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New York-Style Cheesecake Bites

April 21, 2019
Shanika | Orchids + Sweet Tea
This is the best New York-Style cheesecake with sweet fresh berries as a topping and a crisp Graham Cracker crust.

New York-Style Cheesecake Bites

These New York-Style Cheesecake Bites are the best rendition of an old-time favorite with no real twist except for freshly topped berries! Not only are these little bites the perfect size, but they also come fully packed with a beautifully classic Graham Cracker crust, a nice creamy + velvety cream cheese base, and are as amazing as is. Perfect for Easter, a family gathering, or any special occasion.

New York-Style Cheesecake Bites topped with blackberries.

It’s finally Easter and I’m sure that many of you have been enjoying time with family during this holiday weekend!

Of course, when it comes to Easter, most of us reverence Good Friday as being the beginning of Jesus’ end on this Earth while Easter is known as the day that He rose again!

For others, this weekend celebrates Passover and the many traditions that come along with it!

Either way—it’s a time of reverence!

In addition, Easter is one of the holidays that possesses some pretty awesome Foods + Sweets!

If you’ve been an avid follower of Orchids + Sweet Tea, then you’ve probably found a few tasty recipes that fit perfectly into your Easter weekend.

However, if not, I’d recommend these Vegan Orange Belgian Waffles for starters. Or perhaps these Fluffy Vegan Oatmeal Whole Wheat Pancakes—a perfectly healthy way to kick start your day!

New York-Style Cheesecake Bite on a plate with strawberries and blackberries.

These past few weeks have definitely been super busy for me. I’ve been joggling so many things as it relates to getting Orchids + Sweet Tea on the right track to success and have developed a few more projects in the mix.

While it’s been so exciting, fun, and everything in between—it definitely takes a lot of work, time, energy, and dedication.

But hey—I can’t complain though. That’s all a part of the process. So, if you’ve been feeling a bit discouraged in the process, just hang in there and remain consistent. Success takes time!

How to Make New York Style Cheesecake

Easy to make, lovely to look at, delicious, and tummy-friendly. My New York-Style Cheesecake Bites are a must-try for any cheesecake lover.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s everything you’ll need to prepare this dense creamy goodness:

  • Graham crackers, crushed. It’s a sweet-flavored cracker made with graham flour.
  • Organic brown sugar. You may also go with regular sugar or molasses if you don’t have it.
  • Ground cinnamon. You can also use a bit of ginger if you don’t have cinnamon. 
  • Unsalted butter, melted. You can also use margarine 
  • Cream cheese softened at room temperature. If you’re fond of organic ingredients like I am, I suggest going with Organic Valley. 
  • Organic cane sugar. I highly suggest using Wholesome Sweets for the pure thing.
  • Organic all-purpose flour. I’ll be using Bob’s Red Mills for this recipe. 
  • Vanilla extract. Make sure you’re going for the real stuff, not artificial. 
  • Large eggs, room temp. I like using the brown ones since they’re richer in omega-3 content.
  • Low-fat sour cream. Daisy is an excellent brand (that’s what I’ll be using). It helps develop a rich, moister texture.
  • Lemon juice. Squeeze a real lemon or two. Don’t go for any store-bought juice. 
  • Lemon zest. Make sure it’s finely grated so you’re able to feel its notes in your bites.
  • Berries. I suggest using fresh strawberries and blackberries for the recipe but you may also go with canned ones.

New York-Style Cheesecake Bites on a platter and a plate.

Cheesecake Bites vs. Cheesecake

Back to these cheesecake bites—I figured that I would take things back to my first love—New York Style Cheesecake (with a Strawberry topping—my fave!), and add my own twist and interpretation to it. Kept it a strictly low-fat low-carb deal. 

How? Well, let’s be real. New York style or not, it’s hard to resist when you’ve got a full-fledged, 8-inch oozing cheesecake in front of you. Morning tea through post-lunch dessert and evening snack—and poof—it’s gone. Heck, it may not even live to see the evening.

When it comes to cheesecake bites, the key is to bake two for each member of the family. Have your fill without being drenched in guilt. Trust me, it works! Plus, the cheesecake bites end up looking all cool and exotic with those blackberry and strawberry toppings.

