No-Bake Pink Velvet Cheesecake Bites
Catching Up and Cheesecake Bites—My Sorta-Routine
Okay, picture this: It’s summer, I’ve got a handful of hyper nieces swirling around my kitchen, and I’m semi-regretting promising them a treat that sounds much fancier than it actually is. These No-Bake Pink Velvet Cheesecake Bites came about after a, let’s say, less-than-stellar attempt at full-on pink velvet cake. Long story short: cakes are not my best friend in July (or ever), but these chilled little bites? Absolute crowd-pleasers, barely any fuss. Plus, I can honestly say the only drama I had making them was hunting down the food coloring, which likes to vanish right when you need it. Oh, and once I dropped a bit of the filling on my cat? He was not as thrilled as my nieces were, but anyway. Let’s bake—wait, don’t—let’s chill!
Why You’ll Probably Fall for These (Like I Did)
I make these when I don’t feel like sweating over the oven, or when it’s 9pm and someone, usually my sister, texts asking, “Got any snacks?” (Never ‘how are you?’ Just snacks, always snacks.) My family devours these because they’re creamy but not heavy, cute as heck, and taste like you put in a lot more effort (secret’s safe with us). Plus, they’re pink! Who can resist pink dessert? To be honest, I used to be wary of no-bake anything because I worried it’d taste, well, like it came out of a fridge. But actually, these hit different, especially after sitting overnight (if they last that long—rare, but possible).
Stuff You Need (With Wiggle Room)
- 200g (about 7oz) digestive biscuits or graham crackers (sometimes I use vanilla wafers if that’s what’s in the tin—nobody complained)
- 70g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter, melted (grandma swore by Kerrygold, but I grab whatever’s cheapest honestly)
- 225g (8oz) cream cheese (I’ve used both fancy and store brand; both work, just make sure it’s full-fat for best texture)
- 100g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar (powdered sugar in a pinch, just use a little less or it’s way too sweet)
- 120ml (1/2 cup) heavy cream (whipping cream is fine, don’t use the fake spray stuff—tried it, big mistake)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (sometimes I go wild and use almond, not everyone’s cup of tea though)
- 1/4 tsp salt (goes a surprisingly long way)
- Pink gel food coloring (a little goes a long way, but if you want Barbiecore, add extra)
- Sprinkles or white chocolate shavings (optional, unless you’ve got kids, then it’s required apparently)
How I Throw These Together (Don’t Sweat the Details)
- Crumble the digestives/graham crackers up real fine—sometimes I bash them in a zip bag with the rolling pin if I can’t find the food processor. Mix in the melted butter until it’s kind of like damp sand (weird analogy but hey…it works). Press a spoonful into the bottom of silicone mini muffin molds or just on a baking tray lined with parchment. Actually, if you run out of molds which I’ve definitely done, those paper mini cupcake liners are grand, just a bit stickier getting them out later.
- Whip the cream cheese and sugar together in a medium bowl. I use a hand mixer for speed, but elbow grease works, too—just takes longer and, honestly, if your arm gets sore, it’s more justification to eat extra bites later. Add salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. Beat until smooth and fluffy but not runny. This is usually where I taste it, just to be sure (and because I can’t resist).
- Stir in the pink gel food coloring. Start with the teeniest dab—you can add more, but you can’t take it out. If it looks like a flamingo exploded in your bowl…well, join the club, we’ve all been there. Spoon or pipe (I basically just blob big spoonfuls, no need for fancy piping bags unless you’re feeling it) over the crusts.
- Now, sprinkles! Or white chocolate shavings. Or nothing. Actually, that’s a lie—my niece Hannah will mutiny if there’s no sprinkles. Chill in the fridge at least 3 hours, or overnight if you want them really set (I think they’re tastier the second day, but I won’t judge if you can’t wait).
Stuff I’ve Learned (Usually After Making a Mess)
- If your crust is falling apart, you probably need a bit more butter. Or maybe I just have a heavy hand smashing them down, your mileage may vary.
- Don’t skip lining your tray or using silicone molds unless you enjoy chiseling stuck-on cheesecake with a spoon (my mistake, not yours—learn form me!).
