These Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites are creamy, tangy, and full of fresh flavor. The bright key lime pairs perfectly with the sweetness of strawberry preserves, which are gently swirled into the filling for a soft marbled look. If you enjoy small, bite-sized desserts like these, you can explore more in my Cheesecake Bites category, where you'll find a variety of flavors and styles to explore.
If you enjoy cheesecake-style desserts, you might also like a couple of my other bite-sized variations. My Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bites feature a rich dark chocolate Oreo crust and a homemade raspberry jam that creates a more delicate swirl throughout the filling. For something a little more tropical, try my Pineapple Cheesecake Bites, which bring a bright, fruity flavor that's perfect for warmer days.
You won't need a water bath for this recipe, which keeps things simple and makes these cheesecake bites easier to prepare.
Jump to:
- A Quick Look: Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites
- Still Have Questions?
- Why You'll Love These Cheesecake Bites
- Key Ingredients
- How to Make Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites
- Bake, Chill, and Cut
- 🫙🍪 Storage
- Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites FAQs
- ❄️ Can I Freeze This Cookie?
- Other Great Cheesecake Bites
- Recipe
A Quick Look: Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites
Recipe Name: Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites
Ready In: 1 day (needs to chill overnight)
Yield: 16 bites (squares)
Texture: Creamy, smooth cheesecake with a slightly firm bite
Flavor Profile: Sweet strawberry with bright, tangy key lime
Difficulty: Moderate, with a few simple steps and a swirl technique
Still Have Questions?
Use the buttons below if you would like more details before you start baking.
Why You'll Love These Cheesecake Bites
- Smooth cheesecake with a bright key lime flavor
- Strawberry preserves add soft swirls of sweetness in every bite
- Bite-sized treats that are easy to serve and share
- A fresh, spring-ready dessert that is not overly heavy
- Simple steps with a pretty marbled finish
- A sweet, nutty crust that firms up after chilling for a sturdy base
Key Ingredients
Macadamia Nut and Honey Graham Crust
Key Lime Cheesecake Filling
Ingredient Notes
- Key Lime Juice: Provides a more intense flavor than regular limes. I use Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice because it takes the guesswork out of whether fresh key limes are ripe and gives a more consistent taste.
- Strawberry Preserves: Use a high-quality preserve for the best flavor. Bonne Maman is my favorite and works well for creating soft swirls in the cheesecake filling. Strawberry preserves can be slightly thick. See my Strawberry Preserves Tip below for how to loosen them for smoother swirls.
- Macadamia Nuts: These nuts have a rich, buttery flavor that pairs nicely with the cheesecake and adds a subtle crunch to the crust.
- Pamela's Honey Grahams: These grahams are gluten free and bake into a firm crust that holds together well. I use Pamela's Honey Grahams in most of my cheesecake bites because the crust becomes sturdy enough to handle like a cookie.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites
Step 1: Grab your food processor, and 8 X 8 or 9 X 9 square baking pan and let's get started.
Prepare the Pan and Crust
Step 2: Line your baking pan with tin foil. You want some of the tin foil to hang over the edge. You will use this to lift the cheesecake out of the pan the next day. I used the everyday foil it is easier to mold into the bottom of the pan.
Step 3: In a food processor, pulse the macadamia nuts until they're in small pieces.
Step 4: Add the graham crackers to the chopped macadamia nuts and pulse again until you have fine crumbs.
Step 5: Move the nutty grahams to a bowl and add the melted butter and sugar. Use a fork to mix until all the graham crackers are coated with butter.
Step 6: Cover the bottom of the tin foiled lined pan with the graham cracker mixture.
Step 7: Finally, press the crackers down so they form a solid crust for the filling. You don't want any foil showing through.
Prepare the Cheesecake Filling
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 325°F(165°C or 170°C) while you are making the filling.
Step 9: Add the cream cheese and the sugar together into the mixer bowl.
Step 10: On medium speed, blend the cream cheese and sugar for about 3 minutes or until it looks smooth and slightly stiff.
Step 11: On a low mixer speed, add one egg at a time. I stop and scrape down the bowl. This will help to mix the eggs into the cream cheese and sugar.
Step 12: Now add the condensed milk, key lime juice, and the vanilla extract and mix. The mixture will be thin. I stop and scrape down the sides and across the bottom and turn the mixer on for another 30 seconds.
Strawberry Preserves Tip
Store-bought strawberry preserves can be thicker than homemade jam, so the swirls will be more defined. If you'd like softer, more delicate ribbons, warm the preserves in the microwave for about 10 seconds, then stir. If they are still thick, heat for a few more seconds until loosened.
If your preserves are coming straight from the refrigerator, they may need a little more time to soften. Try not to overheat, or they can become too runny and blend into the cheesecake batter.
Step 13: Pour the cream cheese mixture onto the crust. I lightly drop the pan to bring the air bubbles to the top. Add dollops of strawberry preserves around the top.
