Mini No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

This post contains links to affiliate websites, such as Amazon, and we receive an affiliate commission for any purchases made by you using these links. We appreciate your support!

With a light and tangy lemon cheesecake filling, these adorable mini no-bake lemon cheesecake tarts are a perfect bite-size treat for any spring or summer celebration.

A mini tart filled with lemon cheesecake filling and garnished with a blueberry and a raspberry on a marble serving platter.

I love cheesecake, but I haven’t made one in years. Not that I haven’t wanted to. But every time I think about making cheesecake, one look at the instructions is enough to make me roll my eyes, sigh, and move on.

Springform pans, water baths, oven doors open for 4 hours. Just no.

It’s also pretty rare that we have enough people over at one time to eat a whole cheesecake, and half a leftover cheesecake in the fridge is, well, frankly, dangerous.

A mini cheesecake tart with a bite out of it to show the inside.

Anyway.

If you have the same problem, I have the solution for you right here. Tiny two-bite cheesecake tarts with a light and lemony creamy filling, topped with anything you like!

All the smooth and creamy tangy cheesecake flavor, and none of the guilt!

Serving Note: These mini cheesecake bites need to be served chilled. Because they are unbaked, the tart shells will start to fall apart when you pick them up if they get too warm.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Ingredients for making lemon cheesecake tarts with labels.

Graham Crackers

A graham cracker crust is the classic choice for cheesecake. The crust is made similarly to a full-size cheesecake crust, but like an icebox pie, there’s no need to bake it.

I like to buy the pre-crushed graham cracker crumbs, but you can certainly buy graham crackers and crush them yourself, by hand with a freezer bag and a rolling pin, or using a food processor.

Cream Cheese

I have always found that there is no good substitute for full-fat cream cheese from the Philadelphia brand. Other brands always seem to disappoint.

Cream cheese is a must in any cheesecake filling.

Whipping Cream

Whipped cream is what gives the filling a light and airy texture. Whipped cream cannot be made from a cream lighter than heavy or double cream. You can fold in some Cool Whip or other whipped topping if you prefer not to make whipped cream.

Lemon

I flavor the filling with lemon juice and zest and then sprinkle a little more zest onto the finished tarts for garnish. You can definitely skip the lemon altogether if you’re going for a classic vanilla cheesecake flavor.

These mini cheesecake tarts are so easy to make! Here’s how I do it.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the crust

  1. In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
  2. Add melted butter and stir to combine.
A bowl with graham cracker crumbs and sugar.
A bowl with graham cracker and sugar combined and melted butter poured over.
Ingredients for graham cracker crust combined in a bowl.
  1. Lay two sheets of plastic wrap over a mini muffin tin with plenty of overhang.
  2. Starting from the center and working your way out, press the plastic wrap into the cups.
  3. Starting again from the center, fill your cups with about a tablespoon of graham cracker mixture each and press it firmly into the bottom and up the sides with your fingers. Transfer the pan to the freezer while you make the filling.
A 24-cup mini muffin tin with plastic wrap laid over it.
Plastic wrap being pressed into a mini muffin tin.
A mini muffin tin lined with plastic wrap being filled with a graham cracker crust.

Make the fluffy lemon cheesecake filling

  1. In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar until perfectly smooth.
A bowl with cubes of cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest and sugar.
A bowl with a combined cream cheese mixture.
  1. In a separate medium bowl, whip together the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form.
A bowl with heavy cream and vanilla.
A bowl of homemade whipped cream.
  1. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well-combined without over-mixing.
A bowl of cream cheese mixture and whipped cream to make cheesecake tart filling.
A bowl of no-bake filling for lemon cheesecake tarts.
  1. Remove the tart shells from the pan, lifting them them out using the plastic wrap.
  2. Use a spoon or use a small 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop to fill the tart shells with the filling.
Mini graham cracker tart shells being removed from pan.
Mini graham cracker tart shells being filled with cheesecake filling using an ice cream scoop.
  1. Chill the tarts for about 2 hours to firm up the filling and crust. Garnish with fruit, berries, preserves, or whatever else you like and serve cold.
A marble platter filled with mini cheesecake tarts topped with raspberries and blueberries.

Variations

Plain vanilla cheesecake tarts

If you’d like to make classic vanilla cheesecake tarts, simply leave out the lemon. You can then top them with oreo pieces, toffee bits, chocolate chips… the sky’s the limit. You can also fold some crushe oreos or other ingredients into the filling instead of or in addition to the topping.

