No-Bake Single Serve Cheesecake in a Jar Recipe

A perfect simple dessert for any time of the year. Single-serve No-Bake Cheesecake in a jar is the ultimate easy dessert. If fresh fruit is not available try frozen berries or other seasonal fruit. For an alternate and simple topping, a raspberry jam or a lemon curd works nicely.

Easy and creamy no-bake strawberry cheesecake topped with fresh berries is an easy summer dessert. Serve these in half-pint wide mouth mason jars or another single-serving baking dish.  

Jump to:

• The 3 scrumptious Layers of No-Bake Cheesecake in Jars:
• Ingredients
• How to Make the Crust
• How to Make the Filling
• What can I substitute for the heavy cream?
• Ideas for different cheesecake Toppings
• Tips for making the best single-serve no-bake cheesecake.
• Reasons to love no-bake cheesecakes in a jar.
• 📖 Recipe
• Comments

The 3 scrumptious Layers of No-Bake Cheesecake in Jars:

• Buttery Ginger Snap or Graham Cracker Crust
• No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
• Fruit Topping

Ingredients

What you need to make the Ginger Snap Crust: 

• 10 gingersnap cookies - Ginger snap cookies give this creamy cheesecake in a jar a little extra flavor zing. For a more traditional recipe try a basic graham cracker crust. 
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted

What you need to make the filling:

• 8-ounce cream cheese, room temperature
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to Make the Crust

• Break ginger snaps into small pieces and pulse in a food processor or blender until finely ground
• In a medium bowl, mix together crumbs and melted butter. Mix until crumbs are moistened.
• Divide evenly between four (4) half-pint wide mouth mason jars. Press on the mixture with your fingers or the bottom of a small glass to compact the crust.

What can I use to substitute the Ginger Snaps?

The classic graham cracker crust always works. Tray a chocolate or vanilla wafer or just about any cookie will work.   

How to Make the Filling

• In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and sugar, and blend until combined and smooth.
• In a small bowl add the heavy cream and whisk until soft peaks are formed.
• Add in the vanilla, lemon juice and whipped heavy cream to the cream cheese mixture. Mix together.
• Spoon the cream cheese mixture evenly into each mason jar. Cover lightly and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving. Top with fresh fruit before serving.

My tasty Cheesecake Mouse recipe takes just 15 minutes to prepare and should be chilled for about 2 hours before serving.

What can I substitute for the heavy cream?

If you rarely use heavy cream and don't want to go out and purchase a bottle for one recipe you can substitute a couple of items you might already have on hand. I'm sure there are more ways but these are the two ways I use because I always have milk, butter, and Greek yogurt in the fridge.

• Milk + Butter

Heavy cream has a much higher fat content than milk, so adding butter will up the fat content closer to what's in the heavy cream.

To substitute combine ¼ cup of melted butter with ¾ cup of milk and mix thoroughly to make 1 cup of heavy cream. if you want a thicker consistency mix in 1 tablespoon of flour.

• Greek Yogurt + Butter +Milk

This substitute works well for cooking and baking recipes to add flavor and creaminess, but won't whip up in the same way that heavy cream does.

Greek yogurt is thicker than heavy cream, so add milk at a 1:1 ratio to thin it out and achieve a texture similar to heavy cream.

Ideas for different cheesecake Toppings

• Fresh Fruit - a combination of berries, pears, or other soft fruit.
• Fruit Spread - choose a low sugar fruit product like Dalfour fruit spread or Bonne Maman intense fruit jam.
• Chocolate Shavings - anything from milk to dark chocolate.

Tips for making the best single-serve no-bake cheesecake.

• The cream cheese should be room temperature. If you are in a hurry softened in the microwave at 50% power for 10-15 seconds.
• Don’t under work the cream cheese and sugar, you want a smooth consistency. Scrap the sides of the bowl down to ensure you get everything mixed.

Can you freeze this cheesecake?

Yes, since these are made in small mason jars place the lid on and freeze. Don't top with berries until you are ready to eat. These little cheesecakes in a jar desserts can be frozen for up to a month. When you’re ready to eat, remove from freezer and thaw overnight in the refrigerator, and top with fresh berries.

Reasons to love no-bake cheesecakes in a jar.

 No-bake small-batch cheesecake in a jar is just plain easier than baked cheesecake. With no eggs and no baking, you have a foolproof dessert.

The filling is creamy the crust is classic and all you need is a hand mixer and a couple of bowls.  You can add different extracts and toppings for an endless variety of cheesecake flavors.

These are also great for potlucks, put a lid on the little jars and transport them easily.

Visit A Weekend Cooks Small Kitchen Store for great recommendations on the best products to use when cooking in your small kitchen and whipping up recipes for two.