The prep process for these cupcakes are simplified by using a box of vanilla cake mix 🙂 Let’s get started!

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix*
• 1 cup milk, 237ml
• ½ cup melted butter, 113g
• 3 egg whites
• ½ can sweetened condensed milk, 268g

*If you’re using a different brand of cake mix, follow the ingredients listed on the box (water, oil, eggs, etc.) and replace the amount of water with milk and the amount of oil with melted butter.

For the Strawberry Sauce:

• 10 oz strawberries, 250g
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar, 60g
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 15ml

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ½ package cream cheese, 120g
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 240ml
• ½ cup powdered sugar, 65g
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 5ml

(Optional) For the Strawberry Rabbit Toppings:

• 9 strawberries
• 2 tablespoons white chocolate chips, 20g
• 1 tablespoon milk chocolate chips, 10g
• Black food coloring
• Pink sugar sprinkles

How to make strawberry cheesecake cups:

For the cupcakes:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the cupcake pans with liners.
2. In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, milk, and egg whites. Then add melted butter and beat well.
3. Pour the cake batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Let the cupcakes cool slightly.
5. Once the cupcakes have cooled slightly, poke holes over the top of each cupcake.
6. Pour the sweetened condensed milk onto the cupcakes, spreading it over the holes. Place the cupcakes in the fridge to chill.

For the Strawberry Sauce:

1. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.
2. Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes at 500 watts.
3. While the mixture is hot, use a handheld blender or a potato masher to smash the strawberries.
4. Pour the mashed strawberries on top of the cupcakes and return them to the fridge to chill.

(Optional) For the Strawberry Rabbit Toppings:

1. Remove the leaves from the strawberries and cut them in half.

2. Cut the tips of the strawberries in a V-shape to resemble rabbit ears.

3. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in 15-second increments.

4. Place the melted white chocolate on top of the strawberries using a small spoon or by piping it.

5. In another microwave-safe bowl, melt the milk chocolate chips in 15-second increments. Add a dash of black food coloring and mix well.

6. Place the black chocolate mixture in a piping bag and use it to draw faces on top of the white chocolate. Let them dry.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. Before starting, place your mixing bowl in the freezer or fridge for 5-10 minutes.
2. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and free of lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
3. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and mix well.
4. Pour in the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
5. Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake.

(Optional) Additional decoration:

1. Place a strawberry rabbit on top of each cupcake.
2. Sprinkle some pink sugar crusts for an extra touch of sweetness.

How to Poke Holes in a Cupcake

To infuse the inside of the cake with the sweetened condensed milk and strawberry sauce, you can use the handle end of a round spoon. If you don’t have one, a handle end of a wooden spoon or a long piping tip should work just fine. Simply poke holes vertically all over the cake, making sure to do this while the cake is still slightly warm.

If you like this strawberry cheesecake cup, you may also like:

• Blueberry Mousse Cake
• Baked Mochi Donuts – Rilakkuma & Hello Kitty
• Hello Kitty Cake Roll – A step by step recipe with a template

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Strawberry Cheesecake Cup

This strawberry cheesecake cup is filled with a delightful combination of sweetened condensed milk and fresh strawberry sauce. To add the perfect finishing touch, I’ve topped them off with fluffy cream cheese frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword Cake, Cheesecake, Strawberry

Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes minutes

Servings 9 cupcakes

Equipment

• 9 Cupcake liners
• 2 Large bowls
• 1 Wooden Spoon or Piping tip
• 3 microwave-safe bowl
• 1 handheld mixer or potato musher
• 2 – 3 Piping Bags
• 1 Hand mixer/stand mixer

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix* See Note 1
• 1 cup Milk 237ml
• ½ cup Melted Butter 113g
• 3 Egg White
• ½ can Sweetened Condensed Milk 268g

For the Strawberry Sauce

• 10 ounce Strawberries 250g
• ⅓ cup Granulated Sugar 60g
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 15ml

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• ½ package Cream Cheese 120g
• 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream 240ml
• ½ cup Powdered Sugar 65g
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 5ml

