These berry phyllo cups with lemon cheesecake cream are ridiculously quick and easy to make, and really tasty too. Plus, they're conveniently patriotically colored (for those times where that's a bonus).

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Holidays like Memorial Day and 4th July are a great excuse to get people over and fire up the grill. It helps that the weather is a bit more consistent here in most places than my dear old UK. But on the flipside, I think the fact people get less vacation days here, the holidays are all the more welcome.

Berry phyllo cups with lemon cheesecake cream close up

Whatever the reason, I'll take it, and I always have a few ideas to choose from for the menu. What I often seem to forget to plan, though, is dessert. I don't know if it's just we're not huge dessert people or that the focus is on the grill and sides, but I sometimes have a last minute panic that I've not thought about it.

These berry phyllo cups are just the thing for last minute planners, or even if you just need something easy. They're perfect finger food and both small and light, since I'm guessing you might be a bit full after all that grilled food. You can half prepare them ahead of time, too, to make them even easier to enjoy.

How to make berry phyllo cups

These little bites make use of ready-made mini phyllo cups that you can buy frozen and that take just a minute to defrost. They are really handy for various things from mini desserts like this to savory appetizers like my hot phyllo crab cups.

Here they are filled with what I've called a lemon cheesecake cream that's simply cream cheese, yogurt, lemon and honey. Slice a couple strawberries and put them and some blueberries on top and there you have it.

These are such a super easy dessert but the fact the cheesecake cream is not out of a packet makes them feel like you have put a little effort in to them. You don't have to tell it's really quick to make. Plus, there's only a little bit of honey and all that lovely fruit so they are fairly healthy too. They are great for a party since they are so quick and easy but look fairly impressive as you pass them round.

filling phyllo cups with lemon cheesecake cream with berries sitting to side

More easy desserts

If you'd like to put together a few different easy desserts, why not also make some grilled peaches or lime mascarpone cheesecake shooters. If it's hot then make some mango paletas and strawberry coconut popsicles ahead of time to enjoy too.

Make-ahead desserts that serve a crowd, like a Swedish cheesecake or sour cream apple cake are also a great option. A bright lemon cheesecake or a batch of key lime bars would also be great.

These berry phyllo cups have a lovely balance of sweet juicy fruit, crisp pastry and slightly tart lemony creaminess. Personally there's no way I could have just one so you might want to make a big batch of them. But it still won't take long and I think everyone will thank you for it. Go ahead and give them a try - it will only take you a few minutes - and you'll see what I mean.

Berry phyllo cups with lemon cheesecake cream close up on one bite

Try these other easy no bake desserts:

Apple panna cotta
Mango cheesecake parfait
Crema Catalana (similar to crème brûlée)
Creme anglaise ('real' custard)
Plus get many more dessert recipes in the archives.

I used Athens mini fillo shells for these which worked great.

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Berry phyllo cups with lemon cheesecake cream

A super easy, mini dessert with a tasty combination of citrus, creaminess, fruit in a crisp shell.

Prep Time10

Total Time10

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: bites

Calories: 35kcal

Author: Caroline's Cooking

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Ingredients

1 pack phyllo pastry cups 15 pieces (also called mini phyllo shells)
4 tablespoon cream cheese ¼ cup
4 tablespoon Greek yogurt ¼ cup
½ lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon honey
6 strawberries medium
30 blueberries

Instructions

Take the frozen phyllo cups out of the packet to defrost a few minutes before you need them (they will probably only take as long as it takes to prepare everything else) - they won't take long but don't leave them in the packaging as you don't want them to potentially soak up any ice that may be in there and go soggy.
Blend together the cream cheese, yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice and honey until smooth and well combined. Core and slice the strawberries relatively thinly. You can do all of this ahead of time.
Fill the phyllo cups about ¾ full with the lemon cheesecake cream - you can spoon it in or I found it easiest to pipe it.
Stand two slices of strawberry in the middle of each cup - I use two of slightly different sizes to look a little better but it doesn't really matter - and then place a blueberry on each side. Refrigerate until ready to serve, but try not to make them more than 1 - 2hours ahead as the pastry will soften.

Nutrition

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.

Try these other patriotic recipe ideas:

Apple Slab Pie by Palatable Pastime
Patriotic Cupcakes by Family Around The Table
Red, White and Blue Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Red, White & Blue Chocolate Covered Strawberries by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Red, White & Blue Nachos by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Red, White and Blue Sangria by Simple and Savory
Red, White and Blue Scones by Culinary Adventures with Camilla