Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake Taco (Printable Version)

Crisp shells meet creamy cheesecake filling with fresh strawberries and golden cookie crumble for a playful fusion dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Taco Shells

01 - 8 small flour tortillas
02 - 2 tablespoons butter, melted
03 - 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

→ Cheesecake Filling

05 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
06 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
07 - 1/3 cup powdered sugar
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Topping

09 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
10 - 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
11 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Crunch Topping

12 - 8 vanilla sandwich cookies, crushed
13 - 1/2 cup freeze-dried strawberries, crushed
14 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# Directions:

01 - Preheat the oven to 375°F.
02 - Brush both sides of each tortilla with melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon in a shallow dish. Dredge tortillas in the mixture to coat evenly.
03 - Drape tortillas over two bars of an oven rack so they hang like taco shells. Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Let cool completely.
04 - In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mix until combined. Slowly add heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy. Chill until ready to use.
05 - In a small bowl, combine diced strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Let sit for 5-10 minutes to macerate.
06 - Mix crushed cookies, freeze-dried strawberries, and melted butter until well combined.
07 - Fill each cooled taco shell with cheesecake filling using a piping bag or spoon. Top generously with strawberry mixture and sprinkle with the crunch topping.
08 - Serve immediately for best texture and crunch.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The contrast between hot cinnamon crisp shells and cool creamy filling is impossible to resist
  • Guests always do a double take when they see dessert tacos on the table
  • These come together faster than traditional cheesecake but feel just as special
02 -
  • The shells must be completely cooled before filling or they will become soggy within minutes
  • Room temperature cream cheese whips up much smoother than cold cream cheese straight from the fridge
  • These are best served immediately but the shells can be made a day ahead and stored in an airtight container
03 -
  • Use a piping bag for the neatest filling application, but a spoon works perfectly fine too
  • If your taco shells soften slightly in humid weather, pop them in a 350 degree oven for 2 minutes to recrisp

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