I have been saving this recipe to share as an Easter dessert for some time now, and this evening almost talked myself out of finally writing the post in favor of sitting down to read, working a little later, doing other chores and a number of other excuses because it seemed too late to post an Easter dessert the Wednesday before Easter. Well, then I stepped back and realized that I don’t have my own Easter menu planned yet and there might be other procrastinators out there like me!
So if you still need ideas might I present Key Lime Mini Cheesecake Shooters!
These are the perfect mini, single serve desserts for a COVID friendly celebration. Either because you have a small celebration and it’s easier not to have a big pie or because everything is already portioned and there is no need to serve. It’s also incredibly simple, another plus for the procrastinator in all of us!
The base is Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal because who doesn’t love that from childhood? And because I was inspired by a Food Network article from years ago about making common desserts mini parfaits – they didn’t do a key lime version but they did use cinnamon toast crunch in one – I think it was apple pie. You could definitely use graham crackers, however, this packs a nice welcome cinnamon punch. Then it’s just a matter or combining key lime juice, cream cheese and of course sweetened condensed milk. Layering it in a dessert cup and you’re done.
Here’s what you need:
Not pictured is some whipped cream to put on top. Since we’re procrastinating in this post, I won’t tell if you want to grab the stuff in the can. As much as I do love whipping my own cream for desserts, let’s face it – we’re only going to be topping 8 little desserts here. That’s a lot of work and dishes and you’re guaranteed to have a lot left over.
Also, before we get started, a little on the subject of key lime juice. We don’t see key limes often in Minnesota (at least not in my grocery store) and so I was super excited to find these. I initially found this a little bitter and my trusty friend google told me that key limes can be stronger in flavor and bitterness than regular aka Persian limes. So because I had some extra ingredients, I played around with multiple batches of key lime juice, half key lime and half life and all lime. I came to this conclusion – it’s personal preference. Persian limes work just fine. A mix works fine. Just start with a little less lime juice and taste as you incorporate. And be careful with the zest – the pith of key limes seems more bitter than regular limes and the skin is thinner. So if you use zest use a light hand when zesting it. Learned that lesson the hard way!
Whatever lime you pick – you want to juice a bunch until you get between a ¼ and a ½ cup. Yes, I know that’s a big range, remember what I said about tasting?
Start by setting your cream cheese out to soften. Then add in some key lime juice and sweetened condensed milk.
Whisk it all together – use a hand mixer if you like. Stir in just a bit of lime zest for color – but be very careful not to get the pith of the key limes, remember what we said about the pith being better earlier? Taste and add more like juice until you have the right tartness for you.
Pro tip: you won’t use an entire can of sweetened condensed milk. Pop the rest in the freezer in a container to keep it fresh.
Let your “cheesecake” mixture hang out and move on to the crust. Start by crushing up about a cup and a half of cinnamon toast crunch. Then add in some melted butter and mix together with a fork.
Divide this mixture into the bottom of some dessert cups – I found these cute 3.3 ounce dishes (#CommissionEarned) that I used for the recipe. But anything you have would be fine. Little bowls, custard cups, martini glasses. The size of your vessel will impact the quantity you can make but it will all taste the same.
Lightly press the mixture down – but not too firmly.
Now evenly divide your cheesecake mixture on top.
Finish with some whipped cream and a light garnish of lime zest. And how cute does that look for an Easter dessert? It looks like spring to me!
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- ½-1/4 key lime juice (or Persian lime, or a mix)
- Zest from the limes
- 5 T sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ c cinnamon toast crunch cereal (crushed, yielding about ¾ of a cup)
- 1 ½ T butter, melted
- Whipped cream for topping
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, key lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk. Taste and add more lime juice or sweetened condensed milk to your taste. Optional, stir in a little bit of lime zest – ½ t or so.
- Use a fork to mix together the cereal and butter in a small bowl.
- Divide cereal mixture into 8 small 3-4 oz dessert cups or other similar small dishes. Adjusting the quantity based on the size of the dish.
- Divide the cream cheese mixture on top.
- Top with whipped cream and a light sprinkle of lime zest for garnish.
uefa Euro 2021
Key Lime Mini Cheesecake Shooters – Gravel & Dine