the flavor of the cheesecake. You may want to reduce the amount of honey if you don’t want these overly sweet.
- I always use graham crackers for my cheesecake crust, but you can substitute a crushed cookie if you desire: shortbread, vanilla wafers and gingersnaps should all work.
As for storing cheesecake bites…
You can keep extras of these mini cheesecakes stored in the freezer so they don’t soften and fall apart.
You can pop them out of the muffin tin once they are set up and put them in a freezer-safe bag or container.
Then bring them to room temp for at least 5 minutes before serving, especially if they are decorated with fruit so that it’s not solid.
Oh, and if you’re wondering, my husband who voted for this dessert said these cheesecake bites were exactly what he had hoped for!
He kept grabbing a couple from the freezer for an after-dinner treat 😊 #winner
And of course, if you are making and serving these Memorial Day, July 4th or Labor Day, feel free to decorate these up with red and blue berries. It makes them all kinds of patriotic and festive. 🇺🇸🙌
(Psst, also check out the round-up below for all the other Recipe Redux mini desserts!)
Wishing you all a wonderful, relaxing weekend!
XO,
Kathryn
Healthy no bake mini cheesecake bites
Healthy no bake mini cheesecake bites are naturally sweetened and made with lower-fat cream cheese and Greek yogurt for a lighter but super creamy dessert!
Ingredients
For the graham cracker crust:
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil), melted
For the cheesecake filling:
- 1 (8 oz.) package plain cream cheese (I use 1/3 reduced fat), softened
- 1/4 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Toppings:
- Chopped fresh fruit and/or mini chocolate chips or chocolate sauce
Instructions
- Spray a mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.
- To make the crust: Combine graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a small bowl and stir well to combine.
- Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the crumb mixture into each mini muffin cup. Press down using a small bottle or shot glass to help it get packed in. Put the pan in the freezer to firm up the crust while you make the filling.
- To make the cheesecake filling: Use a hand mixer or stand mixer to mix all of the filling ingredients until creamy and smooth.
- Add about a tablespoon of the cream cheese filling to each muffin cup. I dollop it in with a spoon and this wet a couple of fingers and press down the tops to smooth them out.
- Top with desired toppings.
- Cover the pan and return to the freezer for 15-20 minutes to set up. Use a spoon or knife to loosen the edges of each cheesecake then pop out of muffin tin and serve!
Notes
Keep extras of these cheesecake bites stored in the freezer so they don’t soften and fall apart. (You can pop them out of the muffin tin once they are set up and put them in a freezer-safe bag or container.) Bring them to room temp for at least 5 minutes before serving especially if they are decorated with fruit so it’s not solid.
We always have nonfat plain Greek yogurt on hand (which has no added sweeteners), but you could substitute a flavored yogurt to change the flavor of the cheesecake. You may want to reduce the amount of honey if you don’t want these overly sweet.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
2 mini cheesecakesAmount Per Serving: Calories: 161Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 52mgCarbohydrates: 18gFiber: 2gSugar: 13gProtein: 2g
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
Happy birthday to recipe redux! 😉 I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with cheesecake! And mini cheesecake bites at that! Aaaaand they are no bake! And and Aaaand they ate healthy!! Hold the dang phone, these are perfect for celebrating!!! It’s been a long week, so I think I need a dozen. And a cocktail along side! Pinned! Cheers, Friend! Xoxo
Kathryn says
I like celebrating with cheesecake too 😉 And yes, pairs great with a cocktail! Hope you have a lovely, relaxing weekend my friend! XO
Luci's Morsels says
These look so dainty and delicious! Anything mini is automatically tastier!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Kathryn says
I so agree Luci! 😊
Sharon Kraynak says
Really tastey little bites for the calorie counters. Def satisfied my sweet/savory tooth. I made these as written but substituted half the Graham crackers (I ground up my own) with same amount of salty crackers I had on hand! Really yummy with the bit of salt!!
Kathryn Doherty says
I’m so happy to hear you loved them Sharon! And thanks for sharing that swap – sounds yummy!
Lauren Grant | Zestful Kitchen says
Love that they’re no bake and patriotic!
Kathryn says
Thanks Lauren! Such a fun dessert! 😊
Katherine says
Yay, so fun! I love cheesecake, and these are in bite-size form and healthier – love! (Addictive.) 😉
Kathryn says
They are definitely addictive!
