lemon blueberry cheesecake bites

Graham cracker crust topped with a cheesecake filling, bursting blueberries and a hint of lemon…these fresh and pretty bites practically scream “take me to a summer bbq!”

I’ve been making this Tyler Florence recipe for lemon blueberry cheesecake bars for years now, and they are fantastic, but I decided I wanted to tweak them into more of a bite-sized treat.

Unlike a classic cheesecake, these cheesecake bites are very easy to whip up (throw ingredients in a food processor & pulse) and require very little time (about 15 minutes) to bake.

What I particularly love about these bars-turned-bites is that the fruit to filling ratio is now quite high. So while I wouldn’t exactly call them healthy, the fresh blueberries really take center stage. And don’t be afraid to mix it up with different berries! These turn out fabulous using fresh blackberries, and I imagine using a mix of berries (blueberry, sliced strawberry, blackberry, and raspberry) would make a perfect red, white and blue Fourth of July treat.

lemon blueberry cheesecake bites

makes 24 mini cheesecake bites

Ingredients:

[for the graham crust]

• 4 graham crackers

• 1 tablespoon white sugar

• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

[for the cheesecake filling]

• 8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup white sugar

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 6 oz blueberries

special equipment: food processor or blender, mini muffin tin, mini muffin liners, piping bag (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line a 24-capacity mini muffin tin with mini muffin liners.

2. Prepare crust. In a food processor or blender, pulse graham crackers, 1 tablespoon white sugar, and cinnamon into fine crumbs. Dump crumbs into a bowl, add melted butter and toss with a fork until well combined. Divide crumbs evenly between the 24 muffin liners, about a heaping teaspoon in each. Use your fingers to press down firmly to create a base. Bake the graham crust at 325 degrees for 5-8 minutes, until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden at the edges. Set aside to cool completely.

3. Prepare filling. In a food processor or blender, combine cream cheese, egg, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. (You CAN do this in the kitchen aid mixer, but you’ll want to break up and beat the cream cheese smooth first before adding the other ingredients.) Divide the batter evenly between the 24 muffin liners (I like to use a piping bag to pipe the filling), about 1 tablespoon in each cup. Top with blueberries, about 2-3 berries in each cup, pressing down lightly to submerge them ever so slightly.

4. Bake at 325 degrees until filling is puffy and just set and blueberries are beginning to burst, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely on counter, then place in the fridge until completely chilled, about 1 hour. Enjoy!

Adapted from Food Network.