Patriotic No Bake Cheesecakes

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Ingredients

For the Crust:

1 cup crushed cookies or graham crumbs 100 g
1 tbsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp melted butter

For the Cheesecake Filling:

500 g cream cheese, softened
½ cup 100 g granulated sugar
Red and blue gel food coloring

For the Topping:

1 cup cream cheese
2-3 tbsp powdered sugar
Red, white & blue sprinkles

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C).
In a medium bowl, combine: crushed cookies or graham crumbs, sugar, melted butter. Stir until the mixture looks like wet sand.
Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Spoon a layer of the crumb mixture into each liner. Press down firmly with the back of a spoon (or the bottom of a small glass). You want it packed in nicely this helps prevent crumbling later.
Bake for 5–6 minutes, just until the crust sets. Let them cool completely before adding the filling.
In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
Add the ½ cup granulated sugar. Beat until light and creamy with no lumps. Take your time here. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Smooth filling equals pretty layers.
If your cream cheese is truly softened, this step will be effortless. Cold cream cheese is the number one reason for lumpy cheesecake ask me how I know!
Divide the cheesecake mixture evenly into three bowls. Leave one bowl white. Add red gel food coloring to one bowl. Add blue gel food coloring to the other.
Mix each until evenly colored. A little gel coloring goes a long way. Start small and build up. You want bold colors, but not neon overload. Using gel instead of liquid food coloring keeps the texture thick and creamy.
Layer the filling into each muffin liner in this order: White → Red → Blue
You can spoon it in gently or pipe it if you want cleaner layers.
After each layer, smooth it lightly before adding the next. It doesn’t have to be perfect once chilled and topped, they look gorgeous no matter what.
Once layered: Smooth the tops gently.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
This chilling time is important. It allows the cheesecakes to firm up beautifully and makes them easy to decorate and serve.
Beat 1 cup cream cheese with 2–3 tbsp powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and fluffy.
Transfer to a piping bag. If you don’t have a piping bag, a zip-top bag with the corner snipped works perfectly. Pipe a swirl on top of each chilled cheesecake.
Add red, white, and blue sprinkles on top.