Mini Cheesecakes (Cheesecake Jars!)

A close-up of a jar of mini cheesecake with strawberry topping, with a spoon digging in.

Mini Cheesecakes (Cheesecake Jars!)

These parfaits are made with a simple 4-ingredient cheesecake filling, layered with graham cracker crumbs and sweet, bourbon-flavored cherries! No baking, no chill time - just good, summer dessert in cute little jars!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Dessert

Keyword Mini Cheesecakes, Cheesecake Jars, No-Bake Cheesecake

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 0

Total Time 35

Servings to 12 jars

Calories 456kcal

Author Stephanie Simmons

Ingredients

For the Crust:

1/2 cup salted butter, melted 113 grams
2 cups graham cracker crumbs` 230 grams

For the Cheesecake Filling:

16 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature Use the full-fat, block style. This needs just 20-30 mins at room temp.
1 cup granulated sugar
3 tbsp sour cream, at room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp lemon juice, more to taste*
2 cups cold heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Prep: You can use mason jars or a muffin tin to make this recipe! The jars need no prep, but if using a muffin pan, line it with muffin papers.
Make Toppings: To allow time to cool, make your desired toppings first! I have a huge list of ideas in the blog post above, under "recipe variations" but a few of my favorites are Cherry Compote, Strawberry Compote, Blueberry Sauce, Lime Curd, and Salted Caramel Sauce. I recommend picking two toppings, as that will cover all the cheesecakes, and give a little variety.
Make the Crust: Stir together crust ingredients in a medium bowl until well combined. Press 2 tbsp of crust mixture into each jar, or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons if using a muffin tin. Set aside.
See note if using muffin tin.
Make the Cheesecake Filling: In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and granulated sugar. Add the sour cream, vanilla, and lemon juice and mix just until combined. In a medium bowl, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla on medium high speed just until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture.
See note under faqs if you need help with folding.
Fill Jars: Fill a piping bag with cheesecake filling and snip off the end. This makes filling the jars or muffin wells SO much easier. Pipe in the filling, leaving room on top for toppings. Or, you can alternate filling, topping, filling, topping like I did in the photos.
Serve & Store: Chill cheesecakes in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before serving, or up to 24 hours. Store leftover cheesecakes in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Notes

Lemon Juice: I have used up to 2 tbsp - adjust according to your taste! It just adds a little of that nice tang

Baking the Crust: If you want a crust that's a tad sturdier (you can pick up and eat the cheesecake vs. needing a fork) bake the crusts for 5 minutes at 350 degrees, then let cool completely before adding the cheesecake filling. This only applies to the muffin tin variation!

Nutrition Info: This only covers the crust and cheesecake filling as I don't know which toppings you'll be using.

Nutrition