What is the Difference Between New York Style Cheesecake and Traditional Cheesecake?

A regular cheesecake is made using a thin batter and boasts a silkier, creamier texture. But when it comes to a New York-Style Cheesecake, you get denser creamy goodness. 

Think of the latter as a richer, meticulous, and bigger cousin of a traditional cheesecake.

Blackberries atop New York-Style Cheesecake Bites.

What Makes a Cheesecake New York Style?

To keep things healthier for my forte, I chose to use fewer dairy products to build the cheesecake part of things (the body if you will!).

Most NY Style Cheesecake enthusiasts go for cream cheese, sour cream, AND heavy cream. So basically, what makes a cheesecake New York-Style is loads of cream cheese, making it all rich and dense. However, if you’ve been an avid reader then you’re already aware that I try to reduce or cut out dairy completely, on a daily basis.

Therefore, I chose to use a healthier version of cream cheese—Organic Valley (which I highly recommend!) as well as less sour cream (which was low-fat). 

I also completely opted out of the heavy cream and used a bit of lemon juice instead. A hint of acidy definitely kicks things off! Heads up: If you go my way, your cheesecake will taste just as delicious as it does with regular cream cheese and heavy cream, but healthier.

Now, to top things off, I simply chose to go with fresh blackberries and strawberries, which made for an awesome bite!

Fork grabbing a blackberry from atop of New York-Style Cheesecake Bite.

Preparing the Graham Cracker Crust

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 12-cavity cupcake pan with cupcake liners.

Grind the graham crackers, until almost finely ground (it’s OK to leave a few medium chunks if you're a lover of a little crunch!). Combine the Graham cracker, cinnamon, pure cane sugar, and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.

Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners (about 2 Tbsps per cup) and press down into the bottoms with your fingers to ensure that it’s perfectly covering the bottom.

Bake the crusts for about 5 minutes and then remove them from the oven and allow them to cool until you’re ready to use.

New York-Style Cheesecake Bites topped with blackberries and on a platter.

Preparing the Cheesecake + Filling

Get an electric mixer and mix together on low speed: the cream cheese, pure cane sugar, and flour until combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.

Next, add the vanilla extract and the first egg and beat slowly until mostly combined. Then add the remaining egg and mix until well combined, still mixing everything on low speed. Now, add the sour cream and lemon juice and continue mixing.

Change mixer attachment to a whisk and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or so until completely smooth and lump-free. NOTE: DO NOT OVER-MIX. Be sure to stop once the batter becomes smooth.

Add a small amount of filling to each cupcake liner (about 2 Tbsps), repeating until all batter is used.

Bake the cheesecakes for 16-18 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit in the oven for another 5 minutes with the oven door halfway open to avoid cheesecakes from deflating. **NOTE: When baking, I always prepare a medium pot with water and add it to the oven as well, to keep cheesecake temperature even and to add moisture.**

Remove cheesecakes from the oven and allow them to continue to cool for another 15-20 minutes, before putting them in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Once cooled, top with fresh berries (optional) and enjoy.

Raised, fluted platter of New York-Style Cheesecake Bites.
New York-Style Cheesecake Bites on an elevated platter.

New York-Style Cheesecake Bites

April 21, 2019
4.67 from 12 votes
This is the best New York-Style cheesecake with sweet fresh berries as a topping and a crisp Graham Cracker crust.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 33 minutes
Serves: 12 Cheesecake Bites

Ingredients

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:

  • 1 ½ cups Graham crackers, chopped (About 10-12 Graham Crackers)
  • 2 Tbsps organic brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 3 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted

CHEESECAKE + FILLING:

  • 12 ozs. organic cream cheese, softened at room temp. (That’s 1 ½ packs!)
  • ½ cup organic cane sugar
  • 3 Tbsps organic all-purpose flour
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs, room temp.
  • 3 Tbsps low-fat sour cream
  • 2 tsps juice of a lemon
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

OTHER:

  • 2 cup fresh berries, optional

Instructions

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and prepare a 12-cavity cupcake pan with cupcake liners.
  • Grind the graham crackers, until almost finely ground (it’s OK to leave a few medium chunks, if your’e a lover a little crunch!). Combine the Graham cracker, cinnamon, pure cane sugar and melted butter in a small bowl and mix with a spatula until well incorporated.
  • Divide the mixture between the cupcake liners (about 2 Tbsps per cup) and press down into the bottoms with your fingers to ensure that it’s perfectly covering the bottom.
  • Bake the crusts for about 5 minutes and then remove from oven and allow it to cool until you’re ready to use.

