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For years, I have been sharing the most delicious baked cheesecake recipes on my Dutch website (so expect some coming up in the next weeks!), but ironically, the basic recipe has always fallen by the wayside. So it’s about time I shared my simple cheesecake recipe with you that is the base of so many other cheesecakes.

Making a basic cheesecake recipe

Cheesecake, who doesn’t love it? Making cheesecake may sound intimidating if you’ve never tried it before, but once you know how easy it is, you will probably bake this delicious cake many times over. I find this the best cheesecake recipe out there, as it is so versatile and easy to adjust.

With this basic cheesecake recipe, you can go in any direction you want. For example, you can flavor the cream cheese filling with citrus or chocolate and top the cheesecake with a delicious Italian meringue.

Or maybe you prefer to experiment with different cookies for the bottom, or maybe you like to use more than one cookie type! Later in this article, I’ll give you tips on the proportions of different types of cookies and how much unsalted butter you need for which cookies.

Making the Cheesecake Cake Base

The first step in baking a cheesecake is to make the base. You can use any kind of cookie (or even nuts). Most common is probably a classic graham cracker crust, but there are so many more options to choose from. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and press them into the bottom of your springform pan. An easy way to make sure you press it evenly around the base is to use a glass with a flat bottom to press the cookie crust. Put the base in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

I’m going to give you some additional guidelines for varying the cookie base to make it a little easier. Some types of cookies already contain more butter, so you need to add less butter to make a tasty cheesecake base.

Below is a list of the most common cookies used in cheesecake, along with how much unsalted butter in grams you need to bake the perfect cookie base for your cheesecake. You can then enter this into the base recipe below.

• 200 grams (7 oz) graham cracker crumbs – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter
• 240 grams (8.5 oz) tea biscuits – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter
• 260 grams (9.2 oz) Bastogne cookies – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter
• 340 grams (12 oz) Oreos – 30 grams (1 oz) butter
• 285 grams (10 oz) chocolate chip cookies – 85 grams (3 oz) butter
• 240 grams (8.5 oz) gingerbread cookies – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter

TIP: Did you know you can make cute mini cheesecakes? Or how about a cheesecake with a butterscotch cake base?

Making the cheesecake filling

Of course, just as important as the base of the cheesecake is also the filling. Now the fun part of the filling is that there is no limit to the cheesecake variations you can make. But let’s start with the basics.

What do you need for making a classic cheesecake recipe

• full fat cream cheese
• sugar – you can use brown sugar but that will have an effect on the color of the end result. I usually go for (fine) granulated sugar
• eggs
• sour cream
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour

The first step is to add the cream cheese with the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (using a hand mixer is a good option too). Use the paddle attachment and keep in mind that you do not want to over whip the mixture. Using medium speed, cream the two together until smooth. Now add the eggs one by one on low speed, make sure each one is incorporated before adding the next one. Mix the sour cream with the vanilla and add that in. You can use the machine or a rubber spatula as well. And last but not least add the flour in and mix until just combined.

Once you’ve got your base done you can add flavorings if you want. You can add a bit of lemon juice, fresh berries or any other kind of flavor you like.

This easy cheesecake recipe will create a delicious and perfect homemade cheesecake and is your starting point for making your first cheesecake and add your favorite cheesecake toppings!

More cheesecake recipes will follow soon but also check out below delicious no bake cheesecake recipes if you have less time at your hands.

• No bake cherry cheesecake
• No bake strawberry cheesecake
• Strawberry cheesecake cookies

And if you are looking for more tips on how to bake the best cheesecake, you don’t want to miss out on my tips for perfect cheesecakes.

For years, I have been sharing the most delicious baked cheesecake recipes on my Dutch website (so expect some coming up in the next weeks!), but ironically, the basic recipe has always fallen by the wayside. So it’s about time I shared my simple cheesecake recipe with you that is the base of so many other cheesecakes.

Making a basic cheesecake recipe

Cheesecake, who doesn’t love it? Making cheesecake may sound intimidating if you’ve never tried it before, but once you know how easy it is, you will probably bake this delicious cake many times over. I find this the best cheesecake recipe out there, as it is so versatile and easy to adjust.

With this basic cheesecake recipe, you can go in any direction you want. For example, you can flavor the cream cheese filling with citrus or chocolate and top the cheesecake with a delicious Italian meringue.

Or maybe you prefer to experiment with different cookies for the bottom, or maybe you like to use more than one cookie type! Later in this article, I’ll give you tips on the proportions of different types of cookies and how much unsalted butter you need for which cookies.

