Deviled (Cheesecake-Stuffed) Strawberries Recipe

Sweet treats are the perfect way to finish off a meal or brighten up your day. While cakes, cookies, and pies are delicious staples, in the summertime we sometimes don't want to turn on the oven and we're looking for something a little fresher and lighter. Daily Meal recipe developer Deniz Vergara shares this deviled cheesecake-stuffed strawberries recipe that will satisfy your sweet tooth with little effort. Plus, she points out, "They're the perfect way to enjoy classic cheesecake flavors – but lightened up!" 

Instead of using cream cheese and sour cream, Vergara swaps some of the cream cheese for vanilla-flavored Greek yogurt and says, "I promise, you will never be able to tell!" A hint of lemon zest in the filling adds the perfect tart accent to complement the juicy sweetness of the strawberries. A crumble of crushed graham crackers completes the transformation from fruit into a much-loved dessert.

If you're looking for a fun dessert that combines perfectly ripe summer strawberries with creamy tangy richness, these deviled strawberries fit the bill. "They are super easy to make and you can even make the cheesecake filling in advance and pipe it onto strawberries closer to when you want to serve them," Vergara comments, making this recipe a great option when you're hosting a summery party.

For this recipe, you'll need room temperature cream cheese, vanilla Greek yogurt, confectioner's sugar, a packet of vanilla sugar, sea salt, lemon zest, lemon juice, strawberries (cut in half lengthwise), and crushed graham crackers. If desired, save some extra lemon zest to serve.

Use a handheld mixer to beat together the cream cheese and yogurt in a medium-sized bowl until smooth and creamy.

Add in the confectioner's sugar, vanilla sugar, sea salt, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and beat again until fluffy.

Once the mixture is smooth and creamy, place it into a piping bag and cut off the tip.

Dab each strawberry half with a paper towel to absorb extra moisture.

Pipe the lemon cheesecake filling onto each strawberry half.

Garnish with graham cracker crumbs and extra lemon zest, if desired, and serve.

You'll notice that Vergara calls for a packet of vanilla sugar for this recipe. Vanilla sugar is sugar that has been infused with vanilla flavor over a period of time, usually in the form of vanilla beans and their seeds. It's an ingredient that provides sweetness and the warm aromatic taste of vanilla in the same spoonful. It's fairly common in many European countries and is becoming much easier to find in the U.S.. Vergara tells us, "Vanilla sugar can typically be found in the baking aisle in most supermarkets — look for it in small packets." If you can't find it at your supermarket or don't have time to go shopping, you can omit it and instead add 1 ½ teaspoons more of confectioners' sugar and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, paste, or powder to the filling.  

You can also easily make your own vanilla sugar, though you'll have to plan in advance. Simply combine sugar and a vanilla bean — split and seeded — in a jar and let it sit and infuse for a few weeks or even months. It's a handy ingredient to have on hand, and useful in a wide variety of recipes. If you want to switch up the flavor you can add lemon or orange zest when you infuse your vanilla sugar for a kick of citrus. 

Since fresh fruit has a limited shelf life — especially if it has been sliced — Vergara recommends eating these the day you prepare them. However, you can still get a headstart on this recipe, which will simplify things if you're planning to serve it for a summer celebration. Vergara notes that the cheesecake filling can be prepared ahead of time, which lets you break up the recipe components into a few easy parts. "You can make the filling ahead, and pipe it into the strawberry halves just before serving." Just be sure to store the filling in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

It's best to slice the strawberries and add the cream cheese mixture immediately before serving, although if stored properly in the fridge they can be put together up to a few hours before serving. Just slice the strawberries and pipe the filling into the halves as close as possible to serving time. Once assembled, they'll keep for up to a day, so you can make them earlier in the day but you might not want to store them overnight to eat the next evening. Luckily, you're not likely to have many leftovers of a sweet treat this delicious.