Blueberry Cheesecake Tacos combine crunchy tortilla shells with the creamy sweetness of an easy cheesecake filling and blueberry sauce! This fun dessert uses simple ingredients to create a unique twist on tacos that are sure to be as tasty as they are memorable!
Table of Contents
Taco Tuesday just got a sweet treat makeover! Tortillas are fried to form crunchy taco shells, brushed with melted butter, and coated with cinnamon and sugar, then filled with a creamy cheesecake filling. Spoon some blueberry pie filling on top and you won’t only want to eat this tasty treat on Tuesdays!
This easy recipe is also perfect for serving at a party and can be easily scaled up to feed a crowd. You can also use raspberry cake filling or cherry pie filling instead of blueberry, if you prefer. What’s not to love?
For more easy dessert recipes that feature blueberries, check out my recipes for Mini Lemon Blueberry Cheesecakes, Blueberry Sour Cream Coffee Cake, Blueberry Custard Pie, Maine Wild Blueberry Scones, and The BEST Blueberry Muffin Recipe with Streusel Topping!
Why We Love This Recipe
- This recipe is easy to make and loved by novice and experienced cooks alike.
- The blueberry topping and crispiness of the fried tortillas make it visually appealing.
- Whether you're hosting a Mexican-themed party, looking for a tasty treat to impress your guests, or just craving a delicious dessert, blueberry cheesecake tacos are the perfect treat.
What You'll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Taco Shells - You'll need 16 street-sized taco shells or 5 large burrito-size flour tortillas to serve as the base. These are fried to achieve the perfect crunch, providing a delightful contrast to the creamy filling.
- Vegetable Oil - 4-6 cups of neutral oil are required for frying.
- Salted Butter - Melted butter is brushed on the fried shells before coating with cinnamon sugar.
- Granulated Sugar and Ground Cinnamon - Cinnamon-sugar coats the taco shells, complementing the creamy filling with sweetness and spice.
- Cream Cheese - Forms the base of the filling, providing a rich and creamy texture.
- Powdered Sugar - Used to sweeten the cream cheese mixture, ensuring the filling is delightfully sweet without being overpowering.
- Pure Vanilla Extract - Add two teaspoons to the filling for that classic cheesecake flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream - Beaten into the cream cheese mixture, creating a light and fluffy texture.
- Blueberry Pie Filling - Adds a sweet and tangy topping that complements the rich creaminess of the cheesecake filling. If you want to go the extra mile, you can make Blueberry Pie Filling from scratch using my recipe!
How to Make Blueberry Cheesecake Tacos
- Preparing and frying the tortillas. If you're starting with large flour tortillas instead of the smaller street taco size, the first step is to use a cookie cutter or a glass to cut out 16 rounds, roughly 4 inches in diameter. Then, prick each round with a fork to prevent puffing up when frying.
- Frying the tacos. The second step is the frying process, beginning with heating 3 inches of neutral oil to 325ºF in a large, deep pot, and carefully fold and fry each tortilla round using long-handled tongs until they achieve a crisp, golden-brown finish.
- Cool taco shells. Place the fried taco shell to cool in a taco rack or upturn a muffin pan and place the taco shell in between the groves in the pan.
- Brush with butter. The fourth step, after the taco shells are cool enough to handle, is to use a pastry brush to coat them inside and out with the melted butter.
- Coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. In a small bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon and mix well to combine. Dip both sides of the tortilla shells in the cinnamon sugar, shaking off any excess.
- Set tacos aside. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside to completely cool while you make the filling.
- Add filling ingredients to bowl. In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Combine to make filling. Beat thoroughly to combine then pour in the heavy cream and beat again until the mixture looks very thick and is holding its shape. If using whipped topping you can fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Pipe filling into shells. Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle. Pipe the cheesecake filling inside the cooled taco shells.
- Top with blueberry pie filling. Add a spoonful of blueberry pie filling to the top of the cheesecake filling in each taco. Serve and enjoy!
Recipe FAQ's
Yes, you can use dairy-free cream cheese and a plant-based heavy whipping cream alternative to make this recipe suitable for those avoiding dairy.
Absolutely! Low carb tortillas can be a great substitute if you're looking to reduce the carbohydrate content. Just be mindful that the texture and taste might vary slightly from the original recipe.
Yes, you can use fresh blueberries to make a homemade blueberry sauce or compote as an alternative to canned pie filling. This might alter the sweetness and texture, so adjust the sugar according to your taste.
It's best to assemble the tacos just before serving to maintain the crispness of the shells. However, you could make the cheesecake filling ahead of time and refrigerate it in an airtight container until it’s needed.
Cheesecake Tacos are best eaten as soon as they’re made. They will keep well for a couple of hours but since the shells have been brushed with butter they will soften over time. As the cheesecake filling has dairy products in it, it needs to be refrigerated. Assembled Cheesecake Tacos will not hold up well in the fridge or freezer.
Tips for Success
- You can use small street-sized tortillas to make this recipe but it’s very easy to cut small circles from larger soft flour tortillas.