Making the Cheesecake Cake Base

The first step in baking a cheesecake is to make the base. You can use any kind of cookie (or even nuts). Most common is probably a classic graham cracker crust, but there are so many more options to choose from. Mix the cookie crumbs with the melted butter and press them into the bottom of your springform pan. An easy way to make sure you press it evenly around the base is to use a glass with a flat bottom to press the cookie crust. Put the base in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

I’m going to give you some additional guidelines for varying the cookie base to make it a little easier. Some types of cookies already contain more butter, so you need to add less butter to make a tasty cheesecake base.

Below is a list of the most common cookies used in cheesecake, along with how much unsalted butter in grams you need to bake the perfect cookie base for your cheesecake. You can then enter this into the base recipe below.

• 200 grams (7 oz) graham cracker crumbs – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter
• 240 grams (8.5 oz) tea biscuits – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter
• 260 grams (9.2 oz) Bastogne cookies – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter
• 340 grams (12 oz) Oreos – 30 grams (1 oz) butter
• 285 grams (10 oz) chocolate chip cookies – 85 grams (3 oz) butter
• 240 grams (8.5 oz) gingerbread cookies – 100 grams (3.5 oz) butter

TIP: Did you know you can make cute mini cheesecakes? Or how about a cheesecake with a butterscotch cake base?

Making the cheesecake filling

Of course, just as important as the base of the cheesecake is also the filling. Now the fun part of the filling is that there is no limit to the cheesecake variations you can make. But let’s start with the basics.

What do you need for making a classic cheesecake recipe

• full fat cream cheese
• sugar – you can use brown sugar but that will have an effect on the color of the end result. I usually go for (fine) granulated sugar
• eggs
• sour cream
• vanilla extract
• all purpose flour

The first step is to add the cream cheese with the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (using a hand mixer is a good option too). Use the paddle attachment and keep in mind that you do not want to over whip the mixture. Using medium speed, cream the two together until smooth. Now add the eggs one by one on low speed, make sure each one is incorporated before adding the next one. Mix the sour cream with the vanilla and add that in. You can use the machine or a rubber spatula as well. And last but not least add the flour in and mix until just combined.

Once you’ve got your base done you can add flavorings if you want. You can add a bit of lemon juice, fresh berries or any other kind of flavor you like.

This easy cheesecake recipe will create a delicious and perfect homemade cheesecake and is your starting point for making your first cheesecake and add your favorite cheesecake toppings!

More cheesecake recipes will follow soon but also check out below delicious no bake cheesecake recipes if you have less time at your hands.

• No bake cherry cheesecake
• No bake strawberry cheesecake
• Strawberry cheesecake cookies

And if you are looking for more tips on how to bake the best cheesecake, you don’t want to miss out on my tips for perfect cheesecakes.

Cheesecake is one of my favorite cakes to make. I have made many over the years, so it’s time that I share my tips for a perfect cheesecake!

Cheesecake recipe

I think it was the first cake I ever made without any packaging, because at that time cheesecake was still quite unknown in the Netherlands. I made a lemon meringue cheesecake with a Bastogne cookies base. Since then, I have made countless other cheesecakes and they are always a hit. So what makes the cheesecake so popular?

It must be the delicious creamy texture in combination with that delicious cookie crust. But while everyone seems to bake the most beautiful cheesecakes, yours keep cracking after you’ve baked them. The cheesecake crack seems to be the most annoying thing about this delicious pastry, but preventing it is easier than you think. To help you out, today I am going to give you some tips on how to make the perfect cheesecake, including how to prevent it from cracking.

Preventing cracks in your cheesecake

Let’s start with the technical side of things: how do you prevent your cheesecake from cracking? Despite the many theories circulating on the internet, I really only have one that seems to work best. It’s all about the temperature of your oven. In preparation for this article, I tried my basic cheesecake recipe again the other day and changed one thing. As you can probably guess, my cheesecake cracked. So now I know for sure that this is the ultimate tip.

To avoid having your cheesecake crack, bake it gently. An oven that is too hot will cause the cheesecake to bulge and rise. This will, in turn, cause the cheesecake to crack as it cools, and sometimes already during baking. This is because the top cooks first and then cracks. If you bake a cheesecake at a lower temperature, the cheesecake will rise much more evenly. This is because you avoid the cheesecake batter to rise excessively and crack open in the process. So you want to bake your cheesecake at a fairly low temperature.

Now finding the perfect temperature to bake your cheesecake can be a bit of challenge. Every oven varies in temperature so it might be easier in one oven than in the other. It also varies if you bake with a conventional oven or with a convection oven. So you might have to search a bit before you find that perfect temperature in your oven. In my oven it is always 150˚C (300 ˚F – conventional oven). You can start there and check if that works for your oven as well.