(Optional) For the Strawberry Rabbit Toppings

• 9 Strawberries
• 2 tablespoons White Cholate Chips 20g
• 1 tablespoon Milk Chocolate Chips 10g
• Black food coloring
• Pink Sugar Sprinkles

Instructions

For the Cupcakes

• Preheat the oven to 350°F and line the cupcake pans with liners.
• In a large bowl, mix the cake mix, milk, and egg whites. Then add melted butter and beat well.
• Pour the cake batter into the cupcake liners and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Let the cupcakes cool slightly.
• Once the cupcakes have cooled slightly, poke holes over the top of each cupcake.
• Pour the sweetened condensed milk onto the cupcakes, spreading it over the holes. Place the cupcakes in the fridge to chill.

For the Strawberry Sauce

• In a microwave-safe bowl, mix the strawberries, granulated sugar, and lemon juice.
• Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave for 3 minutes at 500 watts.
• While the mixture is hot, use a handheld blender or a potato masher to smash the strawberries.
• Pour the mashed strawberries on top of the cupcakes and return them to the fridge to chill.

(Optional) For the Strawberry Rabbit Toppings

• Remove the leaves from the strawberries and cut them in half.
• Cut the tips of the strawberries in a V-shape to resemble rabbit ears.
• In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate chips in 15-second increments.
• Place the melted white chocolate on top of the strawberries using a small spoon or by piping it.
• In another microwave-safe bowl, melt the milk chocolate chips in 15-second increments. Add a dash of black food coloring and mix well.
• Place the black chocolate mixture in a piping bag and use it to draw faces on top of the white chocolate. Let them dry.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Before starting, place your mixing bowl in the freezer or fridge for 5-10 minutes.
• Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth and free of lumps, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
• Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract, and mix well.
• Pour in the heavy whipping cream and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
• Transfer the cream cheese frosting to a piping bag and pipe the frosting on top of each cupcake.

(Optional) Additional Decoration

• Place a strawberry rabbit on top of each cupcake.
• Sprinkle some pink sugar crusts for an extra touch of sweetness.

Notes

*Note 1: If you’re using a different brand of cake mix, follow the ingredients listed on the box (water, oil, eggs, etc.) and replace the amount of water with milk and the amount of oil with melted butter.

The post Strawberry Cheesecake Cup appeared first on Simply A Homebody.

I love bagels, but they are not exactly guilt-free snacks. The average calorie of a plain bagel is 360 calories, and if you add one tablespoon of cream cheese, the calories go up to 430 calories 🙁

So I decided to make a lower-calorie (less-guilty) version of bagels. These stuffed bagel bites are only 139 calories each WITH cream cheese, and I also incorporated special ingredients for extra nutrients.

Ingredients for These Stuffed Bagel Bites

• Bread Flour – Bread flour has higher protein content than all-purpose flour. Protein keeps you full longer and produces more gluten, which gives a chewier texture.
• Oatmeal (Oat Flour) – By simply grinding oatmeal, I created oat flour. Oat flour has more protein and soluble fiber than all-purpose flour.
• Kosher Salt
• Active Dry Yeast
• Warm Water – for yeast
• Sugar – for yeast
• Olive Oil
• Everything Bagel Seasoning – or any seasoning you like
• Low-Fat Cream Cheese (Neufchatel Cheese)
• Feta Cheese – low-calorie and low-fat cheese and also a good source of B vitamins, calcium, and phosphorus.

Tips for Baking These Stuffed Bagel Bites

Baking bagels at home is not as difficult as you may think. Here are some helpful tips before starting the process:

Kneading

Not kneading enough or kneading too much will be a problem. Knead until the dough is smooth on the outside, springs back when pressed on with your fingers, and is no longer sticky. ^[1]

Rising Dough

The best temperature for yeast fermentation is between 90˚F-95˚F (32˚C-35˚C) ^[2], but what if you are in a cold environment? Instead of cranking up the room temperature, heat your oven to the lowest temperature that you can set to (Mine was 170˚F). Then, turn it off and slightly leave the door open. Cool the inside till it hits somewhat similar to a hot summer day temperature. Then place the dough to rise inside the oven and close the door.

Instruction

Preparation (If you are making homemade oat flour) – Grind quick oats or any oats in a blender/food processor until they become fine powders.

