Cheesecake Bites

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My easy Cheesecake Bites consist of a simple, no-bake cheesecake nestled in crisp sugar cookie cups. They take just 1 hour to make completely from scratch. Recipe includes a how-to video!

cheesecake bites in a sugar cookie crust topped with blueberries and sliced strawberries

Easy Homemade Cheesecake Bites

Need a quick, easy, and impressive dessert? Let me introduce you to my fun and simple cheesecake bites! These are perfectly portioned mini no-bake cheesecakes served on a soft, but stable sugar cookie base (in lieu of a graham cracker crust). They look elegant but are very easy, and they’ve got a beautiful light vanilla flavor.

I like to top my cheesecake bites with fresh fruit or berries (wait to add the fruit until just before serving!), but these are also wonderful with ganache, macerated strawberries, strawberry sauce or blueberry sauce, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Of course they can also just be served as-is!

Why you’ll love them:

Quick: NO chilling the cookie bases before baking, which saves a ton of time.
Satisfying: The filling tastes like traditional cheesecake but is actually my easy no-bake cheesecake.
Party-ready: They’re individually portioned and super portable.
Customizable: The topping options are truly endless.

What You Need

overhead view of ingredients including butter, sour cream, berries, heavy cream, cream cheese, and more

These cheesecake bites use just a few basic ingredients. Most importantly, you’ll need:

Unsalted butter. Like most of my recipes, I recommend using unsalted butter for this recipe. Your butter should be softened, but not melty when you add it.
Flour. Make sure you measure your flour properly. If you overmeasure your flour, your sugar cookie cups could turn out dry.
Cream cheese. You must use full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, or your cheesecake bites won’t turn out properly. Make sure it’s softened before you add it.
Sour cream. This is critical for an authentic cheesecake flavor (a key ingredient in my classic cheesecake), so don’t skip it! Full-fat Greek yogurt will work too.
Heavy cream. Many no-bake cheesecake recipes use gelatin or condensed milk to stabilize the cheesecake, but I prefer to use whipped cream. It doesn’t add a strong flavor, and it blends beautifully with the rest of the ingredients.

SAM’S TIP: Rolling the dough before pressing it into the pan is optional, but it’ll make the surfaces of the cookies smoother and more uniform looking.

Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

How to Make Cheesecake Bites

collage of four photos showing how to make sugar cookie cups

Prepare the sugar cookie dough (it’s quick and easy!).
Scoop the dough into a greased and floured mini muffin tin. As I mentioned, I like to briefly roll the dough into smooth balls that way the cookie bites have smoother surfaces.
Indent the cookies with a spoon (I like to use my ½ Tablespoon, though the back of a rounded teaspoon would work well, or you could even just use your thumb!), then bake for 15 minutes.
Indent the cookies again (the indents will have puffed quite a bit!) and let them cool in their pan for at least 20 minutes before removing to a cooling rack.

Filling & Assembly

collage of four photos showing cheesecake batter being prepared and portioned into sugar cookie cups

Combine the cream cheese and sugar (make sure the cream cheese is softened and lump free after stirring!), then add the sour cream and vanilla and stir well.
Whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks in a separate bowl (just like if you were making whipped cream), then fold into the cream cheese mixture. Do this part by hand/using a spatula, not with the electric mixer!
Portion the cheesecake into the cooled cookie cups. I like to put the filling in a piping bag or a large Ziploc with the corner snipped off and just pipe it in, but you could use a pair of spoons and just dollop the filling in instead!
Top with fresh fruit or other desired toppings just before serving. Don’t add the fruit too soon or it will weep all over the cookies.

SAM’S TIP: Indent the sugar cookie cups before and after baking. Indenting before may seem like a bit of a waste since the centers will still rise as they bake, but it makes a difference. If your teaspoon sticks to the dough, just run it under some water.

bite-sized cheesecake stuffed sugar cookie cup that's been bitten into

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make cheesecake bites with graham cracker crust?

You could, or you could make my mini cheesecakes. They’re cupcake-sized and designed to be made with a graham cracker or Oreo crust.

How do I make cheesecake bites in advance?

You can make the cookie bases in advance and store them in an airtight container at room temperature until you’re ready to fill them. When you’re ready, prepare and add your cheesecake filling, then add your fruit right before serving.

Is it possible to make cheesecake bites without sour cream?

Sour cream is an essential cheesecake component and I do not recommend skipping it. Your cheesecake bites won’t taste like sour cream if you use it, but they will lack flavor if you leave it out.

These are such a fun bite-sized dessert–I hope you love them!

Enjoy!

Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook

I originally published these cheesecake bites in June of 2014. I’ve since updated the recipe to make it simpler and tastier, and I’ve also updated the photos and text to reflect the new recipe, and have added a how-to video!