Strawberry Santas

These Strawberry Santas with healthy cheesecake filling are delightfully festive, fun, and easy to assemble for Christmas.  Made with just 4 ingredients - strawberries, cream cheese, a touch of powdered sugar, and vanilla -these no-bake holiday desserts are a hit with kids and adults.

Strawberry Santas

This Strawberry Santas recipe is just about as fun as it gets.  Cut fresh strawberries in half, then fill them with a super-easy, lower-sugar homemade cheesecake filling.  You pipe the filling inside for the Santa hat, then make the face.  These adorable no-bake Christmas desserts look so festive and fancy but are surprisingly simple to make.  In fact, this recipe comes together with just 4 ingredients in less than 15 minutes.

If you are looking for a fun and surprising treat to take to a holiday party or something super festive to make with the family, these are them.  Plus, you have to love a no-bake dessert that you don't have to slave over the oven or stove for hours.

Plus, these treats are vegetarian, gluten-free, and keto.  (Minus the decorative icing)

The not-overly-sweet cream cheese cheesecake filling pairs perfectly with the strawberries, and these cute little guys taste just as good as they look.  Get ready to make your new favorite Christmas recipe!

Why You'll Love These Strawberry Santas...

• Strawberry Santas are absolutely adorable.
• They are less than 50 calories EACH!
• This version uses less sugar to make the homemade cheesecake filling.
• They look fancy but are surprisingly simple to prepare.  Kids can join in the fun.
• They are a great, healthier Christmas treat for kids and families.
• They are just downright fun.

Ingredients:

Here's an overview of what you'll need to make the Strawberry Santas, but keep scrolling for the full recipe.

• Strawberries: You'll need 12 large, well-shaped, uniform-sized strawberries.  To prep them, wash them well and dry them carefully.
• Whipped Cream Cheese: I like to use whipped cream cheese because it's easier and lighter to work with.  I think it mixes and pipes more easily than hard cream cheese.  It's also lower in calories.  You can use reduced or full-fat depending on your diet.
• Powdered Sugar: I don't use much straight sugar in recipes, but this one uses just 2 tablespoons spread over the 12 Santas to sweeten the cream cheese.  It's enough to make it sweet without being overpowering or unhealthy.
• Vanilla: Use pure vanilla extract to bring out the cheesecake flavor.
• Decorations: You'll need black and red decorator icing.  Buy it here.

Instructions

Here are the step-by-step instructions to make Strawberry Santas, but the full printable recipe is below.

Prepare the Strawberries:

1. Carefully wash the strawberries.  Make sure they are dry so the filling doesn't just slip off the berry. This is important because extra moisture can make the cheesecake filling slide off the strawberries.
2. Using a sharp knife, carefully slice off the leafy stem end of each strawberry to create a flat base so your Santas can stand upright.
3. Next, cut off the pointed top third of each strawberry. Save these little pieces because they will become Santa's red hats!
4. Arrange the larger strawberry pieces flat-side down on a serving platter.

Prepare the Cheesecake Filling:

1. Next, prepare the filling for the strawberry Santas.
2. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to make the cheesecake filling.
3. Carefully put the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag.   Use the star tip.
4. Don't have a piping bag? You can also use a sturdy zip-top plastic bag. Fill the bag with the cheesecake mixture and snip off one small corner to pipe the filling.

Pro Tip: Piping bags are actually pretty inexpensive and easy to use. You can get a set on Amazon here for less than $10.  The piping tip really makes this a pretty dessert!  However, if you are in a pinch or don't want to buy a piping bag, you can put the cream cheese mixture in a regular Ziploc bag and cut off the end.

Assemble the Strawberry Santas:

1. To assemble the strawberry Santas, put the bottom of the Santa on a plate or flat surface as shown.
2. Using a piping bag, pipe the cream cheese mixture on top of the strawberry, tall enough to leave room to draw the face.
3. Add the top strawberry piece (or Santa hat) on top of the body, then use the piping bag to add the white pom-pom hat top.
4. Carefully use decorative icing to draw the face by making a little dot.  Use black for Santa's eyes and red for the nose.

Tips for Making the Best Strawberry Santas

These Santa strawberries are simple to make, but a few easy tricks will help them turn out perfectly.

• Choose Large Strawberries: Bigger strawberries are easier to cut, fill, and decorate. Look for firm berries with a wide base so they stand up easily.
• Dry the Strawberries Completely: This is one of my biggest tips! Wet strawberries can make the cream cheese filling slippery and cause the hats to slide.
• Keep the Filling Thick: The cheesecake filling should be thick enough to hold its shape when piped. If your filling seems too soft, try refrigerating it briefly before assembling the Santas.
• Use a Piping Bag: A star-shaped piping tip gives the cheesecake filling a pretty, fluffy appearance. It makes the Santas look extra festive!
• Don't Overfill: You want enough cream cheese filling to create Santa's face, but not so much that the hat tips over.
• Make Them Close to Serving Time: These Christmas strawberries are prettiest and freshest when served shortly after assembly.

