Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes
Featuring a splash of tequila and a swirl of fresh strawberry puree, these Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes are the perfect dessert for summer celebrations!
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I’ve become somewhat obsessed with baking mini cheesecakes lately. To be fair – I still enjoy a traditional larger cheesecake…but mini cheesecakes are just so much easier to make! Plus, bite-sized is better in almost all foods, right? While these aren’t bite-sized, they are small enough to serve one to each person.
These Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes are perfect for Cinco de Mayo and summer entertaining. There’s just enough tequila in there to add the flavor without it being overwhelming. (I don’t actually love tequila myself, but I still find these cheesecakes to be absolutely delicious!)
Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes
Long-time readers may recognize this idea of turning margaritas into cheesecake form. Several years ago, I shared these Mini Margarita Cheesecakes, and they’ve become a favorite summer dessert recipe. This year, I decided to put a slight spin on that recipe…by adding strawberries! A strawberry margarita is quite tasty, so it stands to reason that a strawberry margarita cheesecake would also be quite tasty. Let’s jump right in!
The base cheesecake batter for this recipe is my go-to cheesecake recipe with the addition of a few tablespoons of tequila. When it comes to cooking with alcohol or wine, the rule of thumb is to only use alcohol that you would drink. Basically if it’s not good enough to drink, then it’s not good enough to cook with either!
The twist for this updated recipe comes from the fresh, juicy strawberries that I picked up at the store last week. A handful of those strawberries gets pureed into a smooth mixture. No added sugar or anything. Just juicy ripe strawberries. That puree then gets pressed through a fine-meshed strainer to remove any pulp and seeds. The result is basically strawberry juice.
Once the cheesecake batter has been divided up into the muffin tins, you add a spoonful of strawberry juice to the top of each cheesecake. I used a toothpick to swirl the strawberry juice into each cheesecake a little bit. This is optional, but it does make for a more interesting dessert once you cut into it. And the taste? Just like a strawberry margarita from your favorite restaurant…except in creamy cheesecake form!
How to Bake Mini Cheesecakes
Aside from the individual serving size, one of the biggest appeals of mini cheesecakes is how easy they are to bake. All you need is a muffin tin and 12 cupcake wrappers. (The wrappers get peeled off and thrown away, so no need to use fancy wrappers here.) Oh – and there’s no need for a water bath!
Cheesecakes are notorious for being finicky. Some folks swear they need a water bath for baking. Others say the cheesecakes must cool in the oven with the oven door just slightly cracked. Others say you need to do a cheesecake dance in the kitchen while the cheesecake bakes. You can forget about that debate when it comes to mini cheesecakes. They bake in ~20 minutes (that’s right – 20 minutes!), and there’s no need for a water bath or any sort of trickery in the cooling process.
Once baked, I do like to freeze the mini cheesecakes for about an hour. This allows you to peel the paper wrappers off of each one. Then you can serve the cheesecakes by themselves for a fun and delicious dessert!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover cheesecake should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. (Ours never last that long!) Cheesecake also freezes well. Just freeze the mini cheesecakes and then transfer them into a freezer bag for up to 4 months. Let thaw in the fridge for 1-2 hours before serving. Of course, if you’re freezing these cheesecakes, then I recommend waiting and adding the whipped cream and lime slices until right before serving.
If you’re looking for a unique and fun summer dessert idea, then put these Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes on the list. Your guests’ mouths will drop when you pull a plate of these out of the refrigerator! Cheers!
Did you make this Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!
Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs ~7 full-sized crackers
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted
For the Cheesecake
- 8 oz. fresh strawberries tops cut off, plus more for garnishing
- 16 oz. cream cheese room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 additional large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp sour cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 Tbsp tequila
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 2 tsp lime zest
- {for garnish} freshly prepared whipped cream
- {for garnish} lime slices and strawberry slices
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crust
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Line a standard 12-count muffin pan with paper liners; set aside.
- Using a medium bowl, add graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and melted butter; stir until well combined.
- Divide crust mixture evenly into lined muffin tin. (Tip: Pack mixture down into liners using a small flat-bottomed glass.)
- Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.
For the Cheesecake
- Using a blender or mini food processor, add strawberries and puree until smooth. Press strawberry puree through a fine mesh strainer to remove any seeds and pulp. Set strawberry puree aside.
- Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until completely smooth (about 3 minutes).
- Add sugar and mix well, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Whisk the eggs and egg yolk together and add to the bowl; mix until well combined.
- Add the sour cream, vanilla extract, tequila, lime juice and lime zest; mix until well combined. (Tip: Use a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the filling is fully mixed.)
- Pour batter evenly into muffin cups.
- Add spoonful of strawberry puree to each muffin cup. Use a skewer or table knife to gently swirl puree into batter.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until centers of cheesecakes are just barely set. (Note: The center of each cheesecake should still be slightly loose. If the cheesecakes begin to crack, remove from oven immediately.)
- Let cheesecakes cool in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes and then transfer pan to freezer for 1 hour.
- Remove paper liners from cheesecakes.
- Before serving, garnish tops of cheesecakes with freshly prepared whipped cream, lime slices and strawberry slices.
Looking for more individual-sized dessert recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
I need to try this soon for me BTW cant wait to make your recipes soon for me