Another tip is to place a separate oven thermometer inside your oven to check if the temperature is actually correct. If you have an older oven the temperatures might be wrong and testing it with a separate thermometer might give you some answers.

Let the cheesecake cool

Once your cheesecake is nicely baked, leave it in the oven to cool. You can leave the oven door open a little if you like, but you shouldn’t take the cheesecake straight out of the hot oven and leave it to cool on the worktop. Once the oven and the cheesecake have cooled down, remove the cheesecake from the oven and put it in the fridge – the recipe will usually tell you how to do this. If you take it straight out of the hot oven your temperature difference is too big which results in another crack as the cheesecake filling cools down too quickly.

Hot water in the oven

Of course, tips such as using a water bath will also help you make the perfect cheesecake. However, there is a big disadvantage to using a bain-marie, and that is the risk of leakage. No one wants hot water running into their cheesecake. I wouldn’t recommend wrapping a cheesecake pan in aluminum foil and than placing straight into the water bath as it can still leak and it won’t get you the best results.

To avoid this, you can also place a oven dish with hot water on the bottom of your oven, as steam rises. I think this is the best way to prevent your cheesecake from cracking ans avoids a mess.

Don’t overmix

Of course, you don’t want too much air in your cheesecake either, as air bubbles increase the risk of cracking. So don’t overmix your batter for too long and tap your filled springform tin on the worktop or work surface a few times before baking to remove any large air bubbles. Use room temperature ingredients to ensure a smooth batter too.

Preventing side cracks

Not as common but sometimes your cheesecake can also crack at the sides of the baking pan. In order to prevent that you can run a knife along the edge of the pan. When the cheesecake cools it can sometimes shrink a little causing the edges to crack. Running the knife along the edge will prevent this from happening.

Cheesecake toppings

If you still have a crack in your cheesecake, the solution is simple. Make an overly tasty topping and no one will notice it’s a cracked cheesecake. Examples of tasty cheesecake toppings include mascarpone cream, meringue, lemon curd, fruit jelly or coulis. Or try this delicious cherry topping. Works brilliantly with every cheesecake!

You can also simply sprinkle a layer of crumbled biscuits over your cheesecake and top with whipped heavy cream.

Flour in a cheesecake

I have sometimes been asked whether flour in a cheesecake will prevent it from cracking. Personally, I had never heard of it. You use flour to bind, of course, but that is not the cause of a crack in your cheesecake.

Adding flour to your cheesecake will make the baked cheesecake slightly drier.  Personally, I like a soft creamy cheesecake, but adding flour makes it also firmer. A New York cheesecake is an example of a slightly firmer cheesecake, so a few tablespoons of flour is a standard ingredient. It is common to add 1-2 tablespoons of flour to the cheesecake batter for a slightly firmer consistency. Does it actually helps to prevent the cheesecake from cracking? I don’t think so but you can always give it a go.

I hope the above tips for making the perfect cheesecake are useful and I look forward to seeing your creations.

Do you love cheesecake and cookies? Then this recipe for delicious Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies is for you. Delicious soft and chewy cookies with that creamy cheesecake filling that taste great. You will want to try these!

Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies

The combination of strawberries and cheesecake is always a good idea. Just look at these no-bake strawberry cheesecake bites. Then imagine a cheesecake inside of a cookie with fresh strawberries, it’s incredibly delicious. I know what I’m going to bake multiple times this strawberry season!

These cheesecake cookies are certainly not difficult to make yourself. But to be honest, it can get a little messy when you wrap the cheesecake filling in the dough. Let me tell you, it’s totally worth it! And I’ll share my tips for making the least amount of mess possible.

Strawberry cookie dough

I use a dough similar to chocolate chip cookie dough for the base of these cookies. A favorite of many! This dough makes these cheesecake cookies deliciously creamy and they stay a little chewy and soft. Personally, I really like that about these cookies. And even better: you only need a few simple ingredients.

I first made cheesecake cookies for my cookbook ’50x Koekjes’ (50x Cookies in Dutch) and they were so good, I just had to make more. With a strawberry twist!

Of course, you can vary the flavors of these strawberry cookies even more. Think of different kinds of fruit or white chocolate in them. I can’t wait to make more cheesecake cookies.

Cheesecake filling

I made a simple cream cheese filling for these cookies. As for cream cheese, I like to use Philadelphia, but you can use any kind of regular cream cheese for these cookies. Just use a brand that’s not too watery or thin.

