Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cups (Printable)

Mini chocolate biscuit cups with creamy filling and fresh strawberry topping, inspired by Dubai's luxury desserts.

# Components:

→ Base

01 - 150g chocolate digestive biscuits, crushed
02 - 50g unsalted butter, melted

→ Cheesecake Filling

03 - 300g cream cheese, softened
04 - 100ml heavy cream
05 - 80g powdered sugar
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
07 - 1 tablespoon lemon juice

→ Topping

08 - 12 fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
09 - 50g dark chocolate, melted
10 - 1 tablespoon pistachios, finely chopped
11 - Edible gold leaf for garnish

# Method:

01 - Line a 12-cup mini muffin tin with paper liners.
02 - In a mixing bowl, combine the crushed chocolate digestive biscuits with melted butter until fully incorporated.
03 - Divide the biscuit mixture evenly among the lined cups, pressing firmly with your fingertips to form a compact base layer. Refrigerate for 10 minutes until set.
04 - In a clean mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese until smooth and free of lumps. Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Continue beating until the mixture is light, creamy, and well combined.
05 - Spoon or pipe the cheesecake filling onto each chilled base, distributing evenly and smoothing the tops with a spatula.
06 - Place the cups in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or until the filling is completely set and firm to the touch.
07 - Remove from refrigerator and top each mini cheesecake with a strawberry half. Drizzle with the melted dark chocolate.
08 - Sprinkle with finely chopped pistachios and add a small piece of edible gold leaf to each cup for an elegant finish.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look like you spent all day in the kitchen but honestly take less time than you'd expect.
  • No fancy equipment needed—just a muffin tin and whatever bowls you have lying around.
  • Perfect for meal prep since they keep beautifully in the fridge and actually taste better after sitting overnight.
02 -
  • Cream cheese at room temperature is non-negotiable—cold cream cheese will resist mixing and leave you with a grainy filling that feels disappointing.
  • Overmixing the filling after adding the heavy cream will turn it into something closer to butter, so stop as soon as you see soft peaks.
  • Strawberries release juice over time, so add them no more than a few hours before serving unless you want a soggy top.
03 -
  • Melted chocolate that's too hot will slide right off the cheesecake, so let it cool for 30 seconds first until it's just warm enough to drizzle smoothly.
  • If you're making these for a crowd, crushing the biscuits in a food processor is faster and more uniform than doing it by hand in a bag.
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