That may be the longest name for any food I have yet created! Sorry about that, but what could I leave out? There is so much goodness in these little cups. You will love them!
There are 2 versions of no bake cheesecakes. One with condensed milk, heavy cream, cream cheese, powdered sugar and sometimes gelatin. There is another version, the one I made with cream cheese, sugar and gelatin. With other ingredients of course. I chose this version, as it is the healthier of the 2 options. I use a lightened cream cheese, reduced the sugar, vanilla and plenty of lemon juice and zest. That's it. At least for the filling. I used a classic graham cracker crust for mine ( which can also be made gluten free), or if you prefer you can even leave it out. The filling is delicious enough as it is, but now to add something to add even more delicious flavor- the strawberries. I used a peach white balsamic vinegar, purchased from Olivin, here in Boise. If you are interested, check them out. If you not, see what white balsamics you can find in your area. Fruit infused are the best for this dessert. If you haven't tried a good white balsamic, you should definitely consider it.
Anyway, on to the recipe.
Start with your crust, if you are using one. Combine the graham crackers with sugar and melted butter. Pulse until combined.
Scoop into prepared dishes. I used these small glass cups from Ikea. They are the best size for desserts.
Press into cups. I used the back of my citrus juicer. These crusts aren't baked either.
Next, filling. Start by softening the gelatin. Sprinkle it over top of boiling water, removed from heat, and let it sit for 5 minutes until it is softened and clear. Make sure and mix the gelatin in as soon as you add it to the boiling water. If you get a few small chunks of gelatin, don't sweat it. Just pull them out before adding to the cream cheese.
Place softened cream cheese in bowl. To this add vanilla, gelatin, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Mix well.
Pour into cups. You'll notice I don't put very much in, a little over ¼ cup. I do this to try and keep calories down, but still being able to enjoy desserts.
Let this set in the fridge for at least an hour, or until set. One it's ready, prep the strawberries. This is so simple. Cut strawberries to size desired. You can see the size of mine.
Drizzle with the white balsamic. For the amount of strawberries I used, about 4 cups, I used 3-4 tablespoon. This of course will be dependent on your preference.
Spoon on top of filling.
Now, sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!
Aren't these just beautiful!! It's hard to resist!
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake with Peach Balsamic infused strawberries.
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Lemon Cheesecake Filling
- ½ cup boiling water
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
- ⅓ cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 packages lowfat cream cheese
- ¼ cup granulated sugar. Plus 2 tablespoons
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Peach balsamic infused strawberries
- 3-4 cups chopped strawberries size will depend on your preference.
- 3-4 tablespoon peach white balsamic vinegar If you don't have access to this particular balsamic, look for another. I prefer the white balsamics, for this recipe.
Instructions
- Start by prepping your crust. Combine the graham crackers, sugar and melted butter in food processor or blender. Pulse until combined. My desserts were small, so I only used about 1-2 tablespoons per cup. I pressed mine into the bottom of the cup. It's not necessary, but it does make the dessert look prettier I think! Set the cups aside.Next up is the filling. Sprinkle gelatin over boiling water and set aside.Mix it in immediately. You may have a few small chunks, don't worry about that. Just remove them before mixing into the cream cheese. It takes about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. While it is softening, squeeze the lemon juice, zest your lemons and get the cream cheese into bowl.Once it's softened, mix the cream cheese with the sugar and vanilla. Next add in the gelatin, lemon juice and lemon zest. Combine. Pour into cups. I made mine a little smaller, so I only used about ¼ cup per dessert. If you want larger desserts, use more and make fewer desserts!Place dessert cups into fridge and let it set for at least an hour until set. To prep you strawberries, cut them the size desired. Mine are a medium size. Drizzle with the vinegar and mix until all berries are covered. Spoon onto the cheesecakes. Then sit back and enjoy. You deserve it!