Once you have made the cream cheese mixture, use a teaspoon to make small dollops of cheesecake filling on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You don’t need the chopped strawberries yet, I add them together with the cheesecake filling in the cookies dough. That gave me the best results.

Keep the portions of cheesecake filling in the freezer until you fill the cookies. It melts quickly, so it’s best to take it out of the freezer one (pair) at a time. Believe me, otherwise it will be messy 😉 .

Fresh or frozen strawberries

I used fresh strawberries for this recipe, which are a little less moist than frozen strawberries.

You can also use frozen strawberries, but be aware that they may be a bit more moist. If you decide to use frozen strawberries, I would use them frozen in the cookies and not let them thaw first.

Keep in mind that the cookies may need a 1-2 minutes extra in the oven.

Another option: freeze-dried strawberries! I did not try this, but I have baked with them before and I know -almost- certain this would work as well.

How to assemble the cookies

Once you have you cookie dough balls, frozen cream cheese balls and chopped strawberries, it is time to make them into strawberry cheesecake cookies.

Take a ball of cookie dough and remove about a third of the dough. Make a ball of the bigger piece of dough, flatten it a bit and make a dimple in the dough.

Put a piece of frozen cheesecake in this simple. Add some strawberry pieces and use the small piece of dough to cover it up. Press the edges together, form into a nice round ball and place on a prepared baking sheet.

It’s totally fine if there are soms cracks in the dough where you can see the filling. If you like, you can press some extra strawberry pieces into the dough.

How to store strawberry cheesecake cookies

​After you have a cookie sheet full of freshly baked cookies, you probably won’t eat them all in one sitting. Fortunately, you can keep them well.​

Storing strawberry cheesecake cookies

In a jar or airtight container, they will keep for about a week. Where I normally don’t store cookies in the fridge, these cookies will stay best in de refrigerator due to the cheesecake filling.

Freezing strawberry cheesecake cookies

In an airtight container, the cookies will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. I like to store them between layer of parchment paper so they don’t stick to each other.

Never made no-bake strawberry cheesecake bites before? Get ready, because if you taste a slice of these, you’ll be in the kitchen preparing this delicious treat many times this summer.

No-bake strawberry cheesecake bites

Has strawberry season arrived yet? Because I can’t wait to make this cheesecake with strawberries again.

This strawberry cheesecake recipe is made without an oven, so it is a no-bake recipe. Strawberries are always available in the warmest months of the year, so it’s nice if the oven can stay out.

Strawberry cheesecake recipe

I chose to make the recipe in a square baking pan, so you can cut these nice square bites out of them after they set. Of course you can also make the recipe in a round springform or baking pan, I give a tip for that in the frequently asked questions below.

For the base, I used the following ingredients:

• Biscuits, like graham crackers
• Butter, this will make the cookie crumbs form into a firm base.

For the strawberry filling (and decoration) of the cheesecake, you will need the following:

• Cream cheese, from Philadelphia, for example.
• Vanilla extract, indispensable and easy to make yourself.
• Lemon juice, because the juice gives the cheesecake a nice freshness.
• Whipping cream, to make your cheescake nice and fluffy as well as to decorate the bites nicely.
• Gelatin, you will need this to make the cheesecake keep its shape.
• Granulated sugar, this gives a nice but not too sweet taste to the cake.
• Strawberries, the most important flavoring of this strawberry cheesecake.

A delicious recipe for making your no bake cherry cheesecake (Dutch MonChou pie). This pie is made without an oven and has a tasty Bastogne biscuit base. Bastogne cookies are originally from Belgium and while super tasty, you can easily replace them for another kind of cookie you like. Graham crackers is a classic of course so that will work just fine.

Making No bake cherry cheesecake

The first time I made this recipe back in 2014 I wasn’t a big fan of MonChou or cream cheese in desserts in general. Over time I have grown to love and appreciate cream cheese in recipes but in the beginning I found it really weird to have a sweet dish with cheese in it.

In fact, thanks in part to the delicious biscuit base, I am in love with this no bake cherry cheesecake recipe. It has a lovely creamy cheesecake filling and in combination with the cherries it’s the perfect summer dessert.

Ever since my first no bake cherry cheesecake recipe I make it on a regular basis. It’s incredible easy and a perfect crowd pleaser.

Baking tip: I like to use a loose-bottom pie tin for this type of no bake dessert. This makes it easy to remove the Dutch MonChou pie from the tin and the tin is easy to clean.

What is MonChou?

To first explain a bit about the origin of MonChou. It was originally made by a company in the Netherlands called Friesland Campina. They marketed a cream cheese in small square packages and called it monchou. It’s not made anywhere else, but you can very easily replace it with any other kind of firm cream cheese. So if you want to make this no bake cherry cheesecake you can absolutely do that.

