Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes

By Rachel // April 28, 2014 // 37 comments // Share

Creamy bite sized strawberry cheesecakes with a hint of lime and a splash of tequila. A perfect mini dessert for Cinco De Mayo or any celebration!

Over the past few days I planted a bunch of flower seeds with my girls. The first bunch is already starting to sprout, while the others will take a few days since we just planted those yesterday. I love having flowers blooming in the warmer months. Color is fun. I don’t love the bugs or the bees, but the pretty flowers make up for the occasional annoyance.

I’ve always had a love for morning glories, going as far back as I can remember. A family friend had them growing around their backyard and I was always fascinated by their twisting and climbing over the fences and arches. I’m growing more morning glories this year than I ever have in the past. I’m hoping for a big and bold display, climbing part of one of our fences. If it works, I’ll be sure to share a photo. Fingers crossed!

In the meantime, I’m still dreaming up other possibilities for flowers or even veggies and fruit. I do that every year… think and dream about the options. Maybe this will be the year I finally take that leap. Have you started a garden yet?

With strawberry season upon us and Cinco de Mayo around the corner I knew a special treat needed to be whipped up. I really wanted to share a margarita but I didn’t have a single margarita dessert recipe here at that time either. So, I decided to mesh those two ideas together.

These mini cheesecakes are the perfect bite sized treat… okay, maybe two bite treat. Full of fresh strawberry and lime flavor and a splash of tequila to make them authentic margarita cheesecakes. I didn’t feel right calling them margarita cheesecakes without a little liquor in them! Fear not, there’s hardly any and the actual alcohol bakes away in the oven.

Creamy homemade mini strawberry cheesecakes, topped off with fresh sweetened whipped cream and a lime garnish. A fun mini dessert for a special occasion or a Cinco de Mayo party! Be sure to add these to your Spring and Summer recipe plans! You’ll be glad you did!

Print Recipe

Mini Strawberry Margarita Cheesecakes

Bite sized strawberry cheesecakes with a hint of lime and a splash of tequila. Perfect for any celebration!

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time1 d

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Cheesecake

Servings: 12 cheesecakes

Ingredients

Crust:

• 3/4 C graham cracker crumbs
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter melted

Filling:

• 1/2 C strawberries
• 1 tsp lime juice
• 1/2 C and 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar divided
• 12 oz cream cheese softened
• 1 tsp tequila
• 1 tsp triple sec
• Zest from half 1 lime
• 1 large egg

Whipped cream:

• 1/2 C heavy cream
• 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a mini cheesecake pan. Set aside.
• In a large food processor, combine graham cracker crumbs with 1 Tbsp sugar and melted butter. Using a small cookie scoop, divide equally among prepared cheesecake cavities, adding 1 small scoop to each. Press down to create an even layer. Bake for 5 minutes.
• Reduce oven to 325°F.
• In a small food processor, puree strawberries with 1 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp lime juice. Pour puree through a fine mesh strainer. Press out all liquid and discard solids. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Mix in remaining 1/2 cup sugar along with zest from half of one lime. Mix in 3 Tbsp plus 1 tsp strawberry puree, tequila and triple sec. Finally, add egg, beating only until mixture is smooth and no streaks remain.
• Using a medium cookie scoop, add 1 heaping scoop to each cheesecake pan cavity. Bake at 325°F for 15-18 minutes or until nearly set. Cool in pan to room temperature. Transfer pan to refrigerator to chill thoroughly, at least 6-12 hours or overnight.
• Carefully remove cheesecakes from pan, removing pan disc from the bottoms of each.
• In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Add to a piping bag with desired piping tip. Pipe whipped cream onto chilled cheesecakes, serve with a lime slice and additional strawberries if desired.
• Serve immediately. Store remaining cheesecakes in the refrigerator.

Notes

An original recipe from Baked by Rachel

More cheesecakes to try!