Every party table needs one dessert you can pull out of the freezer at the last minute and still look like you fussed. These cheesecake bites are that dessert. They are small enough to eat standing up with a glass of something cold and bubbly, sturdy enough to hold their shape in a paper liner, and the whole tray can be built a day ahead. There is no oven, no water bath and no gelatin — just a buttery graham base, a tangy filling lightened with Greek yogurt, and a bright pile of diced strawberries on top. If your New Year’s Eve plans involve a crowd and a host who would rather not be in the kitchen at midnight, start here.

Why These No-Bake Cheesecake Bites Work

A baked cheesecake is a project. These are not. The crust is pressed into a mini muffin pan and set in the freezer for ten minutes, so there is no blind baking and no springform pan to wrestle with. The filling comes together in one bowl in about three minutes — cream cheese beaten smooth first, then Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla and lemon juice until it turns light and airy. Chilling does the rest of the work, which means the filling sets without gelatin and without turning on the oven. The yogurt is what keeps these bites from tasting flat: it brings a gentle tang that balances the honey and stops the whole thing from landing like a mouthful of frosting. Each bite is roughly two bites’ worth of dessert, which is exactly the size you want on a table that also has cookies and a cheese board.

Greek Yogurt and Light Cream Cheese

The ingredient list is short and forgiving. You need graham cracker crumbs (about eight full sheets, crushed), melted butter, a pinch of salt, one eight-ounce package of light cream cheese, plain nonfat Greek yogurt, honey, vanilla, lemon juice and fresh strawberries. A few swaps work well. Digestive biscuits or gluten-free graham crackers can replace the graham crumbs one for one. Maple syrup can stand in for the honey, though it will taste a little less floral. Raspberries, blueberries or a spoonful of cherry preserves can take the place of the strawberries. What I would not swap is the Greek yogurt — regular yogurt is too thin and the filling will not hold its shape — or the full beating time, which is what gives the filling its lift. If you only have full-fat cream cheese, use it; the bites will be a touch richer and will set a little firmer.

Tips for a Party-Ready Cheesecake Bite Tray

Press the crust hard. Loose crumbs will fall apart the moment someone picks a bite up, so use the bottom of a small glass or the back of a measuring spoon and lean into it. Freeze the crusts before the filling goes in; ten minutes is enough to stop the two layers from mixing. Beat the cream cheese on its own first, before anything else goes into the bowl, or you will chase lumps for twice as long. Fill each cup about three-quarters full so the tops stay flat and the bites lift out cleanly. Give them the full two hours in the freezer, or four in the fridge for a softer set, and do not rush the last step: keep the diced strawberries in the fridge and spoon them on just before the tray goes out. Cut strawberries sitting on the filling for hours will start to weep.

Storing and Serving Cheesecake Bites

These bites are happiest cold. Keep them in the freezer in the pan, covered tightly, for up to a month, or move them to an airtight container once they are solid. Thaw at room temperature for about ten minutes before serving — long enough to soften the crust, not long enough to let the filling slump. For a party, set them out on a platter in a single layer and keep the tray away from a hot oven or a lit candle. They travel well in a cooler with a bag of ice, which makes them a good thing to bring if you are not hosting. Paper liners can stay on for serving and get peeled back as people eat, or you can lift the bites out and set them straight on the platter for a cleaner look.