Mini No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake Tarts

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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.

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.

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

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.

3. Lay two sheets of plastic wrap over a mini muffin tin with plenty of overhang.
4. Starting from the center and working your way out, press the plastic wrap into the cups.
5. 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.

Make the fluffy lemon cheesecake filling

6. In a large bowl, combine the softened cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar until perfectly smooth.

7. In a separate medium bowl, whip together the heavy cream and vanilla until stiff peaks form.

7. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until well-combined without over-mixing.

8. Remove the tart shells from the pan, lifting them them out using the plastic wrap.
9. Use a spoon or use a small 1 tablespoon ice cream scoop to fill the tart shells with the filling.

8. 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.

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.

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.