MonChou can be found online in a few different stores but it might be easier swapping for another full-fat cream cheese filling. Make sure it is a firm cream cheese and not too soft or the cheesecake will not hold.

Cherry season

Summer roughly coincides with cherry season, which I love. If you’re making this during cherry season, it’s fun to make your own cherry pie filling. There is nothing wrong with the store-bought stuff, but there is nothing like making it yourself.

If cherries are out of season, you can still make a homemade cherry filling. Instead of fresh you can use a can of cherry pie filling or use canned cherries (with juice)

Making the no bake cherry cheesecake

Making the cherry cheesecake starts by making the crust first. You place the cookies of your choice in a food processor and grind them into small crumbs. Add the melted butter and mix the two together. A package of Bastogne cookies that I used here is 260 grams (9.2 ounce). If you’re using graham crackers or another type of cookie you might have to vary the butter content. Make sure all crumbs have some butter.

Press the cookie crumb mixture into the bottom of the tin firmly. You can use a springform pan for this but I like to use a pie dish with a loose bottom. This makes it easier to release the cheesecake once cooled. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Making the cherry pie filling

For making this easy no bake cherry cheesecake you need tins of cherry pie filling. It’s easiest to buy this ready made. You need roughly 800 grams (1.8 pound) or two tins of the cherry pie filling.

Next step is to prepared the cream cheese mixture. First you whip the double cream or heavy whipping cream with 2 tablespoons of sugar to stiff peaks. You can replace the double cream with cool whip to make the cake firmer or if you do not have very firm cream cheese. Set the cream aside and take a separate bowl for making the cream cheese filling.

Mix cream cheese, sugar and vanilla sugar and mix till you have a creamy filling. You can use a hand mixer to do that or use the mixing bowl of the food processor. Fold the whipped cream through the cream cheese with a rubber spatula.

Take the tin out of the fridge and pour the filling on top of the buttery graham cracker (or Bastogne cookie) crust. Smooth the surface and let it sit in the fridge for at least two hours or until it is set. Cover with plastic wrap.

Once set add the cherry pie filling on top of the cream cheese layer. And the perfect dessert is ready! It is one of my favorite no bake desserts. It’s also a great recipe to make mini cheesecakes. It’s a favorite here at family gatherings or for any special occasions. It doesn’t take much time at all to make it and although you do have to wait for the cheesecake to set, that is not active time!

Are you a fan of cheesecake?

You might want to try these recipes below as well:

• No bake strawberry cheesecake bites
• Strawberry cheesecake cookies
• No bake apple caramel cheesecakes

It’s like a little apple pie combined with caramel cheesecake. With this recipe, you can easily make delicious no bake apple caramel cheesecakes dessert.

How to make individual no bake cheesecakes?

Start with small glasses or glass jars. These are really cute. You build the dessert in layers, starting by crushed cookies. Top that with your cheesecake mixture and finish it with your topping. Warm caramelized apple for this recipe. It’s really easy to make small one person cheesecakes as you can see!

You can prepare this cheesecake dessert very well, which I think is perfect. Put the prepared dessert in the refrigerator and take it out when needed.

However, you can also prepare the base (cookie + cheesecake layer), and make the apple mixture only just before you want to serve the dessert. This way, you have little cheesecakes with warm apples as a topping. Delicious!

In the last case, you can prepare the apple layer as well. Add a little lemon juice to keep the apple pieces fresh and store them in the refrigerator until you need them. I made them this way for Christmas and it worked perfect.

Apple caramel cheesecake recipe

For this dessert, I decided to first heat the apple in a pan and caramelize it with some sugar. Warm apple pieces work incredibly well in a dessert. In this case, I combined it with whipped cream, cookies and cream cheese.

For the cookies, I chose Bastogne cookies, which are a kind of spice cookies. It’s hard to find this particular cookie outside The Netherlands and a few other European countries, but any spice cookie will do. Biscoff cookies are a good alternative for example.

More individual desserts

I love making desserts in individual portions, here are some more delicious dessert recipes that you can serve in small glass jars:

• 3 ingredient chocolate mousse (without egg)
• vanilla crème brûlée
• fresh berry panna cotta

Print Recipe

4.82 from 16 votes

No bake apple caramel cheesecakes desserts

These individual no bake cheesecakes are perfect as a dessert. Extra delicious with a warm apple topping.

