These little green hued cheesecakes are just the thing to wow your guests or family for St. Patrick's Day this year. They're the perfect end to a great meal, or even just sandwiches! Whatever your St Paddy's day favourites, these are sure to become your go to for St Patrick's Day every year. No matter when you serve them, they're sure to make everyone smile and would be perfect for an Easter, spring or summer dessert too.
St Patrick's Day No Bake Cheesecake
Makes 6 x 3 inch mini cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 sleeve of Graham crackers, crushed in the blender (UK equivalent: 130g digestive biscuits)
1/2 stick (115g) of butter, melted
1 heaping tablespoon of sugar
For the cheesecake:
4 x 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened (900g cream cheese)
1 cup of powdered sugar (115g icing sugar)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
3 ounce package of Cheesecake flavored Instant pudding mix (buy in the UK or substitute)
1 cup of half n half (120ml milk + 120ml double cream)
2 tablespoons half n half - extra, see instructions (1 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp double cream)
Aqua green food colouring gel
Neon Lime colored food coloring gel
For the topping:
1 can of Buttercream Frosting (450g buttercream icing or make your own)
Green sprinkles
Cook's tools needed:
Stand mixer
Parchment paper
Bowls
Spoons
Whisk
Spatulas
Cookie sheet
Frosting tip for piping
Reusable piping bag
Sheets of Copper mats or 3" x 3" pastry rings (you will need 6)
Method
1. If using copper mats, cut them into six 3 inch high strips. Fold the strips to meet ends, until you have about a 3 inch, in diameter (across) circle. Cut the strip where needed, and leave enough extra to tape the ends of the strip together. Tape the ends of the strip with duct tape, and make sure it's taped securely along the edges. Place the copper circles on a piece of parchment paper, on a cookie sheet. The copper mats used to form the circles will not stick to the cheesecakes. They are copper grill mats, but we found them to be a good tool for mini cheesecakes.
2. If using pastry rings, butter the inside slightly to stop the mixture sticking.
3. Mix the Graham cracker (digestive) crumbs, melted butter and sugar together in a separate bowl, and place an equal amount in each off the 6 copper circles/pastry rings. Tap the crumbs down with the end of a wooden spoon, until they're even and compact in the bottom of each circle. Place in the freezer.
3. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then mix again. Add the Vanilla, and lemon juice, and mix.
4. In a separate bowl, add the 3 ounce package of Instant cheesecake flavoured pudding, and a cup of half n half, and mix with a whisk until the pudding is smooth, and no longer grainy. Add the additional 2 Tablespoons as needed, to make the pudding smooth.
5. When pudding is smooth and thick, add it to the mixing bowl, and blend until completely smooth with the cream cheese.
6. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, and blend well after each addition. Scrape down the mixing bowl, and blend again.
7. Divide the cheesecake batter evenly between 3 small bowls. In one bowl, add a drop of Aqua green food coloring gel, and stir. When using gel food colours, you may need 2 or even 3 drops of food coloring gel to get the color in the photos. If you feel your colour isn't bright enough, add another drop of food coloring gel until the desired shade of colour is achieved.
8. In the next bowl, add a drop of Neon Lime colored food coloring gel, and stir. You may need to add two drops of the Neon Lime food coloring gel to get the bright colour.
9. Then add a drop of the Aqua green food coloring gel into the Lime, and with a knife, swirl the aqua through the lime, but DO NOT STIR. Swirl the Aqua to give this layer the gorgeous colours and swirl effect.
Cook's note: For the colours, we used Great Value food colouring Gel from Walmart. If you can't find the aqua food coloring gel, you can mix blue and a small amount of yellow to make an aqua green colour.
10. In the next bowl, nothing is added, as the top layer is the white cheesecake.
11. Remove the Graham cracker crumbs from the freezer, and add an equal amount of the Aqua coloured cheesecake on top of the Graham cracker crumbs in each ring, then place back in the freezer.
When adding the different colours of cheesecake to the copper circles, smooth the cheesecake batter out as much as possible to the edge of the circle, all the way around, so that you have smooth layers when the copper circles/pastry rings are removed.
12. Wait 30 minutes, then take the cheesecakes out of the freezer, and add an equal amount of Lime/swirled Aqua cheesecake on top of the Aqua.
13. Place the cheesecakes back in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then take them out and add an equal amount of the white cheesecake on top of the Lime/aqua swirled layer. Smooth the tops, and place back in the freezer until time to serve.
14. When ready to serve, remove the tape from the copper circles, and remove the copper circles/pastry rings from the cheesecakes, leaving the cheesecakes on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
15. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of the cheesecakes, and sprinkle the green sprinkles on the frosting. Serve and Enjoy!
Cook's note: If you want to remove the copper circles/pastry rings, and decorate the cheesecakes ahead of time, simply place them back in the freezer until time to serve.
