A thin layer of white chocolate gives these No-Bake Christmas Cheesecake Bites a little snap before you reach the creamy vanilla filling. There’s a buttery graham cracker crust at the bottom and a pinch of red and green sprinkles on top. Each one is small enough to pick up by the crust, which comes in handy when the dessert plates are already piled with Christmas cookies.

A mini muffin pan does most of the shaping. Press crumbs into the bottoms of the lined cups, then spoon the filling into little mounds. Once the bites have chilled, the paper peels away and leaves you with 24 individual cheesecakes to decorate. Making them the night before gives the centers plenty of time to firm up. Leave the chocolate and sprinkles for the next day, when the cold bites are easier to handle.

Ingredients

1 cup fine graham cracker crumbs (about 8 full sheets of honey graham crackers)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces full-fat block cream cheese, softened
⅓ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
½ cup cold heavy whipping cream
6 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped from a baking bar
2 tablespoons Christmas sprinkles

Graham cracker crumbs should feel fine and even when you rub a pinch between your fingers. Bigger pieces make it harder to pack the crust into such small cups. To crush whole crackers, slide them into a zip-top bag, press out the air, and roll over them with a rolling pin. A food processor also works. Measure the cup of crumbs after crushing, since the number of cracker sheets varies a little by brand. If you’re using plain packaged crumbs, measure them straight from the box.

Full-fat block cream cheese gives the filling enough body to sit in a rounded mound. Pick up an 8-ounce brick and cut it into cubes as soon as you start. The smaller pieces soften more evenly, so you can smooth out the cheese before adding the sugar. A tub of cream cheese spread has a softer consistency and may give you a filling that’s harder to unmold.

Powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice give the filling its flavor. The sugar disappears quickly into the softened cheese. If you find little hard lumps, measure the sugar and sift it into a small bowl. A teaspoon of lemon juice brings out the tang of the cream cheese, which balances the sweetness of the chocolate. A little lemon leaves the vanilla flavor clear.

Heavy whipping cream lightens the center and gives the filling enough structure to keep its shape after you fold it. Leave the carton in the refrigerator until you’re ready to whip it. Half a cup can be tricky to beat in a wide stand mixer bowl if the whisk barely reaches it. A hand mixer and a medium bowl with a narrow base make it easier to get the beaters into the cream.

White chocolate and sprinkles go on after the bites are cold. Look for a baking bar with cocoa butter in the ingredient list. Chop it to roughly the same size so it melts evenly. Red and green jimmies give you bright flecks and a little crunch. Small white sugar pearls add crunch if they’re part of the mix. Measure the sprinkles into a small dish before you melt the chocolate so you can grab them with dry fingers as you work.

Set up the mini muffin pan

Use a 24-cup mini muffin pan or two 12-cup mini pans. Set a paper mini muffin liner into each well and press it all the way down. The ridges of the liner give you something to grasp when it’s time to lift the bites. They also let you peel the sides away a little at a time while the crumb base stays supported underneath.

Check for a flat space in the refrigerator and freezer before you fill the pan. A small tilt is enough to send the cheesecake mounds against one side of the paper while they’re soft. Set out a parchment-lined tray for the peeled bites. For tamping, reach for the back of a teaspoon or the flat end of a utensil that fits inside the liner. You want to be able to press the crumbs all the way around the bottom without catching the paper.

How to make no-bake Christmas cheesecake bites

Soften the cream cheese. Cut the block into cubes and let them sit in a mixing bowl for about 20 to 30 minutes while you line the pan, measure the ingredients, and prepare the crust. The cubes are ready when you can flatten one with a spatula and it feels soft through the middle. Leave the cream in the refrigerator while you work.
Press in the graham cracker crusts. Melt the butter and let it cool slightly while you measure the crumbs. Stir the two together with a fork. Drag it along the bottom of the bowl a few times to pick up any dry crumbs. The mixture should look evenly damp and hold together when squeezed. Put about 2 teaspoons in each liner, then share out any remaining crumbs. Tamp them into firm, flat disks, pressing gently around the edges as well as the middle. Refrigerate the pan while you mix the filling.

Whip the cold cream. Pour the heavy cream into a separate bowl and beat with a hand mixer. Start on medium speed until you see bubbles across the surface, then increase to medium-high. Stop when the cream makes a peak that holds upright as you lift the beaters. It should still look smooth. As soon as it starts leaving clear lines in the bowl, pause to check the peak every few seconds. Set the whipped cream in the fridge while you beat the cheese.
Mix and fold the cheesecake filling. Beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and underneath the beaters, where a firm piece can hide. Add the powdered sugar on low speed. Once it’s incorporated, add the vanilla and lemon juice and beat until smooth. Stir about a third of the whipped cream into the cheese mixture to loosen it. Add the rest and gently scoop from the bottom of the bowl, folding the mixture over itself until the last white streaks disappear.
Fill the cups and chill. Drop about 1 tablespoon of filling onto each crust. Use the back of a teaspoon to nudge it out to the edges and work it into the ridges of the paper. Divide the rest among the cups and round off the tops with a spoon. The mounds can rise a little above the liners. Slide the pan into the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, until the filling feels firm at the edges. For an overnight chill, cover the pan loosely with foil tented above the tops.

