Yields: 24 mini bites
Prep time: 20 minutes
Chill time: 8 hours or overnight
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 8 full sheets of graham crackers (approximately 1 cup crumbs)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
For the filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese (1/3 less fat works too), softened to room temperature
- 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk (fat-free is fine)
- ¼ cup egg beaters (or 2 large eggs, if preferred)
- 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- 3 tablespoons boiling water
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from about 1 lemon)
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice (from 3-4 lemons)
- 12-15 small strawberries, sliced in half, for garnish
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Crush the graham crackers in a food processor (or place in a zip-top bag and crush with a rolling pin) until you have fine crumbs.
- In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Mix well.
- Grease 2 mini muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.
- Divide the crust mixture evenly into the muffin cups (about 1 heaping teaspoon per cup). Press the crumbs firmly into the bottom and slightly up the sides using a flat-bottomed shot glass or your fingers.
- Put the muffin tins in the refrigerator to chill.
Prepare the filling:
- In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth.
- Gradually add in the sweetened condensed milk, beating until well combined.
- Stir in the egg beaters (or eggs) until incorporated.
- In a separate, small bowl, whisk together the powdered gelatin and boiling water. Let cool for 2 minutes (don’t wait longer, or it may set).
- Add the cooled gelatin mixture, lemon zest, and lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture. Beat until smooth.
Assemble the bites:
- Remove the muffin tins from the refrigerator.
- Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture into each muffin cup, filling to the top.
- Place the muffin tins back in the refrigerator and chill for at least 8 hours, or ideally overnight, until completely set.
Garnish and serve:
- Before serving, place a halved strawberry on top of each bite.
- To remove, run a thin knife around the edges of each bite to loosen from the pan.
Tips:
- For a stronger lemon flavor, add an extra teaspoon of lemon zest to the filling.
- If you don’t have powdered gelatin, use unflavored gelatin and adjust the instructions according to the package directions.
- Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Enjoy your refreshing, summery No-Bake Strawberry Lemonade Bites!
