Cheesecake in a Jar
Treat yourself to an indulgent, no-bake cheesecake in a jar with cherry topping. This quick and easy-to-make dessert is sure to be a hit.
Servings (Adjustable):
Calories: 493kcal
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons canned cherry pie filling see notes for leftovers
- 4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 graham crackers
- 2 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoons Tart cherries for garnish (fresh or frozen also works)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the heavy whipping cream on high speed until it thickens and becomes fluffy. Once it reaches a stage where it's not yet forming peaks, mix in the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Begin on low speed until the powdered sugar mixes in, then switch to high speed and continue whipping until the cream forms stiff peaks.
- Take another bowl and mix the cream cheese and lemon juice together in the mixer until it turns soft and creamy. After that, add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and whip them together until evenly combined.
- To prepare the graham cracker crust, place the crackers into a zip bag and crush them with a heavy object until they turn into fine crumbs. Alternatively pulse them on a small food processor.
- Melt the butter in a small bowl and mix it with the graham cracker crumbs until everything combines well.
- To assemble the no-bake cheesecakes, divide the graham cracker crumbs equally between jars. Divide equally, add the cheesecake filling, top it with the cherry pie filling, and finish with tart cherries. Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.
Notes
Use room-temperature ingredients for a smooth filling. If you forget to remove your ingredients from the refrigerator, place the containers in warm water for 15-20 minutes to bring them to room temperature.
Use a piping bag to pipe the filling into each jar.
Chill before serving. The cheesecake tastes best when chilled for at least 2 hours and allows time to set. If you're short on time or can't wait, try placing your jars in the freezer for 30-45 minutes instead.
Add toppings just before serving. This will prevent any sogginess or deflating.
What to do with cherry pie leftover filling:
- Make a mini pie: Use it for a small-batch pie or combine it with another fruit filling to make a mixed fruit pie.
- Use as a topping: Cherry pie filling makes a delicious topping for ice cream, yogurt, or pancakes.
- Make turnovers: Use the cherry filling for homemade turnovers. Roll out some mini pie crust dough, cut it into squares, spoon some filling onto each square, fold it over, and seal the edges with a fork. Then bake in the oven until golden brown.
- Mix into oatmeal: Add a spoonful of cherry filling to your morning oatmeal for a fruity twist.
- Bake into muffins: Use the cherry filling to make delicious cherry muffins. Just mix it into your favorite muffin batter and bake as usual.
- Make a parfait: Layer the cherry filling with yogurt and granola for a tasty and healthy breakfast or snack.
- Freeze for later: If you don't want to use the cherry filling right away, you can freeze it for later use in another recipe.
Nutrition
Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 35g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 111mg | Sodium: 245mg | Potassium: 157mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1466IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 1mg
Equipment
4 4-ounce mason jars