This easy Lemon Cheesecake Bites recipe is made in 10 minutes using only a box of cake mix, cream cheese, and melted candy for coating. These no-bake balls are bursting with sweet citrus and tangy flavor; they’re the perfect small-sized treats in a two-bite package.
No Bake Lemon Cheesecake Balls
These Lemon Cheesecake Bites are the perfect bite-sized treat! They have a delicious, creamy lemon cheesecake filling dipped inside a hard chocolate shell.
The base of these balls is prepared with a box of dry cake mix (no eggs, oil, butter, or baking needed!) that’s blended with cream cheese, then rolled into mini lemon cheesecakes and covered in a decorated candy coating.
When you lack the time to cook a whole cake just to taste one bite, then this lemon cheesecake recipe is your shortcut solution because there are far fewer ingredients and you don’t have to bake the batter or cook a graham cracker crust.
With a rich and creamy lemon cheesecake filling and a smooth outer coating, these mini cheesecake bites are the best marriage of my lemon cake mix cookies and lemon cheesecake bars, packed into individual bite-sized truffle balls.
Why We Love Lemon Cheesecake Balls
- Quick and easy to make in 10 minutes.
- Only uses 4 ingredients.
- They taste like a classic lemon cheesecake that you don’t have to cook.
- Rich and creamy texture and a delicious sweet and tangy taste.
- Single-serving snacks are pre-portioned, portable, and fun to pop in your mouth.
- Perfect homemade sweet treat for parties, seasonal celebrations, birthdays, or placing on dessert platters.
Lemon Cheesecake Bites Ingredients
- Lemon cake mix: I used Betty Crocker Super Moist brand for this recipe but you can use your favorite.
- Cream cheese
- Yellow candy melts
- White (vanilla) almond bark
Substitutions and Additions
- Change The Cake Flavor: You can swap out the lemon flavored cake mix for your favorite cake mix flavors such as red velvet, chocolate, vanilla, funfetti (fun for birthdays), or any flavor you prefer. Check out my Cherry Chip Cheesecake Bites, Carrot Cake Cheesecake Bites, and Red Velvet Cheesecake Bites for similar recipes with different flavor combinations.
- Change The Coating: You can also change the flavor of almond bark or melting candies to chocolate or vanilla if you change the flavor of the cake mix. You can use white chocolate, milk chocolate, or dark chocolate disks to coat these lemon cake mix cream cheese balls. I prefer not to use chocolate chips because the chocolate won’t turn out as smooth.
- Different Decorations: You can add some white or colorful sprinkles to the almond bark drizzle while it is still soft for a fun garnish. Or use colored sanding sugar, cookie crumbles, or crushed nuts to make them festive for any celebration.
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Handheld mixer
- Baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- 1 Tablespoon cookie scoop
See Full Recipe Card Below
Jump to RecipeHow to Make Lemon Cheesecake Bites
- Heat Treat: Microwave the dry cake mix in two 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval. Cool completely before mixing into the cream cheese.
- Make The Cheesecake Mixture: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the dry cake mix and mix until incorporated. Cover and chill for 2 hours.
- Make The Ball Bites: Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop, roll into balls, and set them onto the baking sheet.
- Coat In Candy: Melt the candy wafer melts in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Roll each ball in the melted candy wafers to fully coat, and place onto the baking sheet.
Pro Tip: Place the coated ball on a fork and gently tap to remove any excess coating. You can use a spoon to pour the coating over any bare spots. Use a toothpick to gently push the coated bite onto the baking sheet. - Decorate With A Drizzle: Melt the white almond bark and drizzle thin ribbons over the coated cheesecake bites. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve: Served chilled and enjoy!
Tips for the Best Lemon Cheesecake Bites
- These lemon cheesecake bites should be served chilled.
- I used the SweetTooth Fairy brand of colored melting wafers for this recipe. They can be found at Michael’s, and other craft stores, as well as online. I find they melt very well and are consistent when working with them.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to avoid lumps in the cream cheese mixture.
- I prefer using full-fat cream cheese for this recipe because I think it gives these treats the most flavor and richness. Reduced fat would still work, but they may not be as rich tasting.
