Adorable Red White and Blue Cheesecake In A Jar is the perfect easy fourth of July dessert. Made with fresh berries, a no-bake cheesecake and golden Oreo-almond crust, it’s a refreshing, light, and patriotic cheesecake.
As part of our series of cheesecake in a jar, this recipe comes just in time for the Fourth of July. I hope you’ll make it for your family; we’ll certainly be enjoying it at our celebration.
To me, this is an ideal summertime dessert. It’s no-bake (aka no hot oven), features fresh seasonal berries, and it has the perfect patriotic aesthetic.
Plus, this is a kid-favorite recipe that kids love to help make. I hope you and your family have a happy and safe Independence Day, and that these treats can make it a little sweeter.
How To Make Red White and Blue No Bake Cheesecake in A Jar
It’s true, these jarred cheesecakes look impressive. They have all the fun of a layered red, white and blue dessert. But in truth, this no-bake cheesecake recipe is one of the easiest desserts for the Fourth of July, or any summer holiday.
You’ll start by making a quick and easy cookie crust. I use Golden Oreo cookies and slivered almonds for crunch. Melted butter binds everything together and a sprinkle of cinnamon adds a touch of warming spice.
To make the crust, put the cookies and almonds in a ziploc bag and seal it tight. Use a rolling pin to crush the Oreo cookies as finely as possible, no need to remove the Oreo middles. If you can’t find slivered almonds, use a food processor to break down whole almonds.
The crust should be the consistency of wet sand, with some larger pieces of crumble.
Making the Cheesecake filling is a simple one-step process of whipping together a few basic ingredients. The result is a light, fluffy and just-sweet-enough cream cheese filling.
For this part of the recipe, you want the cream cheese to be softened and spreadable. And the heavy cream should be nice and cold. This helps give structure to your cheesecake filling.
Finally, you’ll make two fresh berry compotes: one with strawberries and a second with blueberries. Each is flavored with a bit of sugar to bring out the fruits’ natural sweetness. Be sure to let these cool fully before assembling the jars.
There you have it: a no-bake, fridge-friendly recipe for cheesecake in a jar that’s piled with fresh berries for a tasty Independence Day dessert.
Can I Use Berry Pie Filling Instead of Fruit Compote?
Sure, an easy time-saving trick for these cheesecakes is to use pre-made pie filling instead of the fresh berry compote. The canned pie filling tends to be sweeter than our recipe, however, so if you’re not a fan of super-sweet desserts, then you might prefer the homemade compotes.
You can also use a different type of fruit for the compote layers. We chose blueberries and strawberries for their patriotic colors, but cherries, plums, or peaches would also be delicious.
The good news is that you can make both the strawberry and blueberry compotes ahead of time. They’ll be fine in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
Another time-saving option: you can also make your berry compotes in an Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. See Pressure Cooking Today for our blueberry compote recipe, as well as a quick and easy mixed berry compote.
Can I Swap / Use Different Nuts For The No-Bake Cookie Crust?
Certainly. I love the combination of almonds with fresh berries. However, if you prefer walnuts, pecans, or cashews, feel free to swap the nuts out. Pecans would probably be the best option, as they’re similar to almonds and provide a nice buttery flavor to your cookie crust.
You can also make this recipe nut-free by omitting the nuts in the crust altogether.
What Size Mason Jar is Best?
I made these using 6 6-ounce Mason Jars. You can easily use small cups to feed a larger crowd too. Or use 8 -ounce jars if you have them on hand.
Layering Red White and Blue Cheesecake in A Jar
Layering these striped patriotic cheesecakes is the best part. It’s also a fun project to have kids help with.
Start with your cookie crust on the bottom of each mason jar. Pack it in by pressing with the back of a spoon. Do the best you can, as the larger crumble and almonds won’t pack down very firmly.
Next, add your cheesecake filling using a pastry bag or a Ziplock bag with one corner cut off. You can also simply spoon in the cheesecake filling and pat it flat.
Next, add a layer of blueberry sauce. Try to make it about ¼ inch thick. Tap the jars on the table between layers to help everything settle.
Add another layer of cheesecake filling. And don’t worry if it sinks into the blueberry sauce a bit. Follow this up with a ¼-inch-thick layer of strawberry filling.
💡 Tip: Leave a ¼ inch space between the top of your strawberry filling to the top of the jar. This ensures that you can add a festive garnish of fresh berries without the berry compote spilling over.
