No Bake Mini Lemon Cheesecake

Written by on in Cakes

This No Bake Mini Lemon Cheesecake has a soft creamy texture and just the right amount of fresh lemon flavor.

If your looking for a no fuss cheesecake that has great texture and flavor, then this is the one for you. It is soft and creamy with just the right amount of sweetness to offset the tanginess of the lemon.

Whenever I am craving a piece of cheesecake, the only kind that will satisfy me is something smooth and silky. There are those who like a dense cheesecake, which I am sure is delicious as well but just not the kind of cheesecake that I desire. When I put that first bite of velvety cheesecake in my mouth I want it to almost melt away. To me that is the perfect bite.

As for flavor, It all depends on my mood. Sometimes I like something with deep intense flavor like my Mini Espresso Cheesecakes With Biscoff Cookie Crust or other times I am just looking for something plain with some fresh berries and cream on top, but when I am in the mood for something bright and refreshing, lemon flavor is the way I go. Lemon adds a lightness to desserts that is perfect, especially for something as rich as cheesecake.

I have made regular sized cheesecakes in the past but lately I really enjoy making mini ones. They are the perfect serving size for a cheesecake. The best part, for cheesecakes that are cooked, they rarely crack like regular sized cheesecakes.

How To Make Mini No Bake Lemon Cheesecake

We start by preparing the crust. Now you can buy gram cracker crumbs but it is just as easy to make your own. Just place gram crackers in a food processor and pulse until crumbs form. It’s that easy.

Place the gram cracker crumbs in a medium size bowl, add the melted butter and mix using a fork until completely incorporated. You can use a mini cheesecake tray or you can use a cupcake tray lined with paper liners, either way add one tablespoon of gram cracker to the bottom of each cake holder. Using a shot glass press the crumbs down to create a crust, then place in the refrigerator to cool.

To the bowl of a stand mixer add the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar and mix using the paddle attachment until smooth and creamy.

Add the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice and greek yogurt. Beat until combined and smooth. Transfer cream cheese mixture to a large bowl and set to the side.

Combine the heavy cream and pure vanilla extract in the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and mix on high speed until stiff peeks start to form.

Add 1/3 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and gently fold in until completely combined. Add the remaining 2/3 of the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and once again fold in until completely combined.

Remove the cheesecake trays from the refrigerator. Using a medium sized ice cream scoop, fill each one to the top with the cheesecake mixture. Gently tap the tray on the counter then place back in the refrigerator to set for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.

After cheesecakes have set remove them from the pan and place them on a serving tray. If using a mini cheesecake tray, push up on the bottom of each cake until they can be easily removed from pan. I am lucky enough to have a little gadget that my husband made for me to remove the cheesecakes from the pan. It was the perfect solution to removing the cakes without damaging them.

Once the cheesecakes have been removed from the pan top with some whipped cream and decorate with a small wedge of lemon and a peppermint leaf, then serve.

No Bake Mini Lemon Cheesecakes

Ingredients:

For The Crust:

  • 3/4 Cup gram cracker crumbs
  • 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted

For The Filling:

  • 12 oz. Cream cheese at room temperture
  • 6 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon zest
  • 2 Tablespoons plain greek yogurt
  • 3/4 Cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Whipped cream (optional)
  • Lemon wedge (optional)
  • Peppermint leaves (optional)

Instructions:

  1. To a small bowl add the gram cracker crumbs and melted butter and mix with a fork to combine. Place 1 tablespoon of crumb mixture in the bottom of each section of a mini cheesecake pan or to the bottom of a cupcake tray lined with paper liners. Using a shot glass, press down on the crumbs until they form a crust. Place tray in the refrigerator until ready to use.
  2. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, place the room temperature butter and granulated sugar and mix until soft and creamy. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest and greek yogurt and mix again until combined. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  3. To the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whisk together the heavy whipping cream and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form, being careful not to over mix.
  4. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined. Gently fold the remaining 2/3 of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until all ingredients are incorporated.
  5. Remove the cheesecake tray from the refrigerator. Place a scoop of cheesecake mixture into each cavity, filling all the way to the top. Once tray is filled, tap it once on the counter to settle. Place the tray back in the refrigerator for at least 4 hour or up to 24 hours.
  6. Remove the tray from the refrigerator. Release the cheesecakes by pushing on the bottom of each cake until they can be easily removed. Place them on a serving dish and top with whipped cream, lemon wedge and peppermint leaf. Serve immediately.
  7. Enjoy.