Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites

A wooden serving plate topped with mini cheesecakes with a strawberry on top.

These Santa Hat Cheesecake Bites are such a cute holiday treat! With a buttery graham cracker crust, creamy cheesecake base, topped with fresh whipped cream and a strawberry to look like Santa's Hat on top. They're such a fun dessert for holiday parties and gatherings.

Print Pin

Servings: cheesecake bites

Calories: 368kcal

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (about 12 cracker sheets)
6 TBS unsalted butter
2 TBS granulated sugar

For the Cheesecake Filling:

16 oz cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup sour cream (room temperature)
2 large eggs
1/2 TBS vanilla extract
1 pinch salt

For the Whipped Cream:

1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
2 TBS powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Topping:

12 strawberries
powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

For the Crust:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8x8 or 9x9inch baking pan with parchment paper, and set it aside.
Add the graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar to a medium bowl and stir them together until you have a nice sandy mixture. 1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs, 6 TBS unsalted butter, 2 TBS granulated sugar
Pour the graham cracker crumbs into the bottom of the prepared pan, and press it down with the bottom of a cup.
Bake the crust for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

For the Cheesecake Filling:

In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric hand mixer until it is smooth. 16 oz cream cheese
Add in the sugar, sour cream, and mix at medium speed for a couple of minutes until nice and smooth. 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup sour cream,
Stir in the eggs, vanilla extract, and salt at low speed until just combined. 2 large eggs, 1/2 TBS vanilla extract, 1 pinch salt
Pour the mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust, smooth it evenly over the top.
Bake the cheesecake for for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the edges are set and the center is slightly jiggly.
Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool to room temperature. Then place it in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours, up to 3 days.

For the Whipped Cream:

Add all the ingredients to a stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream, 2 TBS powdered sugar, 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Beat the ingredients with a whisk attachment starting at low speed. Raise the speed to high speed, and continue mixing until the cream has stiff peaks.

For the Topping:

Take the cheesecake bars and use a 2inch round cookie cutter, and cut into round circles. Lift up from the bottom pushing the cheesecake back through the cookie cutter.
Add the whipped cream to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a circle of whipped cream around the top of the cheesecake bites.
Slice the tops off the strawberries straight across. 12 strawberries
Place a strawberry on to the whipped cream.
Pipe another dollop of whipped cream on top of the strawberry to make the cotton ball on santa's hat.
Dust with powdered sugar if desired. powdered sugar
Serve immediately, or place in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Notes

- Room Temperature Ingredients: Let your cream cheese, sour cream, and eggs sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before making the cheesecake filling to keep your filling super smooth, and allow everything to blend better.

- Easy Removal: Line your pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil so the bars can easily be lifted out of the pan and cut into pieces.

- Use a Store Bought Cheesecake: If you don't want to spend time making your own cheesecake from scratch, buy a store bought cheesecake or two and slice it up and top with the whipped cream and strawberries.
- Storage Instructions: Cheesecake stays great chilled in the fridge, so these bites can be made ahead and stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 or 3 days before serving. You can also freeze the whole cheesecake before topping and decorating. Let it thaw overnight in the fridge, then cut into bites and assemble.

Nutrition