You know how deviled eggs are always the first thing to disappear at a party? Well, someone had the genius idea of doing the same thing with strawberries and a cheesecake filling, and honestly it might be one of the best food decisions ever made.
These deviled strawberries are exactly what they sound like — fresh strawberries hollowed out and piped full of the most incredible sweet cream cheese filling you have ever tasted.
The first time I made these I brought them to a family gathering expecting them to be a nice little side note on the dessert table. They were gone in under ten minutes.
People were asking for the recipe before they even finished chewing. That is the kind of reaction that makes you want to keep a batch of these in your back pocket for every occasion that comes up between now and forever.
What makes them so irresistible is the combination of textures and flavors — the fresh, slightly tart strawberry against the sweet, tangy cheesecake filling, finished with the crunch of graham cracker crumbs and a few sprinkles on top. Every single bite hits every note at once. And the fact that they take 15 minutes and require zero oven time? That is just a bonus at this point.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Ready in 15 minutes. There is no baking, no cooking, and no waiting around. You prep the strawberries, whip the filling, pipe it in, and you are done. It is genuinely one of the fastest impressive desserts you will ever make.
No baking required. The oven stays completely off. This makes deviled strawberries the perfect dessert for warm weather gatherings when the last thing you want to do is heat up the kitchen.
They look like you tried really hard. Piped cheesecake filling, a dusting of golden graham cracker crumbs, pink sprinkles on top — these look like something from a catering spread. Nobody needs to know it took you 15 minutes.
A lighter dessert option. At around 65 calories per piece, these are one of the lightest desserts you can put on a table without sacrificing any of the satisfaction. Fresh fruit as the base makes a real difference.
Perfect for any occasion. Easter, Mother’s Day, baby showers, bridal showers, birthday parties, summer cookouts — deviled strawberries fit every occasion where you need a dessert that is easy to serve, easy to eat, and easy to love.
Kids absolutely love making them. The filling step is simple enough for kids to help with, and the decorating part is genuinely fun for them. These are a great recipe to pull out when you want to cook with the little ones.
Ingredients
For the Strawberries
- 24 large fresh strawberries — size matters here, you want the biggest strawberries you can find so there is enough room to hollow them out and fill them properly. Smaller berries are frustrating to work with and do not hold much filling
- A small sharp paring knife or strawberry huller for hollowing
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature — full fat only, do not use reduced fat or the filling will be too loose and will not pipe cleanly
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted — sifting is important here, any lumps in the sugar will clog your piping tip
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice — just a touch, it brightens the whole filling and balances the sweetness
- 4 oz Cool Whip or freshly whipped heavy cream — this lightens the filling and gives it that mousse-like texture that makes it so good
For the Toppings
- 3 tablespoons graham cracker crumbs — crush a few graham crackers in a zip lock bag until you get a fine crumb, this is the finishing touch that ties the whole cheesecake flavor together
- Pink or white sprinkles — the star shaped or round sprinkles look the most elegant, but use whatever you have
- Optional: a light dusting of powdered sugar right before serving for extra visual appeal
Key Notes: The two things that will make or break this recipe are the size of your strawberries and the temperature of your cream cheese. Large, firm berries give you the best canvas to work with — avoid soft or overripe ones because they will not hold their shape once hollowed. And if your cream cheese is even slightly cold, your filling will be lumpy and difficult to pipe. Pull it out of the fridge at least an hour before you start. Room temperature cream cheese beats smooth in about 60 seconds. Cold cream cheese fights you the whole way.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1 — Prep the Strawberries
- Rinse all your strawberries thoroughly under cold water and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Water on the surface of the berries will make the filling slide and not adhere properly.
- Using a sharp paring knife, slice each strawberry in half lengthwise from the tip through the stem end, keeping the green leaves attached. The leaves serve as a natural handle and make them look much more polished on a platter.
- Using the tip of your knife or a small melon baller, carefully hollow out the center of each strawberry half. You want to remove enough of the flesh to create a small well for the filling without cutting through the bottom or sides. Think of it like making a little boat.
- Pat the inside of each hollowed strawberry dry with a paper towel. This step takes an extra minute but it keeps the filling from getting watery.
- Arrange the hollowed strawberry halves cut side up on a baking sheet or large plate while you make the filling.
Step 2 — Make the Cheesecake Filling
- Add the softened cream cheese to a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for about 90 seconds until completely smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as you go. There should be zero lumps before you add anything else.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated, then increase to medium and beat for another 30 seconds.
- Add the vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat briefly to combine.
- Add the Cool Whip or whipped cream and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula using slow strokes from the bottom of the bowl upward. Do not beat it in — folding keeps the filling light and airy rather than dense and heavy.
