Strawberry cheesecake tacos are small, crisp dessert taco shells made from flour tortillas coated in butter and graham cracker crumbs, filled with fluffy no-bake cheesecake and topped with a glossy strawberry sauce. The shell tastes like a graham cracker crust, the filling is light and creamy, and the berries are sweet and a little tart. They are a fun handheld dessert for Cinco de Mayo, summer parties, Valentine’s Day and birthdays.
How to make strawberry cheesecake tacos: Prick small flour tortillas, dip them in melted butter and graham cracker crumbs, and bake them between the cups of an upside-down muffin tin at 375°F for 10 to 12 minutes. Cook sliced strawberries with sugar, water and cornstarch until thick. Beat cream cheese with heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Fill the cooled shells and serve right away.
Why You’ll Love It
- A crust you can hold. The shell is a graham cracker crust in taco form.
- Baked, not fried. A muffin tin shapes the shells in the oven.
- No-bake filling. Cream cheese and heavy cream, whipped until fluffy.
- Real strawberry topping. Fresh berries, cooked for a few minutes.
- Party size. Eight mini tacos, one or two per person.
Ingredient Notes
Flour tortillas. Eight small ones, 5 inches each. This size fits between the cups of a muffin tin.
Butter. A 1/3 cup, melted, for dipping.
Graham cracker crumbs and sugar. One cup of crumbs mixed with 2 tablespoons of sugar coats the shells.
Strawberries. One and a half cups, fresh and sliced, for the topping. A few extra slices are a pretty garnish.
Sugar, water and cornstarch. A 1/4 cup of sugar, 4 tablespoons of water and 1 1/2 teaspoons of cornstarch turn the berries into a thick sauce.
Cream cheese. One 8-ounce package, softened.
Heavy whipping cream and confectioners’ sugar. Half a cup of each.
Vanilla extract. One and a half teaspoons.
Ingredients
For the shells
- 8 flour tortillas, 5 inches each
- 1/3 cup butter, melted
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar
For the strawberry topping
- 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 4 tablespoons water, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the cheesecake filling
- 1 package cream cheese (8 ounces), softened
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Fresh sliced strawberries, optional garnish
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Tacos
1. Shape and bake the shells. Heat the oven to 375°F. Set a muffin tin upside down on a baking sheet. Put the melted butter in one shallow dish. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar in another. Prick each tortilla a few times with a fork. Dip both sides in butter, press into the crumb mixture, and tuck between the muffin cups to form taco shapes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Let the shells cool completely.
2. Cook the strawberry topping. Combine the sliced strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries soften. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of water with the cornstarch and stir it into the berries. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes more, until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Beat the cheesecake filling. Beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. Reduce to medium-low and gradually add the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Increase to medium speed and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
4. Fill and serve. Spoon the filling evenly into the cooled shells. Top with the cooled strawberry topping and, if you like, fresh strawberry slices. Serve immediately.
How Do You Make Dessert Taco Shells That Hold Their Shape and Stay Crisp?
The shape comes from the muffin tin, and the crispness comes from what you do after the oven. A soft tortilla will not stand up by itself, so it needs a mold while it bakes. Turned upside down, a muffin tin has just the right gaps between its cups.
| Step | What to do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Prick | Poke each tortilla a few times with a fork | Stops it from puffing up like a balloon |
| Coat | Butter on both sides, then graham crumbs | The butter crisps the tortilla and holds the crumbs |
| Shape | Tuck each one between the cups of the upside-down tin | It bakes into a taco shape |
| Bake | Until golden brown and crisp | A pale shell is still soft |
| Cool | Completely, before filling | Shells finish crisping as they cool, and warm shells melt the filling |
| Fill last | Fill and top just before serving | Filling and sauce soften the shell over time |
The same upside-down muffin tin makes a handy stand. Leave the cooled shells in it while you spoon in the filling and they will not tip over.
Tips for Success
How do I get the crumbs to stick?
Dip the tortilla in butter so both sides are fully coated, then press it firmly into the crumbs.
How thick should the strawberry topping be?
Thick enough to stay on a spoon. The cornstarch thickens it in 2 to 3 minutes, and it thickens a little more as it cools.
Why beat the cream cheese first?
Beating it alone until smooth gets rid of lumps before the cream goes in. After that, the filling whips up light and fluffy.
Can the topping be warm when I assemble?
No. Let it cool. Warm sauce melts the cheesecake filling.
How do I serve these at a party?
Keep the shells, filling and topping apart, and fill a few at a time as people are ready to eat.
How Long Does It Take?
About 40 minutes of work: 25 minutes of prep and about 15 minutes of cooking. The shells and the topping also need time to cool before you fill the tacos.
Is the Strawberry Crunch Version the Same Thing?
No. Strawberry crunch tacos have shells coated in a strawberry cookie crumb mixture. These are the classic kind, with a plain graham cracker coating and a cooked strawberry topping.
Storage
These are best eaten as soon as they are filled. Do not leave filled tacos out for more than 2 hours, or more than 1 hour when it is above 90°F. Keep leftover filling and strawberry topping covered in the refrigerator, at 40°F or below, for 3 to 4 days.
What to Serve With It
For more strawberry and cheesecake, try the no-bake strawberry crunch cheesecake, the strawberry cream cheese icebox cake or the slow cooker strawberry cheesecake dip. For other small desserts, make blueberry cheesecake rolls or the no-bake mini egg cheesecake. And for a warm strawberry dessert, there is the slow cooker strawberry cobbler.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you make a cheesecake taco?
Bake a graham-coated tortilla into a taco shape, cool it, and fill it with whipped cream cheese filling and fruit topping.
How do the shells hold their shape and stay crisp through serving?
They are baked between the cups of an upside-down muffin tin, cooled completely and filled just before serving.
Is the strawberry crunch version the same thing?
No. It uses a strawberry cookie crumb coating on the shells.
How many tacos does it make?
Eight.
Final Notes
I bake the shells first and make the topping while they are in the oven, so both have time to cool together. If you make them, leave a comment to tell me how they turned out or ask a question.
Strawberry Cheesecake Tacos
Want This Recipe Later?
We'll send this recipe straight to your inbox.
Ingredients
- 8 flour tortillas 5 inches each
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 tablespoons sugar for the shells
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries fresh and sliced, for the topping
- 1/4 cup sugar for the strawberry topping
- 4 tablespoons water divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 package cream cheese 8 ounces, softened
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- strawberries fresh and sliced, optional garnish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°F. Set a muffin tin upside down on a baking sheet. Put the melted butter in one shallow dish. Mix the graham cracker crumbs and 2 tablespoons sugar in another. Prick each tortilla a few times with a fork. Dip both sides in butter, press into the crumb mixture, and tuck between the muffin cups to form taco shapes. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Let the shells cool completely.
- Combine the sliced strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar and 3 tablespoons water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the strawberries soften. Whisk the remaining tablespoon of water with the cornstarch and stir it into the berries. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 to 3 minutes more, until thickened. Remove from the heat and let cool.
- Beat the softened cream cheese on medium speed for 3 to 4 minutes, until smooth. Reduce to medium-low and gradually add the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Increase to medium speed and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Spoon the filling evenly into the cooled shells. Top with the cooled strawberry topping and, if you like, fresh strawberry slices. Serve immediately.