- You can place the melted almond bark in a small piping bag, or sandwich bag, and snip the corner to drizzle the almond bark if you want more control of the drizzle.
- To keep the chocolate coating from cracking, be sure to let the bites come to room temperature before dipping. The closer the bites and chocolate are in temperature will help keep them from expanding and from cracking.
Why Do I Have to Heat Treat My Dry Cake Mix?
It is important to heat treat the dry cake mix before adding it to the cream cheese. Flour in uncooked batter can cause sickness and can carry bacteria. So, a quick heat treatment is needed to ensure that those germs are killed off. It’s super easy to do this by placing it in the microwave or oven for 1-2 minutes.
More Easy Cheesecake Ball Recipes
How to Store Cheesecake Bites
- To Store: They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze, and store, the uncoated cheesecake bites for up to 2 months. You will need to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before coating them.
More Delicious Recipes
- Chocolate Lasagna Recipe
- S’Mores In The Oven
- Ritz Churro Bites
- Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries
- Butterscotch Marshmallow Squares
- Mini Snickers Cheesecake
- Fireball Whiskey Balls
- Lemon Drop Cakes
Lemon Cheesecake Bites
Serves — 22
Lemon Cheesecake Bites make the best no bake dessert balls in only 10 minutes. Quick, easy, and bursting with citrus flavor, finger food is always fun for parties and cookie platters.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Chill Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces boxed lemon cake mix I used Betty Crocker Super Moist brand
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 12 ounces yellow candy melts
- 4 ounces white (vanilla) almond bark
Instructions
- Before adding the cake mix, it is important to heat treat the dry cake mix. Pour the dry cake mix into a medium-sized heat-safe bowl. Microwave the cake mix in two 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Allow the cake mix to cool completely before mixing it into the cream cheese.
- Using a medium-sized mixing bowl and a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat the cream cheese for 2 to 2½ minutes until completely smooth.
- Sprinkle the dry cake mix over the top of the cream cheese. Continue mixing just until the dry cake mix is completely incorporated.
- Tightly cover the cream cheese mixture and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set it aside.
- Using a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, scoop the cheesecake dough. Roll into a ball and set the cheesecake bites onto the prepared baking sheet. Repeat the steps.
- Using a heat-safe medium-sized mixing bowl, heat the candy wafer melts in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until completely melted.
- Roll the cheesecake bites in the melted candy wafers. Place the coated cheesecake bites on a fork and gently tap any excess coating off. You can also use a spoon to pour the coating over any bare spots on the cheesecake bites. Use a toothpick to remove excess melted wafer from the bottom of the fork and then to gently push the ball onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Return the coated cheesecake bites to the prepared baking sheet.
- Using a small heat safe mixing bowl, microwave the white almond bark in 30-second intervals, stirring well after each interval.
- Using a spoon or small dipper, drizzle thin ribbons of the melted almond bark over the coated cheesecake bites.
- Once all the cheesecake bites are completely coated and drizzled, return them to the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Jenn’s Notes
Storage:
- To Store: They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To Freeze: You can freeze, and store, the uncoated cheesecake bites for up to 2 months. You will need to thaw them overnight in the refrigerator before coating them.
- These lemon cheesecake bites should be served chilled.
- I used the SweetTooth Fairy brand of colored melting wafers for this recipe. They can be found at Michael’s, and other craft stores, as well as online. I find they melt very well and are consistent when working with them.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature to avoid lumps in the cream cheese mixture.
- To keep the chocolate coating from cracking, be sure to let the bites come to room temperature before dipping. The closer the bites and chocolate are in temperature will help keep them from expanding and from cracking.
- I prefer using full-fat cream cheese for this recipe because I think it gives these treats the most flavor and richness. Reduced fat would still work, but they may not be as rich tasting.
- You can place the melted almond bark in a small piping bag, or sandwich bag, and snip the corner to drizzle the almond bark if you want more control of the drizzle.
Nutrition Info
Calories: 147kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 1mg | Sodium: 224mg | Potassium: 38mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 5IU | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 0.4mg
they look great can’t wait to try
they sound and look amazing I can’t wait to make the
looking forward to making tomorrow!!
So delicious… Easy as that and they are cool and easy to make
it’s so easy and fun..
So good… easy and they are cool to make