Easy Dubai Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake (Printable)

Layers of chocolate, cream cheese, and strawberries create an elegant dessert with Middle Eastern fusion flair.

# Components:

→ Base

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

→ Cheesecake Filling

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

→ Strawberry Layer

07 - 7 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
08 - 1 tablespoon sugar (optional, for macerating)

→ Chocolate Ganache

09 - 2.8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
10 - 2.7 fluid ounces heavy cream

→ Garnish

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

# Method:

01 - Combine crushed chocolate biscuits and melted butter in a mixing bowl. Distribute evenly among serving cups, pressing gently to compact as a base.
02 - Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar with an electric mixer until completely smooth. In a separate bowl, whip heavy cream and vanilla extract to soft peaks, then gently fold into the cream cheese mixture until creamy and homogenous.
03 - Spoon or pipe the cheesecake filling onto the prepared biscuit bases. Smooth the tops for an even layer.
04 - Macerate sliced strawberries with sugar (if using) for 10 minutes. Evenly layer strawberries over the cheesecake filling in each cup.
05 - Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan just to simmer. Pour over chopped chocolate, let stand 1 minute, then stir until fully melted and glossy. Allow ganache to cool slightly, then spoon a thin layer over strawberries in each cup.
06 - Place cups in refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Allow dessert to fully set and chill before serving.
07 - Before serving, top each cup with a whole strawberry. Add chocolate shavings and crushed pistachios as desired for extra flavor and decoration.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • These cups are ready in under half an hour, but look like you spent all afternoon making them.
  • The layers are customizable: you can swap nuts or add cardamom without missing a beat.
02 -
  • I once rushed the chilling time, and the ganache slid right off—patience is your best friend here.
  • Adding slightly over-whipped cream made my filling much too dense, so watch for soft peaks only.
03 -
  • Let the cream cheese come to room temperature for the silkiest filling—cold cheese makes lumps.
  • Use the best chocolate you can find for the ganache; mediocre chocolate dulls the magic.
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