- More food coloring does not mean more flavor. It just means you’ll have pink-tinted hands for two days. True story.
Variations I’ve Actually Tried (and One I Regret)
- Cocoa in the crust—tasted a bit like Oreos, not complaining.
- Swapped in orange zest and yellow coloring for a “sunshine cheesebite”—cute, but honestly I missed the classic pink.
- Added chopped strawberries on top once; nice in theory, but they got watery. Won’t try that again myself.
- Mint extract instead of vanilla—don’t do this unless you really like toothpaste vibes.
If You Don’t Have All the Kit…
I say go with what you’ve got. Don’t have a food processor? Rolling pin and a baggie, or old-fashioned smashing with a jar. No mini muffin pan? Try a baking tray with dividers cut from foil (looks silly, works fine). I saw someone use an ice cube tray once, but those took some yanking to get out—so if you go that route, let them warm up a minute before poking them out or your bites might end up a bit lopsided. (Presentation…well, overrated sometimes!)
How to Store These (If You Actually Have Leftovers)
These keep well in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days—though honestly, in my house it never lasts more than a day! A quick tip: layer a piece of parchment between layers if they’re stacked, or you’ll have a bit of a cheesecake snowstorm on your hands.
How We Serve ‘Em Here
I like to pop them onto a bright platter and stick a toothpick in each, which—no idea why—makes them vanish twice as fast. Sometimes we’ll do a “build your own” topping buffet, which my nephews take as a personal challenge to see how many sprinkles can physically fit on one bite. If it’s just me late at night, I eat three in a row, standing at the fridge. (No shame here!)
What I Wish I’d Known Sooner (Pro-ish Tips)
- I once tried to skip softening the cream cheese first—totally regretted it. Lumpy filling, not worth the five minutes saved.
- Popping the bites in the freezer for 15 minutes before serving gives them a frosty edge that’s pretty fun in summer—or, you know, when guests randomly drop by.
- If you’re out of parchment, tinfoil is fine (just a little trickier peeling off, be patient, unlike me most days).
Questions People Actually Asked Me (And Maybe You’re Wondering Too?)
- Can I use low-fat cream cheese?
- It sorta works but honestly, full-fat gives you that proper creamy cheesecake vibe. Go low-fat if you must, it just won’t be quite as rich—and the set is sometimes a bit off.
- Can these be frozen?
- Yep, but let them thaw a bit or the texture can get a bit crumbly (learned that the hard way). Best eaten within a month; not that I’ve ever had them last that long.
- What if I don’t want to use food coloring?
- Totally fine—no law says cheesecake has to be pink! You could try mashed raspberries for some natural color, but it might get a bit runny, so maybe reduce the cream slightly. Actually, I find it works better if you swirl the fruit on top versus mixing it in.
- Can I make this dairy-free?
- Haven’t tried it myself, but I’ve got a cousin who replaced the cream cheese and cream with coconut options; said it came out tasty but had a coconut kick (which, frankly, sounds dreamy to me!).
- Wait, I’m out of crackers. Anything else?
- Totally. Shortbread, graham crackers, even chocolate chip cookies—in a pinch, I bet cornflakes crushed with sugar would work.
And there you go! No-Bake Pink Velvet Cheesecake Bites—no oven, no sweat, pink-tastic fun. If yours get eaten off the tray before you even get them on a plate, you’re just doing it right.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate cookie crumbs
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup white chocolate chips, melted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 3-4 drops pink food coloring
- 1/2 cup whipped cream
Instructions
-
1Line a mini muffin tray with paper liners or lightly grease it for easy removal.
-
2In a bowl, combine the chocolate cookie crumbs and melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
-
3Press about 1 tablespoon of the crumb mixture into the bottom of each muffin cup, pressing firmly to create the crust. Refrigerate while you prepare the filling.
-
4In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and fluffy.
-
5Mix in the melted white chocolate, vanilla extract, salt, and pink food coloring until evenly blended. Gently fold in the whipped cream.
-
6Spoon or pipe the cheesecake mixture onto the prepared crusts. Chill the bites in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving.
Approximate Information for One Serving
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.
Did you make this recipe?
Please consider Pinning it!!
