Celebrate Shavuot with this Easy Make Your Own Cheesecake Recipe

Seven weeks after Passover ends, we celebrate Shavuot commemorating receiving the Torah at Mt. Sinai. One of the most fun traditions on Shavuot is eating delicious dairy-based foods like blintzes, borekas, and cheesecake! One common explanation for why we eat dairy products is that when the Israelites received the Torah, it was too complicated for them to begin preparing kosher meat. As a result, they ate dairy, and now we do the same on Shavuot.
 
Try this tween-friendly easy no-bake cheesecake recipe adapted from our friends at I Wash You Dry to help you celebrate Shavuot this year.
 
Easy No-Bake Cheesecake
Adapted from I Wash You Dry
Yield: 12 mini or 6 regular muffin-sized cheesecakes
 
Supplies

• 12 mini-muffin or 6 regular muffin wrappers
• 1 muffin pan with 12 mini-muffin spaces or 6 regular spaces

 
Ingredients

• Crust:
  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup melted butter
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • You can use a Nilla Wafer placed on the bottom of the muffin cup for a quicker crust option.

 

• Filling:
  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cup cold milk
  • 3.4 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix

 

• Toppings:
  • Cherry pie filling
  • Fresh strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries
  • Crushed pineapple
  • Nutella
  • Chocolate sauce and mini-marshmallows
  • Sprinkles
  • Be creative – what else sounds good to you?!

 
Directions

• Combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and sugar in a bowl. Divide the mixture into each muffin cup and press down to form crust. Place the crusts into the freezer for 10 minutes until they firm up.
• Beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, add the pudding mix and slowly beat in the milk until fully combined. Divide among muffin cups. Refrigerate for 10 minutes.
• Top each mini cheesecake with a tablespoon of your favorite topping. Be creative! Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Enjoy!

 
Make it your own!

• Try substituting a different flavor of pudding mix!
• Make Nutella cheesecake by substituting 3/4 cup Nutella, 1/4 cup sugar, and 1/8 t vanilla extract for the milk and vanilla pudding mix.
• Superhealthykids.com recommends a healthier cheesecake filling. Using the recipe above for the crust and toppings, substitute the following for the filling:
  • 2 cups of cream cheese
  • 1 cup of whole milk plain Greek yogurt
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 2 T lemon juice
  • 1 t vanilla extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • Mix all ingredients together in a food processor, spoon it into your cupcake wrappers, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

 
Comment below to tell us what type of cheesecake you like to eat!
 
Thanks to iwashyoudry.com and superhealthykids.com for the inspiration and recipes!