Variations

I love this Strawberry Santas recipe as written, but here are some fun ways to mix it up.

• Make Healthy Strawberry Santas: These Strawberry Santas are already pretty healthy, but if you want to keep it super healthy, swap the middle cheesecake filling for a big slice of banana.
• Add Some Greek Yogurt: Boost the protein and health benefits by swapping a few tablespoons of the cream cheese for Greek yogurt. It adds vitamins and probiotics.
• Make it Cannoli: Make these Cannoli Strawberry Santa's by swapping out ricotta cheese for cream cheese.  It's SO good.  You can also try my Cannoli Stuffed Strawberries.
• Make it Dairy-Free: Substitute your favorite type of vegan cream cheese.
• Swap out the Icing: Swap out the decorative icing face for mini chocolate chips, sprinkles, or raisins. Use tweezers to put them on the icing.
• Make it Indulgent: Make these more indulgent by swapping the homemade cheesecake filling for vanilla frosting or prepared cream cheese frosting.

FAQ

Can I make these strawberry Santas ahead of time?

You can make Strawberry Santas up to a few hours ahead of time, but not much longer because cut strawberries are perishable.  The strawberries can get mushy with the frosting and they don't taste as good.  The red strawberry juice can also leak into the cream cheese mixture.  I would recommend making these and serving them soon after you make them.  You can prep the ingredients ahead of time, but wait to assemble them before serving.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers are best enjoyed the day of, but you can store them in the fridge for up to two days.  They will not taste quite as good, but they will still be fun.  Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Can I freeze them?

I would not recommend freezing these, as they would not hold up in the freezer and would come out soggy.

Can I use frozen strawberries?

I know fresh strawberries are hard to find this time of year, but you really need fresh ones to make these.  The frozen ones will be too mushy.

How do you keep Strawberry Santas from falling over?

The secret is to choose large, firm strawberries and cut a flat base. Make sure the strawberries are completely dry before adding the filling, and avoid piping too much cream cheese between the strawberry pieces. If the filling is too soft, refrigerate it briefly to help it firm up.

Can you make Strawberry Santas without a piping bag?

Absolutely! Simply spoon the cream cheese mixture into a sturdy zip-top bag and cut a small opening in one corner. You won't get quite the same decorative swirl as a star piping tip, but your Santas will still be adorable.

These Strawberry Santas are Fun & Festive!

These Strawberry Santas are so fun and festive! I can't get enough of how cute they are, and they were such a hit with my boys.  Plus, you can feel good making and serving these because they are a lot healthier than most traditional Christmas desserts and have fewer than 50 calories each.

I hope you enjoy these little Santas as much as my family does.

Serve it With:

• Crock Pot Skinny Hot Chocolate
• White Chocolate Peppermint Hot Chocolate

More Healthy Christmas Treats:

• Peppermint Fudge No Bake Energy Bites
• No Bake Gingerbread Energy Bites
• Dark Chocolate Peppermint Popcorn
• Double Dark Chocolate Peppermint Nice Cream
• Healthy Peppermint Chocolate Smoothie

If you make these Strawberry Santas, I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and a star rating ★ below. Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook too!

Strawberry Santas

Julie Wunder

These Strawberry Santas with healthy cheesecake filling are delightfully festive, fun, and easy to assemble for Christmas.  Made with just 4 ingredients - strawberries, cream cheese, a touch of powdered sugar, and vanilla -these no-bake holiday desserts are a hit with kids and adults.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course Dessert, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings 12

Calories 49 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 12 large strawberries
• 1 cup whipped cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• Decorative red and black icing for the face.

Instructions

 

• Prepare the strawberries by carefully washing them. Next, you'll cut the strawberries into three pieces. Cut the stem off the strawberry so you will have a flat side to sit them down on. Then cut the berries in half with enough room on top for the top of the strawberry to be a Santa hat. The hat will be the pointed top third of the strawberry.
  
• Next, prepare the filling. In a small mixing bowl, mix together the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla.
• Carefully put the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag.
  
• To assemble the strawberry Santas, put the bottom of the Santa on a plate. Pipe the cream cheese mixture on top of the strawberry, tall enough that you have room to draw the face.
• Add the Santa hat on top of the body and then use the piping bag to add the white top.
• Carefully use the decorative icing to draw the face.
  
• Serve immediately or store in the fridge until ready to enjoy.

Notes

Store any leftover Strawberry Santas in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.  They will not last long in the fridge.

Nutrition

Calories: 49kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 2gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 72mgPotassium: 68mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 112IUVitamin C: 7mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 0.1mg

Keyword Strawberry Santas

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