These gluten free granola crust mini cheesecakes are infused with lemon and thyme and topped with a quick blueberry thyme compote.
When you think New York and you think food, what is it known for?
A few things come to mind, apples obviously (boring), bagels (nothing compares to a NY bagel, that’s for sure), pizza (unless you’re from CT and want to argue about CT/New Haven pizza being the original/better than NY pizza – you’re wrong btw on that) and last but not least, cheesecake.
This is where I become a bad New Yorker, I gotta admit, I’m not a huge fan of NY style cheesecake.
Put a ricotta filled Italian style cheesecake in front of me and that’s a whole different story (way more my style).
It’s not that I dislike NY cheesecake, it’s just that it’s too much.
Like 3 forkfuls in and I’m done with its richness.
Between the eggs, the copious amounts of cream cheese and sour cream, it sits like a brick in my stomach.
But a couple of weeks ago, I was in the city with Ulysses for a work dinner of his and a dessert platter that included cheesecake came out.
A huge slice of the famous NY cheesecake took center stage on the plate so of course, I had to (even if somewhat reluctantly) scoop some up and put it on my plate to try.
I assumed one large spoonful of the cheesecake would be plenty due to our history but as soon as that spoon hit my mouth and I tasted the light and fluffy rendition the restaurant had made, I was sold.
I don’t really know what they did differently than most places, but I knew I wanted to recreate the light, airy filling at home because that’s a cheesecake I can get behind.
Making mini cheesecakes was a given.
Who has time for springform pans and dream crushing cracks down the middle of your cake?
Yeah, ain’t no need for that kind of pressure in life.
Muffin tins work just as well and then they’re already perfectly portioned! No brainer.
I will, however, attest to the greatness of tart pans and things like cranberry curd tart recipes!
Using neufchâtel cheese (basically low fat cream cheese) like I do in these Irish Cream no bake cheesecakes and Greek yogurt, the filling in these cakes is light and airy.
The lemon and thyme infusion brightens it up even more and adds a pop of freshness in each bite.
There’s thyme in the blueberry compote topping too bringing the flavors all together and instead of the typical graham cracker crust, these lemon thyme blueberry mini cheesecakes have a gluten free granola crust thanks to Udi’s original granola. You could also go a more traditional route by using gluten-free graham crackers for the crust if preferred.
New York, take note, your cheesecake needs some adjustments.
These blueberry mini cheesecakes would look spectacular topped off with a candied lemon slice too! Perhaps cut in half and twisted to sit on top of the blueberry compote.
I just love candied citrus for a gorgeous edible garnish!
Looking for another mini blueberry dessert? These mini blueberry tarts are easy and gluten-free as well. A great option if you’re not digging the cheesecake vibe.
Love this Lemon Thyme Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes recipe?
Try some other delicious gluten free desserts like Cookie Dough Bars with Chocolate Chips and Tart Cherries, Key Lime Coconut Panna Cotta, and Sweet Potato Oat Bars.
Lemon Thyme Blueberry Mini Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust
- 1 cup Udi’s original granola
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons melted coconut oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
For the cheesecake
- 4 ounces neufchatel cheese, room temperature
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, I used 0%
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
- leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
For the blueberry topping
- 1 1/2 cups frozen wild blueberries
- leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme
- juice from 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoons coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 9 baking wrappers.
- Combine all ingredients for the crust in a food processor. Pulse a few times until sticky and combined.
- Evenly divide the granola mixture among the 9 wrappers in the muffin tin and press down firmly using the bottom of a measuring cup or spoon. Set aside.
- Beat the neufchatel cheese and Greek yogurt in a medium bowl with a handheld mixer until fluffy.
- Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until well incorporated.
- Pour the filling on top of the granola crusts in the muffin tin.
- Bake for about 25 minutes until middle of the cheesecakes are set. Remove from oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from baking wrappers.
- While cheesecakes cool, make the blueberry topping by placing all the ingredients in a small sauce pot over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally and cook until reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.
- Spoon the blueberry compote on top of each cheesecake before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Udi’s Gluten Free. The opinions and text are all mine.
Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.
Is there a substitute for the coconut oil?
You can try butter or ghee but I wouldn’t use any other oils. The oil needs to set when cold to keep the crust together and coconut oil or butter are pretty much the only fats that do that.
I love the use of granola for the crust of your cheesecakes. That means you can eat these for breakfast, right?!!
Of course! ;)
I made these over the weekend and OMG that flavor combo is incredible! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
You’re wonderful. Thank you! I’ll try sour cream and maybe a bit of ricotta (or maybe plain yogurt… I’ll get creative.) Thanks for the help and for the recipe!
I would love to make these for Father’s Day but my mom has problems with Greek yogurt. Do you know a good substitute in this recipe?
Thanks!
That’s a tough substitute as it’s the bulk of the filling. You could try a more traditional cream cheese/sour cream cheesecake mixture but you’d have to play with the ratios and I haven’t tested that out to give you any specifics. If she can do other yogurts and just not Greek yogurt specifically, plain regular yogurt would probably be your best bet. Or, even ricotta would probably work well.
There is NO COMPARISON ~ fluffy ricotta cheesecakes are the best. I love the combo of lemon and berries, too!
These look so yummy! I was actually never a fan of cheesecake until I tried a vegan take on it, and then I fell in love! Now I can’t get enough of them!
These look gorgeous. I would kill for a couple of these right now!