Finally, sprinkle the strawberry with more cookie crumbles. Add 2 fresh blueberries and a strawberry slice for garnish. Then pop the jars in the fridge to firm up until you’re ready to serve.
Can I Make Fourth of July Cheesecakes Ahead of Time?
Certainly. You can make and assemble these mini cheesecakes and store them in the fridge for up to 2 days before serving. You can also assemble the crust, cheesecake filling, and compotes and keep them separate until about an hour before serving. This is the best option for a truly crisp cookie crust.
Store the cookie crust in an airtight container or Ziploc bag on the counter. Keep the cheesecake filling and compotes in the fridge for up to 3 days.
How To Serve Mason Jar Cheesecakes
These are best eaten cold. The cheesecake filling will be light, fluffy, and firm if it’s kept chilled. So try to keep the jars in the fridge until just before serving. If you want to display them, you can arrange the filled jars on a rimmed serving tray filled with ice.
These are a perfect dessert to make for a party. They’re easy to eat with just a spoon, no plate or even table necessary!
More Mini No-Bake Cheesecake Recipes
Once you’ve polished off your last Red White and Blue Cheesecake In A jar, try these other cute and easy no-bake cheesecake recipes:
- Strawberry Cheesecake In A Jar is a simple, classic no-bake summer dessert to use your favorite berries.
- Peanut Butter Cheesecake in A Jar features chocolate, creamy peanut butter, and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in one mason-jar sized treat.
- No-Bake Mini Lemon Cheesecake Bites are a sweet-tart dessert that always upgrades a summer celebration.
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Mousse from Two Peas and Their Pod is light, fluffy, and simply tastes like fall.
- No-Bake Strawberry Margarita Cheesecake Bites are the ideal summer dessert: fruity, creamy, tangy, and refreshing.
Red White and Blue Cheesecake in a Jar
Equipment
Ingredients
Golden Oreo Crust
- 8 Golden Oreo cookies crushed into fine crumbles
- 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- ⅛ of a teaspoon cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Cheesecake Filling
- 1 package 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ cup heavy cream chilled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
BERRY FILLINGS
- BLUEBERRY:
- 1 cup blueberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons water or lemon juice
- STRAWBERRY:
- 1 cup strawberries (fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons water or lemon juice
Instructions
- GOLDEN OREO COOKIE CRUST:If you haven’t done so, crush up the Oreo’s and almonds (I used a plastic baggy and rolling pin but a food processor will work as well.) And place in a bowl.
- Pour the melted butter, cinnamon, and salt over the cookie crumbs. Mix well to combine, the texture will be like crumbly wet sand.
- CHEESECAKE FILLING:In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add heavy cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, and beat until smooth and creamy.
- BERRY FILLINGS:Make each of the berry fillings separately.
- Add the berries, sugar, and water to a small saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat. As the mixture cooks, mash up the berries to help break down the fruit and release the juices. Stir frequently. Once the mixture begins to bubble, turn the heat down to low and simmer until the mixture reduces by half. Stir frequently so the fruit doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
- Cool to room temp.
- ASSEMBLY:Line up your jars (or cups). Layered the jars as follows: Oreo cookie crust crumbles, cheesecake filling, blueberry filling, cheesecake filling, strawberry filling, cookie crust crumbles and 2 fresh blueberries and a strawberry sliver to garnish. Have all your ingredients ready to go.
- Start by adding the cookie crust crumbles to the bottom of each jar. Press the crumb mixture down with the back of a spoon to form a crust.
- Fill a Ziploc sandwich bag with cheesecake filling and cut one corner off, I suggest a small cut so you can control how much comes out (you can also use a piping bag). Squeeze the filling on top of the cookie crust crumbles. If you prefer to use a spoon for this step instead of the sandwich bag, that also works.
- Layer on your blueberry filling about a ¼ inch thick.
- Add another layer of cheesecake filling. NOTE: your cheesecake filling may sink into the blueberry filling. Not a big deal.
- Add strawberry filling about ¼ inch thick.
- Make sure to keep a ¼ inch space between the top of your strawberry filling to the top of the jar. This allows room for the garnish to sink in when you put the lids on without oozing out the sides.
- Sprinkle with crumbles and add 2 fresh blueberries and a strawberry slice for garnish.
- Twist on the lids. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Nutrition
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Carol
Oh how I love these mini cheesecakes-and these are so festive! I’ve made them before with just blueberry topping…never thought of layering with another topping…like strawberry. They look so cute in the mini jars too. Great for portion control (in my case). 🙂