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time5 minutes mins

Total Time20 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 125 ml whipping cream
• 50 grams of fine granulated sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 grams of cream cheese
• 8 Bastogne cookies or other spice cookies
• 2 apples
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tbsp granulated sugar
• some small caramel pieces/bits

Instructions

• Beat whipping cream with the 50 grams of sugar until stiff. In another bowl, mix vanilla extract and cream cheese until creamy. Add the whipped cream and mix on a low setting until evenly combined.
• Crumble the cookies, either by hand or a food processor. The crumbs may still be somewhat chunky.
• Divide the cookie crumbs among the glasses, followed by the cream cheese mixture.
• Peel the apples, remove the core and cut into cubes. Put these diced apples together with cinnamon and 2 tbsp sugar in a pan and heat until caramelized. Stir the mixture frequently.
• Divide the apple mixture among the glasses. To finish, sprinkle some caramel pieces on top.

If there is any fruit that signals the holiday season it is without a doubt cranberries. These beautiful bright red berries are perfect for making things like cranberry sauce or cranberry compote, but did you know you can also turn them into sugared cranberries? Making sugared cranberries turns them into a very tasty and sweet snack. The sugar bath gives them a crunchy exterior and a sweet, soft interior.

Sugared cranberries

As well as being delicious, sugar-coated cranberries are ideal for adding a festive touch to your baking. Sprinkle them on a cheesecake, for example, and you have a great cake to put on the table at Christmas. But there are so many different things you can do with sugared cranberries as they do make for a beautiful garnish. Pop them into holiday cocktails for instance or add some sparkling cranberries to a festive cake. They also look good in just about all holiday desserts.

For making these easy sugared cranberries you really need just two ingredients (three if you count the water): A bag of fresh cranberries and granulated sugar. And that’s all there is to it.

Making the cranberries with sugar coating

Now the first thing you do is make a simple sugar syrup. You add 150 grams (5.3 oz) of the sugar to a little less than a cup of water and put in a medium saucepan. Bring this to the boil. Let it simmer on low heat until sugar dissolves. Now place the (washed) cranberries in a small bowl (or at least a bowl that will fit the cranberries plus the sugar water) and pour the hot syrup over the cranberries.

Let this stand for about three hours and occasionally give it a quick stir.

Drying and dusting

After three hours the cranberries will be sweet and sticky and it is time to move onto the next step. For this you remove the cranberries from the syrup. You can either do this with a slotted spoon or – as I like to do – use a sieve for straining the syrup away from the cranberries.

Now have a bowl of sugar ready and pass the cranberries through the sugar in stages. Depending on how big your batch of cranberries is of course. Once they are coated in sugar you need to let the sugared cranberries dry. This is best done in a single layer on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

Let them dry completely at room temperature and once they are dried they are ready to use!

What can I use the cranberries for?

Now once you’ve made the candied cranberries there is no limit to what you can do with them. I’ll give you some suggestions for things I like to do with them.

I already mentioned adding them to a cranberry cake or a cheesecake but they are really an easy way to decorate holiday drinks or charcuterie boards or cheese boards. Edible decorations that is.

Some other ideas on what to do with them:

• Turn them into an edible gift – one of my favorite ways to make gifts around the holidays is edible goodies and these cranberries are perfect for that.
• cake decorations, Christmas pavlova, cupcakes – the list is endless
• breakfast – they do really well on top of pancakes or in your yogurt.
• bruschetta – add them to a bruschetta with a layer of soft goat cheese. So good!
• Salads – they also look great in your favorite salad

This is really one of my favorite holiday recipes as it is so easy to make.

Making your own homemade cherry pie filling is not only delicious, it is also a pretty easy recipe.

While there is absolutely nothing wrong with buying cans of cherry pie filling in the grocery store, it is surprisingly easy to make it at home. It took me many cans of store bought pie filling before I started wondering why I had never made it myself. The fun thing is that if you make it yourself you can also adjust the flavor to your own preference.

​Even better; you can make this cherry pie filling with fresh cherries, canned cherries, rainier cherries, dark sweet cherries and yes, even cherries from the freezer.

What you need to make cherry pie filling

If you have your own cherry tree, this would be absolutely perfect for cherry season. You can use all the leftover cherries to make this homemade cherry filling. In this particular case I went with jarred cherries, as all the fresh ones were completely sold out in the stores. And using jarred cherries is even easier, as you don’t need a cherry pitter. That’s already done for you.

You’ll need:

• cherries – fresh, canned, jarred or frozen
• cherry juice – substitute with water if you’re using fresh cherries
• granulated sugar – you can also add brown sugar if you want
• cornstarch – the binding agent in this recipe
• lemon juice 

​And that’s all there is to it. When you’re using fresh cherries, having a cherry pitter handy is easiest but you can also use a sharp paring knife to remove the stones. Other than the cherry pitter you’ll need a saucepan and a container to add your homemade pie filling to once ready.