1. In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine the active dry yeast and warm water. Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy. 
2. Add bread flour, oat flour, sugar, and salt. Mix by hand or with the dough hook at low speed for 1 minute. Once all of the ingredients are mixed, add olive oil and slowly knead by hand or with your dough hook on low-medium speed until all is combined. After kneading, your dough should be smooth and elastic.

3. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm environment (about 75°F or 80°F/24°C or 27°C)* for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. While the dough is rising, prepare a cream cheese mixture. Put cream cheese and feta cheese in a small bowl and mix until combined. Set it aside in the refrigerator. 

5. Once the dough has risen, punch the dough down to release the air. Divide the dough into 30g each (or about the size of a ping pong ball). Flatten each piece with your fingers or use a rolling pin. Place the cream cheese mixture in the center of the flattened dough, then fold the dough around to wrap the filling inside. Pinch the opening to seal as best as you can. Repeat this process until you have 14 bagel bites and set them aside in a warm environment.

6. Preheat the oven to 400F.

7. In a large pot, start heating up some water. Once the water starts boiling, drop the bagel bites and boil them for about 1 minute. Then take them out of the water and drain.

8. In a small bowl, place Everything bagel seasoning. Roll the bagel bites in the seasoning to coat them all around then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

9. Bake the bagel bites for 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove the bagel bites from the oven and allow them to cool.

If you like these stuffed bagel bites, you may also like:

• Ham and Cheese Pockets – Rilakkuma
• Mini Cream Puffs – 0 Carbs and 0 Sugar
• Mini Chocolate Cheesecakes – Low-Sugar & Crustless

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Stuffed Bagel Bites – Healthier Version

These cream cheese stuffed bagel bites have less than half of the calories of average bagels and are also packed with extra nutrients.

Course Snack

Cuisine American

Keyword bagel

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Resting Time 1 hour hour

Servings 14 Bites

Calories 139kcal

Equipment

• Blendar/Food Processor (if making homemade oat flour)
• Large pot
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• Stand Mixer (Optional)
• Digital Kitchen Scale (Optional)
• A Rolling Pin (Optional)

Ingredients

• 1 cup bread flour 150g
• 1 cup oat flour or powdered oats 100g
• ⅔ cup warm water, not hot 160ml
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 3g
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 3g
• 1½ Tablespoon sugar 20g
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 8 ounce low-fat cream cheese Neufchatel Cheese
• ½ cup feta cheese, crumbled 75g
• ½ cup Everything Bagel seasoning or any seasoning of your choice

Instructions

Preparation (if you are making homemade oat flour)

• Grind quick oats or any oats in a blender or a food processor until they become fine powders

Bagel

• In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a hook attachment, combine the active dry yeast and warm water. Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy.
• Add bread flour, oat flour, sugar, and salt. Mix by hand or with the dough hook at low speed for 1 minute. Once all of the ingredients are mixed, add olive oil and slowly knead by hand or with your dough hook on low-medium speed until all is combined. After kneading, your dough should be smooth and elastic.
• Shape the dough into a ball. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm environment (about 75°F or 80°F/24°C or 27°C)* for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
• While the dough is rising, prepare a cream cheese mixture. Put cream cheese and feta cheese in a small bowl and mix until combined. Set it aside in the refrigerator.
• Once the dough has risen, punch the dough down to release the air. Divide the dough into 30g each (or about the size of a ping pong ball). Flatten each piece with your fingers or use a rolling pin. Place the cream cheese mixture in the center of the flattened dough, then fold the dough around to wrap the filling inside. Pinch the opening to seal as best as you can. Repeat this process until you have 14 bagel bites and set them aside in a warm environment.
• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• In a large pot, start heating up some water. Once the water starts boiling, drop the bagel bites and boil them for about 1 minute. Then take them out of the water and drain.
• In a small bowl, place Everything bagel seasoning. Roll the bagel bites in the seasoning to coat them all around then place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
• Bake the bagel bites for 10 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove the bagel bites from the oven and allow them to cool.

The post Stuffed Bagel Bites – Healthier Version appeared first on Simply A Homebody.