Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cups (Print Page)

Rich chocolate biscuit layered with creamy filling and fresh strawberries in easy-to-serve cups.

# What You Need:

→ Base

01 - 5.3 ounces chocolate digestive biscuits or chocolate graham crackers, crushed
02 - 1.8 ounces unsalted butter, melted

→ Cheesecake Filling

03 - 8.8 ounces cream cheese, softened
04 - 2.8 ounces powdered sugar
05 - 6.8 fluid ounces heavy cream, cold
06 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Layer

07 - 7.1 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
08 - 1 tablespoon sugar, optional

→ Chocolate Ganache

09 - 2.8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
10 - 2.7 fluid ounces heavy cream

→ Garnish

11 - 6 whole strawberries
12 - Dark chocolate shavings, optional
13 - Crushed pistachios, optional

# Directions:

01 - In a mixing bowl, combine crushed chocolate biscuits with melted butter until evenly incorporated. Distribute the mixture equally among six serving cups, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to create a compact, even base layer.
02 - In a large bowl, beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until the mixture reaches a smooth, homogeneous consistency. In a separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream with vanilla extract to soft peaks. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture using a spatula until fully incorporated and creamy throughout.
03 - Spoon or pipe the prepared cheesecake filling over the biscuit bases in each cup, distributing evenly and smoothing the tops with an offset spatula or the back of a spoon.
04 - Toss sliced strawberries with sugar if desired and allow them to rest for 10 minutes to release their natural juices and develop enhanced sweetness. Layer the macerated strawberries evenly across the cheesecake filling in each cup.
05 - Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan until it just reaches a simmer. Pour the hot cream over chopped dark chocolate and let sit undisturbed for 1 minute. Whisk until the mixture becomes smooth and glossy. Cool slightly, then spoon a thin, even layer of ganache over the strawberries in each cup.
06 - Refrigerate the prepared cups for a minimum of 2 hours to allow the layers to set completely and the flavors to meld.
07 - Before serving, top each cup with a whole strawberry, dark chocolate shavings, and crushed pistachios as desired for enhanced visual appeal and textural contrast.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No baking required means you can make these while still in your weeknight clothes, straight from work.
  • They're deceptively fancy enough to impress anyone, yet almost impossible to mess up once you know the trick with the whipped cream.
  • Each cup is a personal portion, which means no arguing over slice sizes and less cleanup after dinner.
02 -
  • The biggest mistake is over-folding the whipped cream into the cheese mixture; a few white streaks are okay and actually better than deflating all that air you worked to create.
  • Don't skip the cooling time for the ganache before you pour it over the strawberries, or it'll melt them into sadness instead of keeping them bright and distinct.
03 -
  • Use an immersion blender or electric mixer for the cream cheese step—hand whisking will work, but your arm will remember it tomorrow.
  • If your ganache seizes up and gets grainy, add a splash more cream and stir gently over low heat until it comes back together and becomes glossy again.
Go Back