No Bake Orange Cheesecakes (Printer-Friendly)
Creamy citrus mini cheesecakes with crunchy biscuit base. No oven needed — just chill and enjoy this refreshing treat.
# What You'll Need:
→ Crust
01 - 4.2 oz digestive biscuits or graham crackers
02 - 2 oz unsalted butter, melted
→ Cheesecake Filling
03 - 8.8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
04 - 2.1 oz powdered sugar
05 - ½ cup cold heavy cream
06 - 2 tsp orange zest (from 1 large orange)
07 - 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
→ Topping
09 - Segments from 1 orange
10 - Zest of ½ orange
11 - Fresh mint leaves
# How to Make It:
01 - Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or set out silicone molds on a flat tray.
02 - Pulse the biscuits or graham crackers in a food processor until fine crumbs form. Drizzle in the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is evenly moistened and resembles wet sand.
03 - Divide the crumb mixture evenly among the prepared liners, pressing each one down firmly with the back of a spoon or a small flat-bottomed glass to form a compact base. Place the tin in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
04 - In a medium mixing bowl, beat the room-temperature cream cheese and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as needed.
05 - In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream with a mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks hold their shape when the beaters are lifted.
06 - Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula, being careful not to deflate it. Add the orange zest, fresh orange juice, and vanilla extract, folding until evenly incorporated and the filling is silky smooth.
07 - Spoon or pipe the filling over the chilled biscuit bases, dividing it evenly among all six cups. Smooth the tops with a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
08 - Refrigerate the cheesecakes for at least 3 hours, or until the filling is firm and fully set throughout.
09 - Just before serving, top each cheesecake with fresh orange segments, a sprinkle of orange zest, and a few mint leaves if desired.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- No oven required, which means you can make these even on the hottest summer afternoon without heating up the entire house.
- The orange flavor is bright and surprising, not heavy like traditional cheesecakes, and people always ask what your secret is.
02 -
- Under chilling is the most common mistake, and pulling them out early will leave you with a sloppy, sad filling that collapses on the plate.
- Folding the whipped cream too aggressively deflates it, so use wide, gentle strokes and stop as soon as everything looks uniform.
03 -
- Room temperature cream cheese is not a suggestion, it is the entire difference between a velvety filling and one dotted with stubborn white chunks.
- Pipe the filling with a ziplock bag snipped at the corner for perfectly tidy tops that need almost no smoothing.