- Taste the filling. It should be sweet, tangy, and taste exactly like cheesecake. If you want it sweeter add a little more powdered sugar. If you want more brightness add a few more drops of lemon juice.
Step 3 — Fill the Strawberries
- Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. If you do not have a piping bag, a zip lock bag with one corner snipped off works just fine — the star tip just gives a cleaner, more professional look.
- Pipe the filling generously into each hollowed strawberry half. Start from the back and work toward the tip, applying steady even pressure to get a full, rounded mound of filling in each one.
- Do not be shy with the filling — a generous amount looks far better than a thin scraping. These are supposed to look indulgent.
- If any filling smears on the outside of the strawberry, wipe it clean with a slightly damp paper towel for a neater presentation.
Step 4 — Top and Garnish
- Using a small spoon or your fingers, sprinkle graham cracker crumbs lightly over the filling on each strawberry. A pinch per berry is all you need — you want the golden crumbs visible but not overwhelming.
- Add a small pinch of sprinkles on top of each one. A few sprinkles go a long way — this is about accent, not coverage.
- For an optional finishing touch, hold a fine mesh sieve over the platter and dust the whole thing lightly with powdered sugar right before serving.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so the filling firms up slightly and the flavors come together.
Serving Suggestions
Deviled strawberries are versatile enough to work in a lot of different settings, but here are the presentations that get the best reactions:
- Arrange them on a large white round platter in concentric circles with the stem ends pointing outward like a flower pattern. It looks intentional, beautiful, and takes about 30 seconds to set up.
- Serve them alongside other bite-sized desserts on a dessert board — think mini cheesecake bites, chocolate truffles, and macarons. The deviled strawberries anchor the fresh fruit element beautifully.
- For a brunch setting, place them on a tiered dessert stand alongside other finger foods. The height adds drama to the table and they look stunning at eye level.
- At Easter specifically, pair them with the Cadbury Eggs Dessert Dip and a fruit platter for a cohesive, colorful, no-bake dessert spread that covers every kind of sweet tooth.
- For a more elevated presentation, pipe the filling slightly higher and finish with a single small edible flower on each one instead of sprinkles. It makes them look genuinely restaurant quality with almost no extra effort.
- Serve them chilled straight from the fridge. Room temperature strawberries get soft quickly and the filling loses its structure. Cold is always better for this one.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator: Store filled deviled strawberries covered loosely with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 24 hours. After that the strawberries start to release moisture which softens the filling and makes the presentation less clean. These are best made the same day you plan to serve them or the night before at the latest.
Make ahead strategy: If you want to get ahead, prep all the components separately and assemble the morning of. Hollow the strawberries the night before, pat them dry, and store them cut side down on paper towels in an airtight container in the fridge. Make the filling and store it in a piping bag in the fridge overnight. The morning of, just pipe and garnish. Done in five minutes.
Do not freeze: Freezing completely ruins the texture of both the strawberries and the cream cheese filling. Do not attempt it — make these fresh every time.
Transporting: If you need to transport these to a gathering, arrange them in a single layer in a shallow container with a tight fitting lid. Do not stack them. Keep the container flat and cold during transport and add the graham cracker crumbs and sprinkles once you arrive so they do not get soggy in transit.
Let’s Wrap This Up
Deviled strawberries are one of those recipes that earns a completely disproportionate amount of praise for how little work they actually require. Fifteen minutes, a handful of ingredients, zero oven time, and you walk into any gathering with a platter that looks like it came from a catering company. That is a very good deal.
Make them for Easter, make them for Mother’s Day, make them for a random Tuesday when you want something sweet and fresh and just a little bit special. However you serve them, they will not last long on the table. That much I can promise you.
From my kitchen to yours — go make something delicious.
With gratitude, Kip
Deviled Strawberries — The Bite-Sized Dessert Everyone Will Be Talking About
Description
Deviled strawberries are fresh, ripe strawberries cut in half, hollowed out, and piped full of a rich, sweet cream cheese filling that tastes exactly like cheesecake. Finished with a dusting of graham cracker crumbs and a few sprinkles, they look stunning on any dessert table and take about 15 minutes from start to finish. No oven, no complicated techniques, just an incredibly easy dessert that tastes way more impressive than the effort it requires.
Ingredients
Strawberries
Cheesecake Filling
Toppings
Instructions
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Rinse and dry the strawberries. Slice each one in half lengthwise and hollow out the center of each half with a paring knife or melon baller. Pat the insides dry.
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Beat softened cream cheese until completely smooth. Add powdered sugar and beat until incorporated. Mix in vanilla and lemon juice.
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Fold in Cool Whip or whipped cream gently with a spatula until light and airy.
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Transfer filling to a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe generously into each hollowed strawberry half.
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Top each one with a pinch of graham cracker crumbs and a few sprinkles.
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Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