Full size tart or individual servings

Instead of these little two-bite tarts, you can use this recipe to make 1 full-size tart. Be sure to chill the tart for at least 2 hours before serving to firm up the filling so that it slices cleanly.

You can also make these in a standard muffin tin for individual size cheesecake tarts.

Overhead view of a round marble platter of mini cheesecake tarts.

Tips for success

Line the pan with plastic wrap

The pan must be lined before filling with the graham cracker mixture, otherwise the tart shells will be impossible to remove without crumbling. Refer to the instructions above for lining the pan with plastic wrap, always from the inside cups outward.

Chill the tarts before serving

It’s important to chill the tarts for at least an hour or two before serving to firm up the crust and filling. Otherwise the shells may fall apart when picked up.

Use softened cream cheese

Make sure your cream cheese is well softened and at room temperature before mixing it, otherwise it will be very difficult to get it fully smooth and your filling may be lumpy.

Storage

Refrigerator

These tarts keep very well in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator and are a great make-ahead dessert for parties.

Freezer

These tarts also freeze very well for up to 3 months, and in fact can even be served as a frozen treat straight from the freezer.

More mini desserts!

If you prefer baked cheesecake but still want the mini factor, try this mini cheesecakes with mango coulis and biscoff crust! Or cut these decadent triple chocolate cheesecake bars into small squares.

And If you’re making these for a party and want to give people options, these mini chocolate cupcakes or mini brownies make everyone happy.

A closeup of a no-bake mini lemon cheesecake tart garnished with a blueberry and a raspberry.

Mini Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

With a light and tangy lemon cheesecake filling, these adorable mini cheesecake tarts are a perfect bite-size treat for any spring or summer celebration. They come together quickly, with no baking necessary, and can be garnished with any fruit you like!
5 from 5 votes
Print Pin Rate Save
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chilling Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 24 cheesecakes
Calories: 81kcal
Author: Ann Otis

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Tart Shells

  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs (5 ounces, or 10 crackers crushed)
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Lemon Cheesecake Filling

  • 1 8-oz package cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest divided
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice freshly squeezed
  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • fresh fruit or fruit preserves for garnish

Instructions

Graham Cracker Tart Shells

  • In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and stir to combine.
  • Line a 24-cup mini muffin pan with plastic wrap. Use two sheets, placed crosswise across the tin, with plenty of overhang as pictured in the post, and press plastic wrap down into each cavity, working from the inside out. Place a heaping tablespoon of graham cracker crumbs in each cavity and press onto bottom and sides with your fingers.
  • Transfer to freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes while you make the filling. Gently lift the plastic wrap to remove the tart shells from the pan.

Lemon Cheesecake Filling

  • In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese, lemon juice, and sugar.
  • In a separate medium bowl, whip the whipping cream and vanilla to soft peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined
  • Spoon a dollop of filling into each tart shell. Chill the tarts for about two hours to firm up the filling and shell before serving. Garnish with remaining zest and fruit as desired and serve chilled.

Video

Notes

Serving Note: These mini cheesecake bites need to be served chilled. Because they are unbaked, the tart shells will start to fall apart when you pick them up if they get too warm.
Storage
Refrigerator
These tarts keep very well in an airtight container for 3-5 days in the refrigerator and are a great make-ahead dessert for parties.
Freezer
These tarts also freeze very well for up to 3 months, and in fact can even be served as a frozen treat straight from the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 40mg | Potassium: 12mg | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 135IU | Vitamin C: 0.5mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag it Today!Mention @OurHappyMess or tag #OurHappyMess!

Similar Posts

15 Comments

  1. how do i keep them pressed into the pan when the plastic wrap pops up every time i move to the next to press down??? it’s like i’m playing whack-a-mole! making today for a party! help plz

    1. You just need to press the plastic wrap down into each cup (best to start from the center and work your way out to the edges) BEFORE filling them instead of just placing the plastic wrap over the pan and then trying to press down and fill them one by one :). I hope that makes sense! I’ll make that clearer in the post.

    1. I don’t bake it for this recipe. You COULD bake it but of course you wouldn’t use the plastic wrap in that case, and then the little cups might crumble when you try to remove them from the mold 🙂

      1. Once the shells are filled, they are ready to serve! This is a no bake situation :). If you plan to serve them later, just store in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

  2. 5 stars
    Lemon + blueberries are totally one of my most favorite combinations. They’re fruity and refreshing, which I find cuts any chance of sweetness overload and in my books, that’s a plus. Also, these are just hella cute.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.