Step 14: I take a knife and swirl through the strawberry preserves. I used cold preserves so my swirls will be more pronounced when I cut the cheesecake tomorrow.
Bake, Chill, and Cut
Step 15: Bake the cheesecake for 37 to 40 minutes. At 37 minutes jiggle the pan gently and if the center has only a slight jiggle pull the cheesecake out of the oven. Then put the whole pan onto a cooling rack for 45 minutes to cool down.
Step 16: Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This will give your cheesecake a solid buttery graham crust. I change out the plastic wrap a couple of time only because condensation gathers under the plastic wrap.
Step 17: Take the pan out of the refrigerator and grab the tinfoil handles and pull the whole cheesecake up and out of the pan. I then take my hand under the cheesecake and peel the tinfoil off the bottom.
Step 18: Take a sharp knife with a long blade and cut the cheesecake into 4 strips.
Step 19: I then cut each strip into 4 squares. You can of course make them any size you like.
Serve as is or with some cut up strawberries and whip cream.
I hope you enjoy them!
🫙🍪 Storage
Store the cheesecake squares in a container with a tight-fitting lid. They will need to be stored in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for 4 to 6 days.
Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites FAQs
Key limes have a unique flavor that is hard to match with regular limes. You can use fresh or bottled key lime juice, but I prefer using Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice for consistency.
Fresh key limes can vary in ripeness, which can make them more tart than expected. With bottled juice, you get the same flavor every time you bake. The only time I use fresh key limes is when I want the zest along with the juice.
The edges should be firm, and the center should have a slight jiggle. The cheesecake will continue to set as it cools and will firm up more after chilling in the refrigerator.
No, you can use regular graham crackers if you prefer. However, Pamela's Honey Grahams tend to bake into a firmer crust that holds together better when removing the cheesecake from the pan.
With regular graham crackers, the crust may be a bit softer and more delicate, which can make it harder to remove from the pan or peel the foil from the bottom cleanly.
❄️ Can I Freeze This Cookie?
I do not typically freeze cookie dough when testing my recipes, so the instructions above reflect how this cookie was baked and stored. If you would like to explore general freezing options, the AI tool below can provide additional guidance.
Other Great Cheesecake Bites
If you tried this Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it goes below. Thanks!
Recipe
Strawberry Key Lime Cheesecake Bites
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Ingredients
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- ¼ cup (60.5 g) Key lime juice
- 16 ounces Cream Cheese 2 bars
- ½ cup (153 g) Condensed milk
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup (50 g) Sugar white
CRUST
- 7.5 ounces Pamelas Honey Grahams
- ½ cup (67 g) Macadamia nuts
- ⅓ cup (75.67 g) Melted butter unsalted
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar white
SWIRL
- 3 Tablespoons Strawberry preserves
Instructions
CRUST
- In a food processor, pulse the macadamia nuts into small pieces. Add the entire box of Pamela's Honey Grahams and continue pulsing until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a bowl, add the sugar, and stir in the melted butter with a fork until the mixture is evenly moist.
- Line an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan with foil, leaving an overhang on two sides. Press the graham mixture firmly and evenly into the bottom of the pan, then set aside.
CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C or 170°C).
- Using a mixer, blend the cream cheese and sugar together until smooth. Stop and scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until combined after each addition.
- Add the key lime juice, condensed milk, and vanilla extract and blend until smooth. The mixture will be thin but will thicken while baking. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the graham cracker crust, then gently tap the pan on the counter to remove any air pockets.
STRAWBERRY SWIRL
- Drop small spoonfuls of preserves over the top of the cheesecake layer. Use a knife to gently swirl the preserves, being careful not to cut into the crust.
- Bake for 37 to 40 minutes. To check if it is set, give the pan a gentle jiggle - there should be very little movement in the center.
- Let it cool on the counter for about 45 minutes before covering with plastic wrap and placing it in the refrigerator. Leave it in the fridge overnight. This gives the cheesecake time to fully set and allows the flavors to meld together.
- After chilling overnight, lift the cheesecake out of the pan using the foil overhang. Carefully peel away the foil and transfer the cheesecake to a cutting board. Slice into squares using a sharp knife, then serve as-is or topped with whipped cream and diced strawberries.
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Notes
- The center should jiggle slightly when done - it will firm up as it cools and chills.
- Mixing too much after adding the eggs can cause cracks, so keep it gentle.
- Bottled key lime juice like Nellie & Joe's Key West Lime Juice works well and gives consistent flavor.
- Chilling overnight makes a big difference in both texture and slicing cleanly.
- Lining the pan with tinfoil helps lift the cheesecake out after it has chilled and set.
- For cleaner slices, wipe the knife between cuts.
NUTRITION DISCLAIMER
I am not a certified Dietitian or Nutritionist. The nutrition amounts given below are provided through a program and are only a guideline.
susie deyo says
These cheesecake bites are extraordinarily delicious. One of the best desserts ever and fun to make.
Barbara says
Hi Susie, Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad you liked the cheesecake. - Barbara