Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Tacos (Printable)
Crispy taco shells filled with creamy cheesecake mousse and topped with crunchy strawberry crumble for a fun handheld dessert.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Taco Shells
01 - 8 small flour tortillas
02 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
03 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
→ Cheesecake Filling
05 - 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
06 - 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
07 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
→ Strawberry Crunch Topping
09 - 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
10 - 2 cups crispy rice cereal
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
→ Fresh Garnish
13 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced small
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Brush both sides of each flour tortilla with melted butter. Combine the granulated sugar and ground cinnamon, then sprinkle evenly over the tortillas. Drape each tortilla over two rungs of the oven rack to form a taco shell shape. Bake for 7 to 9 minutes until golden and crisp. Remove carefully and let cool completely on the rack.
02 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on medium speed until completely smooth and creamy. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium-stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions until evenly combined. Transfer the filling to a piping bag or cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
03 - Add the freeze-dried strawberries and crispy rice cereal to a food processor. Pulse several times until a coarse crumb forms with some texture remaining. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the melted butter and granulated sugar until the mixture resembles wet sand.
04 - Pipe or spoon the cheesecake mousse generously into each cooled taco shell, filling from end to end. Sprinkle the strawberry crunch topping liberally over the exposed filling. Finish with a scattering of fresh diced strawberries on top.
05 - Arrange the finished tacos on a serving platter and serve immediately while the shells are still crisp for the best texture contrast.
# Expert Suggestions:
01 -
- The contrast between the warm toasted cinnamon shell and the cold airy cheesecake mousse is the kind of thing that makes people close their eyes when they eat.
- Freeze dried strawberries pulverized with crispy rice cereal create a crunch that tastes like childhood strawberry ice cream bars but somehow better.
02 -
- Assemble these as close to serving time as possible because the filling will soften the shells within about thirty minutes and you will lose that essential crunch.
- The first time I made these I tried using regular dried strawberries instead of freeze dried and the result was chewy and faintly sad, so do not make my mistake.
03 -
- Drape the tortillas over two adjacent oven rack bars rather than one so the taco opening stays wider and is easier to fill generously.
- Pulse the crunch topping in short bursts rather than running the food processor continuously, because a few larger cereal pieces give a much more satisfying texture than fine powder.