How to make the pie filling

When using canned cherries first drain them in a sieve or a colander. Make sure to preserve all the juice. The same goes for using frozen cherries. Make sure to let them defrost and keep the juice that comes out of the cherries. If you don’t have enough juice you can add a bit of water or orange juice to make up for the missing part.

Place all the cherries plus 150 ml (5 fluid ounce) in a saucepan. Turn on the heat to low and let it come to a boil. Make sure to stir gently regularly!

In another bowl you combine the sugar, cornstarch and the lemon juice with a little bit of the cherry juice as well. Stir this into a paste and when your cherry mixture in the pan is boiling add the cornstarch mix. The amount of sugar you use is optional. I’ve used 50 gram (1.5 to 2 ounces) but you can use more sugar if you want it really sweet. It also depends on the sweetness of your cherries. If you’re using sour cherries or tart cherries you might want a bit more sugar. Just test it and add more if you want.

You let it boil for approximately 5 to 10 minutes or until it is thick enough. You can test this by adding a little bit of the liquid on a plate. You can see and feel if it is ready with your fingers. Easiest is to let it cool slightly and then move a finger through the juice. If the stripe stays it is ready. If the two halves flow back together it is not done yet.

When your cherry pie filling is done pour into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it cool completely.

Fresh vs canned cherries

Now while this is totally delicious with fresh fruit, the end result with either fresh or canned is really the same. The only difference is that you might have to add a bit of water as you won’t have cherry juice like the canned stuff does. I love adding a bit of orange juice instead of the water for extra flavor.

Adding flavor

While this delicious pie filling is perfect on it’s own, you can add flavor to your own pie fillings. Think about adding some almond extract or vanilla extract for instance. Adding some extra lemon or lime zest is also a good option. It also depends on what you will be using it for. The flavor is much richer than canned pie fillings (or so I think) so keep in mind what you want to use it for.

Strawberry season has been in full swing for a while now, so now is the time to take advantage of it and get into the kitchen with fresh strawberries. I made my favorite strawberry custard tart. I love how delicious a summer strawberry custard pie is.

Easy strawberry custard tart

Of course the tart is filled with fresh homemade pastry cream and in addition I used some chopped fresh mint on top. That really gives a special touch to the cake, but you could also substitute the mint for basil.

This strawberry custard pie wasn’t the only thing I’ve been baking with strawberries lately. If there is a container of strawberries staring at you every day when you open the refrigerator door, plenty of great recipes will come to mind. I can promise you that.

More strawberry recipes

Can’t wait? Then I already have these yummy strawberry recipes for you:

• No-bake strawberry cheesecake bites
• Strawberry milkshake
• Strawberry crumble cake

How to make a custard tart?

A custard tart is one of my favorite pies. The tart is made of a shortbread crust filled with delicious pastry cream. You can fill the custard tart any way you like.

For this recipe, I used strawberries, of course; after all, a strawberry pie needs them. But if you feel like varying, you can easily replace the strawberries with another kind of fruit.

I once made a rainbow tart by using all kinds of different fruits. It was very popular with everyone!

Are you already following Laura’s Bakery on Instagram? There I not only share every new recipe that comes online, but also peeks behind the scenes and fun video reels with recipes, baking tips or how to’s!

It doesn’t happen often that I have made a recipe many times before, but it hasn’t been online at Laura’s Bakery at all. Time to change that I thought, because these strawberry cupcakes are way too delicious not to share!

Strawberry cupcakes recipe

So I recently stocked up on a whole load of fresh and flavorful strawberries that are now in season. Way more than I needed for this cupcake recipe, but I just love strawberries. During strawberry season I eat some of this red fruit almost every day. For breakfast, dessert or just in between.

Vanilla cupcakes with strawberry filling

For this cupcake recipe, I bake simple but oh-so-delicious vanilla cupcakes as a base. With an apple corer I take out some cake to fill with strawberry jam. Small pieces of strawberry can also be used by the way, but I personally like the jam very much.

If you like, you can also fold small pieces of strawberry through the batter. Keep in mind that the cupcakes might need some extra time in the oven. This is because with this fresh red fruit, you are also adding extra moisture to the batter.

TIP: If you clean your strawberries, do so before removing the crowns. This is because otherwise the strawberries will suck up the water and then your strawberries will have less flavor.

Mascarpone frosting

You can also make the topping several ways. I have made strawberry cupcake with buttercream before, but these days I often choose mascarpone frosting as the topping.