- For frying, you will need around 4-6 cups of neutral oil. Use a deep, heavy-based pot and aim for around 3 inches of oil so that you can easily submerge the tortilla shells in the hot oil. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can gauge the temperature of the oil by adding a small piece of tortilla to the oil. If the oil sizzles and bubbles, then it is ready.
- When heating oil in a pan, use the heat source furthest away from you at the back of your stove.
- Keeping the oil at the right temperature (around 325ºF) is crucial for frying the taco shells. If the oil is too cool, the shells will absorb too much oil and become greasy. If the oil is too hot, the shells will brown too quickly without getting crispy, so if it gets too hot, turn off the heat source for a few minutes, then reheat as necessary.
- It’s essential to use a pair of long-handled kitchen tongs because, for obvious reasons, you don’t want your hands to get too close to the hot oil.
- After frying, place the taco shells in a taco rack or turn a muffin tin upside down and place the taco shells between the grooves to help them hold the folded taco shape as they cool.
- If you don’t have piping nozzles, you can use a piping bag and simply cut the end off with a pair of scissors. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can spoon the filling into the taco shells instead.
Perfecting the Cheesecake Filling
We used heavy whipping cream in this recipe because we prefer it to whipped topping. 1½ cup heavy whipping cream will whip up to around 3 cups of whipped cream, which is equivalent to 8 ounces of whipped topping.
Ensure your cream cheese is at room temperature before mixing to avoid lumps in your filling. The heavy whipping cream should also be cold to help achieve stiff peaks when whipped.
Whip the cream cheese mixture until it's just thick enough to hold its shape. Over-beating can cause the filling to become too loose.
Substitutions and Variations
- If you're looking for a gluten-free option, consider using gluten-free tortillas instead of regular flour tortillas. For a lower-carb version, as mentioned earlier, low-carb tortillas are a great substitute.To cater to a dairy-free diet, use dairy-free instead of regular cream cheese and a plant-based whipping cream alternative. Ensure that the butter used for the taco shells is also dairy-free.
- While blueberry pie filling is a classic choice, don't hesitate to experiment with other pie fillings or fresh fruits. Fresh fruit compote, sauce made with fresh berries, cherry pie filling, or even lemon curd can offer a delicious twist.
- Adding a pinch of spice, like nutmeg or cardamom, to the cinnamon sugar can introduce an exciting flavor profile to your taco shells.
- Consider adding a sprinkle of chopped nuts, mini chocolate chips, or a drizzle of caramel or chocolate sauce over the top for added texture and flavor complexity.
- Add a twist to the cheesecake filling by incorporating lemon juice, lemon zest, orange zest, or even a splash of almond extract for a different flavor profile.
- A little garnish goes a long way in presentation. A mint leaf, a sprinkle of powdered sugar, or a few fresh blueberries can add a touch of elegance to your tacos.
More Blueberry Recipes
- Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Pops
- Easy Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
- Blueberry Hand Pies
- Old-Fashioned Blueberry Cobbler
- Blueberry Pie
- Blueberry Pie Filling
- Lemon Blueberry Bread
- Easy No-Bake Blueberry Delight
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Blueberry Cheesecake Dessert Tacos
Ingredients
Shells
- 16 street-sized taco shells or 5 flour tortillas
- 4-6 cups vegetable oil, for frying
- ½ cup salted butter, melted
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Filling and Topping
- 8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 (21-ounce) can blueberry pie filling
Instructions
- If using flour tortillas, use a cookie cutter or glass of about 4 inches in diameter to cut 16 rounds from the tortillas.
- Using a fork, prick the tortillas all over the surface. This will stop them from puffing up and forming air bubbles when fried.
- In a large and deep heavy based pot set over a medium heat add 3 inches of neutral oil. When the oil reaches 325ºF (see notes) take a tortilla and fold it in half. Grasp the top of the tortilla with a pair of long-handled tongs and carefully submerge the tortilla in to the hot oil for about a minute or until it is crisp and a pale golden brown.
- Place the fried taco shell to cool in a taco rack or upturn a muffin pan and place the taco shell in-between the groves in the pan. The taco shell will hold its shape once it’s cooled.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the remaining tortillas. Keep an eye on the temperature of the oil as you are frying, turn the heat source off if the oil is getting too hot.
- When the taco shells are cool enough to handle, use a pastry brush to coat them inside and out with the melted butter.
- In a small bowl, add the sugar and cinnamon and mix well to combine.
- Dip the tacos shells, inside and out, in the cinnamon sugar, shaking off any excess. Set aside to completely cool while you make the filling.
- To make the filling: In a large mixing bowl, add the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat thoroughly to combine then pour in the heavy cream and beat again until the mixture looks very thick and is holding its shape. If using whipped topping you can fold it into the cream cheese mixture.
- Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag fitted with an open star nozzle. Pipe the cheesecake filling inside the cooled taco shells.
- Add a spoonful of blueberry pie filling to the top of each taco shell. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Make Ahead: The cheesecake filling and topping can be stored separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 5 days until you're ready to assemble the tacos.
- Store: Cheesecake Tacos are best eaten as soon as they’re made, and they will not hold up well in the fridge or freezer once assembled. They will keep well for a couple of hours but since the shells have been brushed with butter they will soften over time. As the cheesecake filling has dairy products in it, it needs to be refrigerated.