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St Patrick's Day No Bake Cheesecake
Makes 6 x 3 inch mini cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 sleeve of Graham crackers, crushed in the blender (UK equivalent: 130g digestive biscuits)
1/2 stick (115g) of butter, melted
1 heaping tablespoon of sugar
For the cheesecake:
4 x 8 ounce packages of cream cheese, softened (900g cream cheese)
1 cup of powdered sugar (115g icing sugar)
1 tablespoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon of lemon juice
3 ounce package of Cheesecake flavored Instant pudding mix (buy in the UK or substitute)
1 cup of half n half (120ml milk + 120ml double cream)
2 tablespoons half n half - extra, see instructions (1 tbsp milk + 1 tbsp double cream)
Aqua green food colouring gel
Neon Lime colored food coloring gel
For the topping:
1 can of Buttercream Frosting (450g buttercream icing or make your own)
Green sprinkles
Cook's tools needed:
Stand mixer
Parchment paper
Bowls
Spoons
Whisk
Spatulas
Cookie sheet
Frosting tip for piping
Reusable piping bag
Sheets of Copper mats or 3" x 3" pastry rings (you will need 6)
Method
1. If using copper mats, cut them into six 3 inch high strips. Fold the strips to meet ends, until you have about a 3 inch, in diameter (across) circle. Cut the strip where needed, and leave enough extra to tape the ends of the strip together. Tape the ends of the strip with duct tape, and make sure it's taped securely along the edges. Place the copper circles on a piece of parchment paper, on a cookie sheet. The copper mats used to form the circles will not stick to the cheesecakes. They are copper grill mats, but we found them to be a good tool for mini cheesecakes.
2. If using pastry rings, butter the inside slightly to stop the mixture sticking.
3. Mix the Graham cracker (digestive) crumbs, melted butter and sugar together in a separate bowl, and place an equal amount in each off the 6 copper circles/pastry rings. Tap the crumbs down with the end of a wooden spoon, until they're even and compact in the bottom of each circle. Place in the freezer.
3. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, mix the softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl, then mix again. Add the Vanilla, and lemon juice, and mix.
4. In a separate bowl, add the 3 ounce package of Instant cheesecake flavoured pudding, and a cup of half n half, and mix with a whisk until the pudding is smooth, and no longer grainy. Add the additional 2 Tablespoons as needed, to make the pudding smooth.
5. When pudding is smooth and thick, add it to the mixing bowl, and blend until completely smooth with the cream cheese.
6. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time, and blend well after each addition. Scrape down the mixing bowl, and blend again.
7. Divide the cheesecake batter evenly between 3 small bowls. In one bowl, add a drop of Aqua green food coloring gel, and stir. When using gel food colours, you may need 2 or even 3 drops of food coloring gel to get the color in the photos. If you feel your colour isn't bright enough, add another drop of food coloring gel until the desired shade of colour is achieved.
8. In the next bowl, add a drop of Neon Lime colored food coloring gel, and stir. You may need to add two drops of the Neon Lime food coloring gel to get the bright colour.
9. Then add a drop of the Aqua green food coloring gel into the Lime, and with a knife, swirl the aqua through the lime, but DO NOT STIR. Swirl the Aqua to give this layer the gorgeous colours and swirl effect.
Cook's note: For the colours, we used Great Value food colouring Gel from Walmart. If you can't find the aqua food coloring gel, you can mix blue and a small amount of yellow to make an aqua green colour.
10. In the next bowl, nothing is added, as the top layer is the white cheesecake.
11. Remove the Graham cracker crumbs from the freezer, and add an equal amount of the Aqua coloured cheesecake on top of the Graham cracker crumbs in each ring, then place back in the freezer.
When adding the different colours of cheesecake to the copper circles, smooth the cheesecake batter out as much as possible to the edge of the circle, all the way around, so that you have smooth layers when the copper circles/pastry rings are removed.
12. Wait 30 minutes, then take the cheesecakes out of the freezer, and add an equal amount of Lime/swirled Aqua cheesecake on top of the Aqua.
13. Place the cheesecakes back in the freezer for 30 minutes, and then take them out and add an equal amount of the white cheesecake on top of the Lime/aqua swirled layer. Smooth the tops, and place back in the freezer until time to serve.
14. When ready to serve, remove the tape from the copper circles, and remove the copper circles/pastry rings from the cheesecakes, leaving the cheesecakes on the parchment lined cookie sheet.
15. Pipe a swirl of frosting on top of the cheesecakes, and sprinkle the green sprinkles on the frosting. Serve and Enjoy!
Cook's note: If you want to remove the copper circles/pastry rings, and decorate the cheesecakes ahead of time, simply place them back in the freezer until time to serve.
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