In this case, I also flavor this mascarpone cream, with strawberry jam. This not only makes it very tasty, but also gives it a nice color right away. You can choose to give the frosting more color with some red or pink food coloring. I never do this, I like the subtle color.

On top of the frosting, place half a strawberry. Gorgeous cupcake, isn’t it? You can go a little further with the decoration and add sprinkles, or chocolate sprinkles. Ooh, now I have an idea for chocolate chip cupcakes with strawberries. Now you know how I come up with my new recipes. Often they just pop into my head. Out of the blue, or because I am working on another recipe.

More strawberry recipes

If, like me, you always have strawberries in the house at the moment, you probably want to bake with them. Lucky for you, I’ve made many more recipes with strawberries; these are a few favorites:

• No bake strawberry cheesecake bites
• Strawberry milkshake
• Strawberry custard tart

Print Recipe

4.60 from 5 votes

Strawberry cupcakes recipe

Now that strawberries are back in season, I love making all kinds of recipes with them. These strawberry cupcakes are a favorite around here.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time18 minutes mins

Total Time38 minutes mins

Servings: 12 servings

Equipment

• Cupcake baking pan
• Cupcake liners
• cookie scoop
• Apple corer

Ingredients

• 180 grams of unsalted butter
• 135 grams of fine granulated sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 4 eggs
• 180 grams of self rising flour
• Pinch of Salt

Filling and topping

• 12 tsp strawberry jam cupcake filling
• 180 ml whipping cream
• 3 tbsp vanilla sugar
• 375 grams of mascarpone
• 150 grams of strawberry jam mascarpone frosting
• 6 strawberries

Metric – US Customary

Instructions

• Mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add the vanilla extract and eggs one at a time. Do not add the next one until the first egg is fully incorporated.
• Then add self-rising flour and salt, mix until these dry ingredients are incorporated into the batter.
• Take a cupcake baking pan and place the cupcake liners in the cavities, divide the batter between the cups. I personally do this with an cookie scoop/ice cream scoop. It works easily and you can distribute the batter nicely evenly this way.
• Bake the cupcakes for about 18 minutes at 180 °C/ 350 ℉ (conventional).
• Let them rest in the baking tin for a while before letting the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
• Use an apple corer to remove some cake from the center of each cupcake. Do not make the hole all the way to the bottom.
• Fill each cavity in the cupcakes with strawberry jam.
• To make the mascarpone frosting put whipping cream, vanilla sugar and mascarpone in a bowl. Mix briefly on a low setting and then on a high setting until the mixture is firm.
• Lastly, add the strawberry jam and mix it into the mascarpone frosting on a low setting.
• Fill a piping bag with star shaped nozzle with the strawberry mascarpone frosting and pipe nice swirls on the cupcakes.
• Decorate each cupcake with half a strawberry to complete your strawberry cupcakes.

Now that strawberry season has arrived, I buy strawberries on a weekly basis. They go into my yogurt in the morning or I have a small bowl of this delicious red fruit for dessert. By the way, my pet bunny Lot gets the crowns I cut off the strawberries, she loves them.

The strawberries are currently delicious in taste and don’t even need extra sugar if you eat them right out of a bowl. Or you bake with them, I can recommend this strawberry crumble cake. We have all been enjoying it here!

Strawberry crumble cake

Did you know that you can make a strawberry cake in many different ways? Several options went through my mind before finally baking the one in the photo. So it could just be that more strawberry cakes will appear online. This version has a crumble topping, something I love to use in recipes.

I used my favorite springform from Le Creuset for this crumble cake. I have it for years and still looks good.

Crumble cake topping

For this recipe, I wanted to bake the strawberries with the cake so you have a deliciously smooth result. For extra texture, I added a crumble topping. That extra texture and flavor are wonderfully delicious!

Such a crumble topping is easily made from some butter, sugar, flour and salt. I also like to add some oatmeal. This makes the crumble extra tasty, oatmeal not only gives extra flavor, but also an extra tasty texture.

It is just a matter of putting all the ingredients for the topping in a bowl and using your fingers to work them into a crumbly dough. Sprinkle over the cake and then it can be placed in the oven.

Strawberry cake

You can serve this strawberry cake with crumble topping just as is, but to make it a real treat, I can recommend serving some whipped cream with it. You will definitely be thanked for that. Although I must say that everyone here has been enjoying it even without the whipped cream.

More strawberry recipes

Now that strawberry season has started again, you’ll probably want to use strawberries more often. We have already done so, as there will be more delicious recipes with strawberries this month. There are already several strawberry recipes online, here are a few of my favorites:

• No bake strawberry cheesecake bites
• Strawberry custard tart
• Strawberry cupcakes
• Strawberry milkshake