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Santa Hat Strawberry Cheesecake Bites

Santa hat strawberry cheesecake bites bake in a mini muffin pan over a buttery graham cracker crust, then chill until creamy and firm. Each bite is topped with whipped cream and a fresh strawberry for a festive finish.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
cooling and chilling 3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 24 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 170
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the crust
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter melted
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
For the filling
  • 2 block (8 oz) cream cheese softened
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs large, room temperature
  • 0.25 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the topping
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream cold
  • 2 tbsp powdered sugar
  • 0.5 tsp vanilla extract
  • 24 strawberries small (about 1 pound), hulled with pointed ends intact

Equipment

  • 1 24-well mini muffin pan
  • 1 electric mixer
  • 1 instant-read thermometer

Method
 

Make the crust
  1. Heat the oven to 325°F.
  2. Line a 24-well mini muffin pan with paper liners.
  3. Stir the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and granulated sugar together.
  4. Divide the mixture among the liners and press it firmly into the bottoms.
  5. Bake the crusts for 5 minutes, then set the pan aside while you make the filling.
Make the filling
  1. Beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar in a large bowl until smooth.
  2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
  3. Mix in the sour cream and vanilla just until combined.
Bake and chill
  1. Divide the filling among the crusts.
  2. Bake at 325°F for 16 to 20 minutes, until the edges are set, the centers still have a slight jiggle, and the center of one bite registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  3. Cool the bites in the pan for 30 minutes.
  4. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours until fully chilled.
Make the topping
  1. Beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a bowl with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Assemble the bites
  1. Trim the stem ends of the strawberries flat and pat them dry.
  2. Pipe a small ring of whipped cream onto each chilled bite.
  3. Set a strawberry on it cut-side down with the point facing up.
  4. Pipe a small dot of whipped cream onto each strawberry tip and serve chilled.

Notes

For neat toppings, pat the strawberries thoroughly dry before assembling. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days; freezing is not recommended because the whipped cream and strawberries can lose their texture. Use gluten-free graham cracker crumbs for a gluten-free variation.