Mini Vanilla Bean-Pomegranate Cheesecake Tarts

PersonalPoints™ per serving

Total Time: 25 min

Prep: 20 min

Cook: 5 min

Serves: 30

Easy

What’s so lovely about these pretty tarts is that they aren’t that hard to make and will be done in less than 30 minutes. The crisp mini phyllo shells hold a luscious vanilla-laced cream cheese filling made lighter by the addition of rich Greek yogurt. Using a fresh vanilla bean gives these tarts that extra oomph of vanilla flavor, and the filling is speckled with the beautiful seeds. If you’re new to fresh vanilla beans, the end of a butter knife or the tip of a spoon are among the most effective ways to scrape out the seeds. Be sure to scrape out as many as possible. Pomegranate seeds and fresh mint are gorgeous toppings, but you can use any fresh fruit you like, such as chopped blood oranges, grapes, kiwi, or strawberries.

Ingredients:

30 mini phyllo shells, thawed if frozen
8 oz low-fat cream cheese, at room temperature (use 1/3-less-fat variety)
¼ cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, pod
½ cup pomegranate seeds
¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Place phyllo shells on a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 5 minutes; let cool.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, briskly whisk together softened cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. Split vanilla bean pod in half and scrape seeds into a bowl; gently combine into cream cheese mixture.
Evenly divide cheese mixture among shells; top each with some pomegranate arils and a mint leaf. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Serving Size: 1 tart!