These gorgeous little delights are so easy to make and bursting with flavor, using good-for-you ingredients. They are no bake and have a nutty base layer topped with a luscious, homemade, lemon cream layer.  A seriously tasty, healthy treat!

Decadent, lemon-y, cashew filling meets almond and oat “crust.” I love that you don’t have to use your oven, and they are just the right size to satisfy a sweet tooth without over indulging.

Not Your Traditional Cheesecake

I’m always trying to be mindful of the ingredients I use in my recipes, choosing whole foods with added health benefits over ones that offer nothing but calories.  Always without sacrificing flavor, of course.

For this reason, I never ever use a graham cracker or biscuit crust, something that most cheesecake type recipes suggest. A “from scratch” nut base works well with any creamy, cheesecake like filling.

Cheesecake is one of my favorite desserts and if love cheesecake too, but don’t need an entire cheesecake in the house, try these mini cheesecakes instead. After all, who can resist a dessert when it comes in such a cute little package?

This recipe for creamy lemon cups is so simple and perfect for a small crowd. The individual ready-to-go single servings is the way to go for gatherings. They are simple, straightforward, and at only a few bites each, they are awesome for portion control.

There are few things that go together better than a nutty base topped with creamy lemon-y filling so if you are craving something delish, these small but mighty slices of heaven will definitely hit the spot.

They deliver the classic after-dinner treat you are craving but in a satisfying yet nutrition-packed treat. A delight for the eyes as these babies are sure to wow, as well as your taste buds.

The perfect portion-controlled treat for an any time healthy snack or dessert! Or any time you are craving a little something sweet but want to stay on track with your healthy eating plan. Just the ticket for satisfying your dessert cravings without overindulging.

Why you will love this recipe

Creamy and indulgent. What I love about these cheesecake cups is that they offer a velvety, creamy texture and a rich, indulgent flavor that rivals traditional cheesecake!

Endless easy flavor varieties. You can create a wide variety of flavors, from classic vanilla to fruity, chocolatey, or nutty options, making them adaptable to your taste preferences.

No baking – less mess to clean and no risk of burning these delicious treats. This also means no more excuses for those of you who “don’t know how to cook”.

If anyone is ever sceptical of treats without refined sugar or are not baked in the traditional manner, these are what I make them – they always go down a treat -always a crowd pleaser!

Healthy Zesty Lemon Cups

One of my most popular desserts ever ,these Lemon Cups look elegant and make the make a refreshing dessert! Like a cheesecake, but so much lighter, these healthier lemon cups are so easy to put together and make for a lovely chilled treat.

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine Healthy Clean Eating

Keyword clean eating dessert or snack, healhty zesty lemon cups, healthier lemon cups, healthy lemon dessert

Servings 12

Ingredients

Base Crust

• 1 cup almonds or walnuts
• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup dates, soaked 30 minutes and drained
• 1/2 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Lemon Filling

• 1 1/2 cups cashews, soaked 3+hours and drained
• 1 13.5 oz can coconut cream, full fat (solid part only) *see note below
• 2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup
• 1-2 lemons, juice and zest (depending on how lemon-y you like it)
• Pinch of turmeric (optional for extra colour)

Toppings Optional

• Lemon slices or zest
• Chopped nuts
• Fresh fruit
• Shredded coconut
• Dollop of whipped coconut cream - recipe below in notes

Instructions

Base Crust

• Note: Place the can of coconut cream in the fridge or freezer for at least 1-2 hours before making these cups to allow coconut cream to separate.

  Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin pan or use silicon muffin cups.

  Place all base crust ingredients into a food processer and process until broken down, crumbly and well combined.

  Be careful not to over process as its nice to have texture variance and different sized “bits” in your base crusts.

  Press the base mixture into the bottoms of 12 muffin cups and refrigerate while you prepare the filling.

Lemon Filling

• Open chilled can and scoop out the cream that has separated and set hard on the top. Save the remaining coconut water to use in a smoothie, drink, or discard.

  Place all filling ingredients, cashews, coconut cream, coconut oil, honey, lemon juice, zest and turmeric if using into the food processor and process until smooth and creamy.

  Depending on the power of your blender this might take a few minutes. Stop blending to scrape the sides and continue to blend until very smooth. Taste test add more honey or lemon if you think it needs it.

  Spoon the filling into each muffin cup and spread evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon dividing the filling between the 12 cups.

  Transfer to the fridge and allow to set for a couple of hours. The mixture will thicken as it cools.

  To serve top with your favorite toppings or add a dollop of whipped coconut cream - recipe below in notes.

  Store in fridge for up to 1 week or 3 months in the freezer. If frozen let sit for 15 minutes to soften before eating.

   

   

Notes

Homemade Whipped Coconut Cream

Add even more nutrition and healthy qualities to many other dishes with nutrient-dense fluffy, whipped coconut cream.

It’s a dairy-free dessert topping that is not overly sweet and made with simple ingredients. This whipped coconut cream is just as thick, luscious, and creamy as dairy-full whipped cream and ideal for topping cakes, tarts, puddings, hot cocoa, and more.

Made with just 3 ingredients in 5 minutes of active time. Be sure to chill the canned coconut milk the day before you need it.

Packed with healthy fats, tons of other good stuff and amazing flavour to help support a healthy, fit body.

Go here for the simple recipe:  Whipped Coconut Cream 

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If you are looking for more delicious, healthy, no bake desserts and treats to help you reach your health, wellness and fitness goals, you will love my collection here: Blended Bites