Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Tacos (Print Version)
Crispy taco shells with creamy cheesecake filling and crunchy strawberry cookie topping.
# What You'll Need:
→ Taco Shells
01 - 8 small flour tortillas
02 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
04 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
→ Cheesecake Filling
05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
08 - 1/2 cup heavy cream, cold
→ Strawberry Crunch Topping
09 - 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries
10 - 10 golden sandwich cookies (such as Golden Oreos)
→ Strawberry Sauce
11 - 1 cup fresh strawberries, diced
12 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
13 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice
# How to Make It:
01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and prepare a taco rack or position oven rack bars for shaping.
02 - Using a 3-inch round cutter, cut circles from each flour tortilla. Brush both sides of each circle with melted butter, then dip into the cinnamon-sugar mixture, coating evenly. Drape each circle over the bars of an oven rack or a taco mold to form a curved taco shape. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes until golden and crisp. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
03 - Combine freeze-dried strawberries and golden sandwich cookies in a food processor. Pulse until the mixture reaches a coarse, crumbly texture — avoid over-processing into a fine powder. Set aside in a bowl.
04 - In a large bowl, beat the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. In a separate chilled bowl, whip the cold heavy cream to stiff peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture in two additions, being careful not to deflate the cream, until fully incorporated and light.
05 - Toss the diced fresh strawberries with granulated sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. Let the mixture sit at room temperature for 10 minutes until the strawberries release their juices and form a light syrup.
06 - Fill each cooled taco shell with the cheesecake filling using a piping bag or a spoon. Sprinkle generously with the strawberry crunch topping, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere. Drizzle with the prepared strawberry sauce if desired.
07 - Serve immediately for a soft, creamy texture, or refrigerate for 1 hour for a firmer set. Best enjoyed the same day.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Everything you crave about cheesecake but handheld, crunchy, and impossibly fun to eat.
- The freeze dried strawberry and cookie crunch topping is genuinely addictive and takes two seconds to make.
02 -
- If the tortilla circles are too warm when you try to shape them they will crack, work quickly while they are still pliable right out of the butter.
- Folding the whipped cream too aggressively deflates it and turns your fluffy filling into something dense and heavy.
03 -
- Set the cream cheese out when you wake up and it will be perfectly soft by the time you are ready to mix.
- Doubling the crunch topping is never a mistake because it disappears fast and keeps indefinitely in a sealed jar.