CHEESECAKE + FILLING:

  • In the bowl of an electric mixer, mix together on low speed: the cream cheese, pure cane sugar, and flour until combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl if needed.
  • Next, add the vanilla extract and the first egg and beat slowly until mostly combined. Then add the remaining egg and mix until well combined, still mixing everything on low speed. Now, add the sour cream and lemon juice and continue mixing.
  • Change mixer attachment to a whisk and beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes or so until completely smooth and lump-free. NOTE: DO NOT OVER-MIX. Be sure to stop once the batter becomes smooth.
  • Add a small amount of filling to each cupcake liner (about 2 Tbsps), repeating until all batter is used.
  • Bake the cheesecakes for 16-18 minutes, then turn off the oven and allow them to sit in the oven for another 5 minutes with the oven door halfway open to avoid cheesecakes from deflating. **NOTE: When baking, I always prepare a medium pot with water and add it to the oven as well, to keep cheesecake temperature even and to add moisture.**
  • Remove cheesecakes from the oven and allow them to continue to cool for another 15-20 minutes, before putting them in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
  • Once cooled, top with fresh berries (optional) and enjoy.
  • Bon Appetite!

Tips & Tricks

STORAGE: Leftover Cheesecakes can be stored (tightly wrapped) in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. For best results, keep cheesecakes in the freezer until the night before you’re ready to serve. Defrost by refrigerating.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 166mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 209IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 128mg | Iron: 1mg

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New York-Style Cheesecake Bites.

ORCHIDS + SWEET TEA

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  1. Thanks for your response Shanika and thank you for your link! I have standard silicone ones so i'll just use those. Hopefully they come out as cute as yours!! I will also be trying my own oat crumble crust in lieu of graham crackers, fingers crossed it comes out well! Can't wait to try these tonight. (:

  2. We're having a NY themed night and I can't wait to make these! What kind of cupcake liners did you use? I love how straight these are! At least they look like the sides are straight. Mine have an angle.

    • Hi Gisella! That sounds like such an awesome themed night! I'm so excited to have these be apart of it! I actually used standard large cupcake liners from Target, but they're sold on the brand's website. I've linked them here for you 🙂 :

  3. Thank you Shanika! Perfect recipe. I double it in some spots becuz I wanted more. it was deadly good! The lemon really balanced the sugar. Very nice. Take care.+

    • Hi Darrin! Absolutely! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this! It's definitely one of my faves and the lemon flavor really does it justice! Thanks so much for choosing to make these! Take care! 🙂

    • Hi Carmen! Good Morning! I usually don't bake them in a water bath, however, you can! I usually just add a small pot of water underneath on the bottom rack when baking them. 🙂 Have a blessed day!

  4. Hi! You mentioned freezing and then defrosting in the fridge the night before use. How should I freeze these? Individually wrapped in plastic wrap and then popped into a freezer bag or Tupperware? Thank you!

    • Hi Emily! For greatest ease, you can individually wrap them in plastic wrap before placing them all in a bigger container or ziploc bag! 🙂

    • Hi Lisa! That's awesome! I hope that you and your family enjoy them! Are you referring to the baking liners without ridges? If so, I'm not sure of any, however, you can always purchase a cheesecake pan which pops out at the bottom and the sides come out straight and smooth.

  5. I've been craving cheesecake for days now and this recipe has just put me over the edge! These are amazing and those blackberries look huge - yummmm!!

  6. I love that these are bite sized. Perfect for serve when entertaining guests and cheesecake is one of my families favorites.

  7. I’m loving mini desserts right now! I feel much less guilty eating three or four mini cheesecake bites than a whole slice sometimes. These look so good, I probably wouldn’t be able to stop at just one!

  8. I can imagine the use of lemon juice really gave these a nice fresh flavor. I love it! I def need to try this healthier version 🙂