Dubai chocolate strawberry cups (Printable)

Rich chocolate biscuit layers with creamy filling topped by fresh strawberries in elegant cups.

# What You 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 tsp vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Layer

07 - 7 oz fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
08 - 1 tbsp 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

# Directions:

01 - In a bowl, combine crushed chocolate biscuits with melted butter until well incorporated. Divide mixture evenly among serving cups, pressing gently to establish a compact base layer.
02 - Beat softened cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip cold heavy cream with vanilla extract to soft peaks. Gently fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture until fully incorporated and creamy.
03 - Spoon or pipe cheesecake filling over biscuit bases in cups, smoothing tops evenly.
04 - Toss sliced strawberries with sugar if desired and set aside for 10 minutes to release natural juices.
05 - Distribute macerated strawberries evenly over cheesecake filling in each cup.
06 - Heat heavy cream to just below a simmer. Pour over chopped dark chocolate and let sit 1 minute. Stir until smooth and glossy, then cool slightly. Spoon thin ganache layer over strawberries in each cup.
07 - Refrigerate cups for minimum 2 hours until completely set.
08 - Top each cup with whole strawberry, chocolate shavings, and crushed pistachios if desired before serving.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No oven required, which means your kitchen stays cool and calm while something spectacular happens in a bowl.
  • The chocolate-to-fruit balance tastes indulgent but doesn't leave you feeling weighted down afterward.
  • You can make these the night before, turning last-minute entertaining into something manageable and stress-free.
02 -
  • Cold cream and softened cream cheese are non-negotiable, as room temperature cream cheese becomes greasy and won't whip properly, while warm cream won't reach soft peaks.
  • Folding the whipped cream in is everything, because one wrong move with an aggressive hand leaves you with a dense, flat filling that tastes heavy instead of cloud-like.
03 -
  • Invest in good quality dark chocolate for the ganache, because cheap chocolate will taste like cheap chocolate and ruin the entire dessert experience.
  • If your kitchen is warm, assemble these in a cooler part of the day or work quickly, as warm cream cheese will start sweating out moisture and separating if it sits too long.
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