Easy Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cups (Printable Version)

Rich chocolate biscuit layers with creamy filling and fresh strawberries in chilled cups.

# What You'll Need:

→ Base

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

→ Cheesecake Filling

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

→ Strawberry Layer

07 - 7.1 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
08 - 1 tablespoon sugar, optional for macerating

→ Chocolate Ganache

09 - 2.8 oz dark chocolate, chopped
10 - 2.7 fl oz heavy cream

→ Garnish

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

# Steps:

01 - Combine crushed chocolate biscuits with melted butter in a bowl until evenly moistened. Divide mixture equally among six serving cups and press gently to form compact base layer.
02 - Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. In separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream and vanilla extract to soft peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated and uniform.
03 - Distribute cheesecake filling evenly over biscuit bases using a spoon or piping bag. Smooth surface of each cup for professional presentation.
04 - Toss sliced strawberries with one tablespoon sugar if desired and allow to rest for ten minutes to release juices. Layer macerated strawberries evenly over cheesecake filling in each cup.
05 - Heat heavy cream to gentle simmer. Pour immediately over chopped dark chocolate and allow one minute contact time. Stir until smooth and glossy. Cool slightly before spooning thin layer over strawberries in each cup.
06 - Refrigerate assembled cups for minimum two hours until ganache and filling are firmly set.
07 - Top each cup with whole strawberry, dark chocolate shavings, and crushed pistachios before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No baking means your kitchen stays cool and you're done in under 25 minutes of actual hands-on time.
  • Each spoonful delivers that perfect contrast of chocolate crunch, creamy richness, and bright strawberry that tastes far fancier than it actually is.
  • You can prep these the night before, so they're perfect for when guests arrive or when you're too warm to cook.
02 -
  • Overfold the cream into the cream cheese mixture and you'll deflate all your hard work—use a rubber spatula and fold in thirds, turning the bowl as you go, until you just can't see white streaks anymore.
  • The ganache temperature matters: too hot and it'll soften your filling, too cool and it'll be thick and hard to spread, so test it on your wrist like you're checking milk temperature.
03 -
  • Make the biscuit base the night before and store it covered in the fridge; it'll be ready to fill whenever you are, and the texture only improves.
  • If your cream cheese is even slightly cold, microwave it for 15-second bursts before beating, or it'll take forever to smooth out and your arm will get tired.
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