Karman | The Nutrition Adventure says
Yum! These look so satisfying!
Kathryn says
Thanks! 😊
Christian A. says
So I decided to try and make this for myself and it is amazing!! The only thing is that the amount that the recipe makes is not much, so I had to double the recipe to make 16, but other than that, this is great! It’s fun, easy to make, light, and are very good for parties.
Kathryn says
I’m so glad you enjoyed these Christian! I’m not sure why you had a problem with the quantity though if you were using a mini muffin tin… But making more is never a bad thing! 😊
Nicole says
These are AMAZING!!! I hollowed out strawberries and put the filling inside for a little extra fun. My kids loved them! Thank you so much for publishing this!
Kathryn says
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed these Nicole! Love the idea of stuffing it in strawberries – yum!!
Dania says
Do the bites need to be solid?
Kathryn says
Hi there… these bites should be mostly solid. They may seem a bit soft if you go to eat them too quickly – the low-calorie substitutes here mean they won’t get quite as hard, especially right away. But the time in the freezer should help them firm up nicely and keep their shape. I hope that helps!
Adriana says
OMG! I have got a popular issue of my family. I’ll try this tomorrow. It has also a nice Nutrition fact. Thanks for sharing for a awesome presentation.
Regards Adriana
Kathryn says
I hope you enjoy it!
Sara says
Thank you so much for this recipe, it looks delicious! I`m using this for a school project for an example of a healthy meal. One of the questions for it is “What is the recommend serving size for a teenager?” What would you say?
Kathryn says
I hope they enjoy them! I’d say 1-2 makes a good small dessert. Hope that helps!
B says
Sounds delish. Wondering if I do not have mini muffin tin if I could double batch and make in regular cupcake/muffin tin. Any advice on adjustments to make? Thx.
Kathryn says
Hi there! So, mini muffins are about 1/3 the size of regular muffins. If you triple the recipe, you’d get the same 24 regular sized muffins as there are mini muffins here. If you double the recipe, you’d end up with about 16 regular muffin-size cheesecake bites. They may not set up quite as well however – the bigger size means there’s more area that needs to stay together. They’d be more messy probably, but still delicious. Would love to hear if you try it!
Renae Elizabeth Harrison says
Could you use plain, whole vanilla wafers as a base instead of crushing them?
Kathryn Doherty says
Sure! They won’t be as sweet or have the same texture, but I think that would work just fine. Would love to hear if you try it!
Sue says
Can I use fat free cream cheese?
Kathryn Doherty says
I use the 1/3 reduced fat cream cheese and that works fine. I haven’t tested these with fat free cream cheese, so I’m not sure if it would affect the texture or taste in a negative way. Would love to hear if you try it!
Katie says
If I’m making these the day before, should I freeze them or refrigerate? Thanks!
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi Katie! I’d keep these in the freezer until you’re ready to serve; that way they won’t soften up too much or fall apart. I hope you enjoy them!
Theresa Peele says
What can I sub out yogurt with or does it need to have anything else?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi there! I haven’t tried this with a sub for the yogurt, so I can’t say how that might change the flavor and consistency. Would love to hear if you do swap it though!
Christine says
Great recipe, I can’t wait to try it! Should I use muffin cup liners, or are those not necessary since we’re not baking it?
Kathryn Doherty says
Hi Christine! Nope, you don’t need muffin cup liners for the mini muffin tin, you can put the crust and then the cheesecake right in and let it set up. They should pop out easily once they are set up. Hope that helps and hope you enjoy them!
Katie says
I’m so sad because I tried to make these but they aren’t setting for me. Every time I try to pop them out of the tray, the cheesecake filling comes up but the graham cracker layer is stuck and crumbles. I don’t know what I did wrong as I follow the instructions exactly.
Kathryn Doherty says
I’m so sorry they didn’t set up for you Katie, I know that’s such a bummer. It’s hard to know exactly what might have gone wrong. The graham cracker layer needs to be packed down and then frozen so it gets compacted (and then it’s not crumbly). The cheesecake layer should also be added and then they are returned to the freezer, allowing it to thicken up a bit and adhere to the crust layer. (And you should definitely use Greek yogurt, for its thickness, not regular yogurt.) I use a butter knife to loosen each bite around the edges and then pop it out of the pan. Not sure if any of those tips might help for next time.