Firm up the bites and melt the chocolate. Transfer the chilled pan to the freezer for 15 minutes to make the liners easier to peel. Near the end of that time, warm the chopped white chocolate in a dry microwave-safe bowl at 50% power in 15-second bursts. Stir well between bursts. When you see just a few small pieces, stir until they melt in the warmth already in the bowl. Let the chocolate stand briefly if it feels hot. It should still fall from the spoon in a ribbon.
Peel, coat, and sprinkle. Lift a bite by the liner and peel the paper down slowly, supporting the crust from underneath. Move it to the parchment-lined tray. Spoon about 1 teaspoon of melted chocolate over the mound and sweep it down the upper sides with the back of the spoon. Add a pinch of sprinkles while the surface is wet. Work with a few bites at a time and keep the rest cold. The chocolate sets quickly on contact, so sprinkle each one as you finish it.

Let the chocolate set. Chill the tray in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes, until a light touch leaves the chocolate undisturbed. Lift the bites by the base when you transfer them to a platter. Keep them chilled until serving so the centers stay firm enough to pick up.

Getting the first bite out in one piece

Start with one cup near the edge of the pan. Ease the paper away from the cheesecake along one side, then turn the bite and peel from the other. If the side of the filling comes away with the paper, the center needs more time in the fridge. Give the pan another hour there, then briefly firm it in the freezer again. If the filling feels firm and only the crust crumbles, keep the bites in their liners and put the chocolate in the middle of each mound so the paper can still open easily at the table.

For the next batch, squeeze a little of the buttered graham mixture in your palm before filling the cups. An even handful that holds its shape points to a crust that just needed firmer packing. If it falls apart, stir again and check the bottom of the bowl for butter. A light press can leave fluffy patches of crumbs at the edges. Give each cup a second pass with the spoon and feel for a flat surface with a little resistance.

What the filling should look like

Mix the cream cheese, sugar, and flavorings until you can drag a spatula through the bowl and see a smooth track. Small pale specks that smear when pressed against the bowl are bits of cream cheese. If you see them before adding the whipped cream, scrape the bowl again and beat briefly on medium until they’re gone. Once the cream goes in, use the spatula and keep the strokes broad. The filling should mound on a spoon and ease off with a little help from another spoon.

If the cream starts looking rough as it whips, stop and check it before folding. Peaks should have a smooth surface even when they stand up. A rough, clumpy bowl of cream can leave little bits throughout the finished centers. If it’s already grainy, start with a fresh ½ cup of cold cream and stop as soon as the peaks hold.

When the white chocolate gets thick

Chocolate can cool enough to drag across the cheesecake before you’ve covered the last few. First give the bowl a good stir. If the chocolate still looks glossy and moves in a thick ribbon, warm it at half power for 5 to 10 seconds and stir again. If it suddenly turns into a stiff, grainy paste, moisture may have gotten into the bowl. Start with fresh chocolate in a completely dry bowl for the remaining bites.

White candy melting wafers also work ounce for ounce. They usually go on more fluidly and set to a firm finish. Follow the melting directions on the package. When working with either coating, a teaspoon gives you enough to cover the top while leaving a band of graham cracker visible underneath. As the bowl gets low, tilt it to gather the chocolate for the last spoonfuls.

Two ways to change the holiday flavor

Try a gingersnap crust. Swap the graham crackers for 1 cup of finely ground crisp gingersnaps. Stir in 3 tablespoons of melted butter to start. Squeeze a little in your palm and add the final tablespoon a bit at a time if the crumbs still fall apart. Ginger and molasses give the base a deeper flavor that comes through even under the white chocolate. Crisp cookies grind more evenly and make a more compact crust than soft ginger cookies.

Make a peppermint batch. Replace the sprinkles with 2 tablespoons of finely crushed peppermint candy. Crush it just before coating the bites and scatter it over the wet chocolate while you work. Small pieces are easier to bite through. Peppermint candy can get sticky on a chilled dessert, so use it on a batch you plan to serve that day. For a mix on the same tray, use 1 tablespoon of each topping and decorate half the bites with each.

Making them ahead and serving them cold

Assemble the bases and filling the night before and keep them covered in the refrigerator. Finish them the next day. If you’ve already added the chocolate, let it set fully before putting the bites into a covered container. Arrange them in a single layer with a little clearance above the sprinkles. Refrigerate at 40°F or below and use within 3 days of making them. The crust is at its firmest early on. It softens a little as it sits against the filling.

For longer storage, freeze the set bites before adding the topping. Leave them in their liners and pack them in a single layer in an airtight freezer container. Use within 1 month for best texture. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then give them the short freezer chill for peeling before you finish them with chocolate. Adding the sprinkles after thawing keeps their colors sharper.

If you’re taking a plate to a party, pack the bites flat in a shallow container inside a cooler with ice packs. At the table, bring out a few at a time and keep the rest in the fridge. Discard any bites that spend more than 2 hours total at room temperature, or more than 1 hour above 90°F.

Can I make these without a mini muffin pan?

Use 2-ounce dessert cups and serve each one with a small spoon. Press the crumbs lightly with the back of a teaspoon so the crust breaks easily when scooped, then divide the filling among the cups and chill for 4 hours. Leave the cheesecake in the cups and skip the freezer step. Spoon chocolate over the middle, leaving a narrow border for the spoon to slip through once the topping is set. They take up more room in the refrigerator, so put the cups on a tray before you fill them.

For the mini muffin version, slice one or two cold bites in half to set at the front of the platter. Let them stand for about 5 minutes first, then use a sharp, dry knife and press straight down. Turn the halves cut-side up so the graham cracker base, creamy middle, and little rim of white chocolate are all visible.