Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla Recipe

Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla Recipe marries the creamy richness of cheesecake with sweet fresh strawberries, in a warm, crispy tortilla.

Easy Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla

Once upon a time, my momma took me to an Oklahoma Mexican restaurant with table flags for summoning. The food was tasty, but what really blew my mind were those sopapillas dripping with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

That culinary escapade planted the seed for my latest masterpiece: Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla Recipe.

I'm all about quick fixes when my sweet tooth starts hollering, and this easy-peasy dessert hits the spot faster than you can say "cheesecake quesadilla."

A crispy tortilla, caramelized to cinnamon-sugar perfection, hugging a creamy cheesecake filling and a burst of fresh strawberries-dessert wizardry!

I tinkered with a few techniques, aiming for that elusive caramelized crunch. After a few trial runs (and maybe a kitchen mishap or two), I stumbled upon the winning formula.

And, if you're all about instant gratification like me, don't stop at quesadillas. Mug cakes provide another way to achieve instant dessert satisfaction. Try Chocolate Chip Mug Cake or Oreo Mug Cake, too.

Who has time to wait for dessert when you can have it in minutes?

Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadillas

A few simple ingredients come together for a tasty, fast, customizable dessert that tastes like classic strawberry cheesecake had a baby with a sopapilla.

• Flour Tortillas - I used fajita sized.
• Strawberries - My good friend raises these fully ripe beauties at Misty Morning Farms here in SEKS. Nothing compares with a farm fresh strawberry, but you can use fresh grocery store berries if they are nice or even frozen ones (drained).
• Cream Cheese - Use your favorite cream cheese. Strawberry cream cheese would be delish if you have it.
• Granulated Sugar, divided - Sweeten the filling just a touch and use a little more for the pan to caramelize the outside.
• Cinnamon, divided - A little warm flavor that pairs so nicely with the creamy cream cheese and fresh strawberries.
• Vanilla Extract - Adds another layer of flavor into the filling.
• Butter, divided - Needed for cooking the outside of the quesadilla.
• Honey, optional - A little drizzle on the top reminds me of sopapillas.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla Recipe

I love the caramelized outside using this technique but feel free to simplify by leaving out the cinnamon and sugar on the outside.

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix softened cream cheese, 1 teaspoon of sugar and a dash of cinnamon. Set aside.
2. Slice strawberries.
3. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the inside of the tortilla.
4. Heat a non-stick skillet over medium. Add 1 teaspoon of butter.
5. When the butter is melted, sprinkle a 1 teaspoon of sugar and a dash of cinnamon and put the plain side of the tortilla down in the pan.
6. Working quickly, place the strawberries on top of the cream cheese filling.
7. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Watch the bottom side closely by lifting the edge. As soon as the sugar turns light brown, remove from heat, fold in half, dust with cinnamon sugar, drizzle with honey, and serve.

Hint: Using a non-stick skillet is essential here as the caramelized sugar will easily stick otherwise.

Substitution for Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla

I can think of a lot of delicious ways to use this technique. Change up the fillings to match your supplies and your desires. Here are a few to consider:

• Fruit - Use any tender fruit you like for the filling. Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, bananas, fried apples, etc.
• Flavoring - Substitute your favorite flavoring for the filling. Almond extract and rum extract are a couple that speak to my tastebuds.
• Filling - Use mascarpone cheese or whipped cream in place of cream cheese.
• Add-ins - Chocolate chips, caramel syrup, strawberry sauce, chocolate syrup, pecans, confectioners' sugar, etc. are all ways to customize this quick dessert.

Variations of Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla

• Low Carb Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla - Berries are naturally low in sugar so use a sugar substitute and a low-carb tortilla for a low-carb dessert with no guilt.
• Banana Foster Cheesecake Quesadilla - Use a sliced banana for a delicious take on Bananas Foster. Substitute rum flavoring for vanilla.
• Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla - Sprinkle mini chocolate chips on top of the strawberries for a tasty chocolate-covered strawberry treat.
• Easy Kid-Friendly Dessert - Oh... I wish I had thought of this easy recipe when my kids were little. I could have been the hero of the day by making the fillings match each child's preferences. One would love everything strawberry, one would want it with chocolate and no fruit, and the third one would want all the fillings I could think of.

Storing Strawberry Cheesecake Quesadilla

I love that this dessert quesadilla recipe is for one single serving so I can enjoy it fresh. If you just can't eat a whole one, wrap it in plastic wrap or an airtight container and put it in the fridge for up to 3 days. Best enjoyed fresh.

FAQ

Related

Looking for other easy dessert recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

One can't live on dessert alone.

HAVE A QUESTION? ❤️

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Food safety

• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.