Featured Recipe
No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Bites
By Kate
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Cream cheese beaten with vanilla and salt. Use dry pound cake crumbs instead of cake mix to change texture. Pink candy melts swapped with white chocolate chips for coating. Chill for thickened dough, scoop then dip in melted coating. Tap excess off for even coverage. Quick set in fridge. Keeps well chilled. Visual clues, not clocks, guide timing.
"
Prep:
30 min
Cook:
0 min
Total:
Serves:
24 servings
dessert
no bake
strawberry
cheesecake
party food
Introduction
Soft cream cheese whipped to no lumps. Salt and vanilla perk sharp edges. Dry, pulverized pound cake crumbs instead of pre-flavored dry cake mix — shifts density, so expect thicker, denser dough but better textural contrast. Refrigerate through the chill to firm. Patience pays off as dough thickens, easier to scoop and dip. White chocolate chips swapped from pink candy melts allow deeper flavor and easier temper control but melt slower. Don’t rush coating. Beating, chilling, scooping, dipping—each got its cues. No timers dictate stage; fingers and eyes rule here. Chocolate must be glossy smooth, dough dense but pliable, coating with clean drip to avoid hardness and cracking. Little sprinkles top if fancy mood strikes. Fridge chills faster finish but beware moisture and cracking cracks. Storage tight. Bite sized creamy cheesecake balls, easy, fuss-free, restrained sugar, no ovens demanded.
Ingredients
About the ingredients
Cream cheese is the foundation — full-fat is best for texture and flavor, but Neufchâtel is viable for lighter option, just expect softer mouthfeel and more challenging scoop. Salt cuts the cloying richness, don’t skip or reduce. Vanilla is pure extract, not imitation — flavor anchor. Instead of boxed dry cake mix, pulverize stale or fresh pound cake to prevent funky cake flavor and excess sweetness. It also controls moisture better. Chocolate coating switched out — melting chips more pantry staple, white chocolate any brand, even chips meant for baking work fine, but temper cautiously to prevent grainy finishes. Sprinkles optional and best added while coating tacky — prevents rolling off or smudging. Prepare your workspace for dips with parchment lined trays or silicone mats to catch drips and ease cleanup.
Method
Mixing the base
- Start softening cream cheese just to barely smooth with electric handheld or stand mixer paddle. No lumps. Fold in salt and vanilla evenly. Adds dimension, cuts cheesiness.
- Pulverize pound cake into coarse crumbs until dry but pliable. Add slowly to cream cheese mixture, keep beating medium speed till dough forms. It’ll feel crumbly at first, eventually thick dense mass. If too wet, add more crumbs, too dry, a splash cream or milk.
- Cover bowl. Refrigerate minimum two hours. Overnight better. Dough firms, flavors meld, easier to shape.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt white chocolate chips in microwave or double boiler. Use short bursts 20 seconds stirring vigorously each time. Look for thick shiny melted chips, no lumps. Too hot? Chocolate grainy, retemper gently with cool metal bowl over ice water.
- Use tablespoon scoop to create uniform balls from chilled dough. Toothpick or fork picks. Dip fully into melted chocolate, allow extra coating to drip off by tapping fork on edge. Avoid thick globs that crack when drying.
- Place balls on parchment. If sprinkles, sprinkle immediately before chocolate sets but after initial drip tap — coating should be tacky, not runny.
- Let coating set naturally at room temp — look for matte finish replacing shine. No fingerprints pressed. For quicker finish, chill 10-15 minutes but avoid condensation forming.
- Optional: drizzle extra melted white chocolate over set bites for contrast lines. Use back of spoon for thin ribbons, scrape excess off edges for cleaner lines.
- Store airtight in fridge. Keeps 3-4 days, no harder than firm fudge consistency. Let rest 5-10 minutes at room temp before serving for best mouthfeel.
- If coating cracks on bites, chocolate too cold when dipped — warm slightly and re-dip quickly. Dough too soft? Add handful extra cake crumbs, chill longer.
- Substitutions: cream cheese can be full-fat ricotta, but less firm. For coating, white chocolate more stable than candy melts but thicker, melt carefully to avoid seizing.
- Remember: visual and tactile cues weigh more than any clock. Dough should hold shape when scooped but not be dry crumbling. Chocolate glossy, well-melted but not cooked or grainy.
Rest and firm up
Prepare coating
Scoop and dip
Finishing
Storage
Troubleshooting
Technique Tips
Electric mixer usage critical for that initial cream cheese fluff — no lumps means better final texture. Fold salts and vanilla well to avoid sharp patches. Dry cake crumbs added incrementally, beating high speed to avoid dry crumbly mix. Dough must be pliable dense ball, not wet or sticky to touch. Chill firming essential; too short and dough won’t scoop well, too long and slightly dry — tidy balance. Chocolate melts better at low moderate heat; microwave intervals recommended avoid scorching, stirring gauging glossiness. If streaks or grainy, rewarm gently. Dipping requires patience: submerge fully to seal edges preventing crumb leakage during chill later. Tap fork or toothpick steep enough to thin coating, excess leads to cracking when dry. Coating tackiness cues when sprinkles or second drizzle can be applied for decoration. Final set either room temp or short fridge burst — cold rush can cause sweating or cracks. Store airtight chilled between layers to keep form and avoid flavor contamination. Letting bites rest at room temp before eating revives creamy mouthfeel previously hardened by cold.
Chef's Notes
- 💡 Start with room temp cream cheese. Cold makes it tough to blend. Browning butter before combining adds richness. Dough needs patience; wet hands for shaping.
- 💡 Adjust consistency — if dough too sticky, add more crumbs; if too dry, a dash of cream or milk helps. Check texture often. Damp hands help smooth balls.
- 💡 Coating is key. Melt chocolate slowly, check glossiness. Cold chocolate crackles on warm bites. Don’t rush it. Drizzle extra chocolate for flair after.
- 💡 Keep an eye on chilling times. Too short, dough won’t scoop; too long means tougher bites. Find balance. Use parchment to ease cleanup, catch drips.
- 💡 Storage matters. Airtight fridge keeps bites fresher. They firm up — best served rested for creamy texture. Let sit at room temp, flavor shines through.
Kitchen Wisdom
How to fix crumbly dough?
Add more cake crumbs, or a splash of liquid. Mix well. Should hold shape, not fall apart. Watch moisture levels.
What if the coating cracks?
Chocolate too cold? Warm slightly, dip quickly again. Use room temp chocolate for smoother finish if needed.
Can I make these ahead?
Yes, they store well. Keep airtight fridge, 3-4 days max. Not too long or they lose texture. Cold affects flavor.
What if the chocolate won’t melt smoothly?
Problem could be heat. Use lower temps, gentle heating. Overheating strains chocolate, grainy result.
