Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar
Photo courtesy: Heidi Larsen – FoodieCrush
Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar is a deconstructed strawberry cheesecake served layered in a jar. It’s a light refreshing, easy to serve dessert perfect for a party or any night of the week.
Today’s recipe is from a fun new cookbook, United States of Cakes. I was sent a free review copy, and I had a hard time picking which recipe to bake first. There’s so many recipes I’d love to try; recipes that I know my family would love.
The cookbook is written by handsome Swedish pastry chef Roy Fares who’s developed a love for America and American baked goods. The photos of the food are mouth-wateringly beautiful and will leave you craving these slightly lower in sugar adaptations of American desserts.
Mixed in with the 50 luscious recipes is a travelogue with beefcake pictures of this hunky dessert chef, and tales of his visits to several popular bakeries in California.
Photo courtesy: Heidi Larsen – FoodieCrush
I had the apple cheesecake, Nutella cupcakes, and chocolate raspberry cupcakes bookmarked, and was trying to decide which to make, when I was invited to a goodbye lunch for Annalise, Completely Delicious.
The menu for lunch was salads and quiche, so I wanted to bring a light dessert, and decided to try Fares’ Cheesecake in a Jar recipe.
I’m so glad I did. It was the perfect ending to our lunch. There wasn’t enough filling for a second layer, so I added a little whipped cream on top. If I’d had another package of cream cheese I would have made more cheesecake filling. Because I really think you need more filling to balance the strawberries and graham crackers, I’ve doubled the filling in the recipe below.
It’s a light, refreshing dessert, but still luscious and creamy. I made my cheesecakes in 20 little 5-ounce dessert cups for the party, but you could make them in canning jars like Fares did in the cookbook, or they would be fun in some pretty wine glasses too.
Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar
Ingredients
- 12 graham crackers
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup salted butter, room temperature
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature*
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- zest and juice from two large lemons
- 20 fresh strawberries
Instructions
Crumble Dough
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Pulse the graham crackers in a food processor until they become fine crumbs Pour the crumbs into a bowl and add the sugar, butter, flour, baking power and vanilla. Use your fingers to pinch into a crumbly dough.
- Spread the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.
Cheesecake Filling
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Gradually beat in the cream. Add the vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice and beat until the filling is light and creamy.
Assemble
- Cut the strawberries in to bite size pieces. Layer the crumble, cheesecake filling, and strawberries in jars, glasses, or bowls. (I used 20 5-ounce plastic dessert cups.)
Notes
*I used light/Neufchatel cream cheese
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Could I assemble them, store them in the fridge for the next day?
Hi Katherine – you can assemble them and serve them the next day, the graham crackers will get soggy the longer they sit in the fridge though. Ideally, prepare all the layers and keep them separate and then just quickly layer them the next morning.
Hello,
I have a question for you. I’m going to make the crumble and filling the day before. Is it fine to store the filling in the fridge & im guessing I would leave the crumble out in room temperature. Would that be ok? Also, I’m going to be placing this on a dessert table. How long do you think this dessert can stay out in room temperature ?
Hi Esther – yes, leave the crumble out at room temperature and refrigerate the filling if making it a day ahead. If the dessert will be on the dessert table longer than half an hour, I would put them in a rimmed serving tray with ice to keep them as cold as possible.
How much lemon juice of the two lemons do I use ?
Hi Lupe- a lemon typically has two tablespoons of juice, so you’ll want to use about 4 tablespoons. Enjoy!
What is considered 1 graham cracker? Is it the full size with the 4 sections? Or is one section of the full size 1 cracker?
Hi Ana – the full size with the 4 sections is considered 1 cracker.
Thank you. Everyone loved it. Thanks for responding so quickly too.
That’s great – thanks!
If I were to make all the all the components and store separately, how many days do you think the cream filling will keep for before I serve?
Thanks
I would serve it within a couple of days for best results.
This dessert looks amazing! I’m getting married in a few weeks and was hoping to assemble these the day before and refrigerate or freeze them and take them out a few hours before the reception. Do you think that would work?
Hi Katelyn – I would make the three components and then combined them a few hours before you want to serve them if possible. They should come together really quickly. Congratulations!
I’m making these for a church dinner tomorrow night. I made a small recipe for just my husband and me. It was amazing!! Thank you.
Thanks! A perfect dessert for a crowd. I’m sure you’re be a super star for bringing them.
I want to make crumbles several days ahead of assembling dessert how should store, so they don’t get soggy?
Hi Sara – sometimes I’ll put a paper towel in the container with crisp cookies to absorb the moisture and help them stay crisp. You could also heat the crumbles for 5 minutes in a 300° the day you want to make the dessert to crisp it up again. Enjoy!
COULD YOU MAKE THE CRUMBLE AND FILLING THE NIGHT BEFORE AND ASSEMBLY THE NEXT DAY? I’M CRUNCHED FOR TIME AFTER WORK BEFORE AN EVENING PARTY.
Hi Jennifer – I think that’s a great idea for when you’re short on time.
My filling turned out like a thick soup. Is that what the consistency is supposed to be?
Hi Laura – no it should be thicker more like a creamy mousse. Perhaps you didn’t whip the cream long enough. Did you use heavy cream?
Was I supposed to whip the cream before adding it to the cream cheese?
You could whip the cream and fold it in to the cream cheese mixture if you wanted, but the original recipe has you gradually beat in the whipped cream which works well, but you do have to beat it until the cream thickens, which doesn’t take very long. Thanks for the questions.
Thank you! I beat the filling again (I hadn’t assembled the components as of yet) and it came out beautifully! It was a hit at the office bridal shower, so many have asked for the recipe. Thank you again 🙂
Barbara..I too get a thick soup…Did I possibly overbeat this? exactly how much lemon juice?? Thanks I hope you can help 🙂
Hi Elaine – I doubt you overbeat it. Did you use heavy whipping cream? Was it Ultra Pasterized Heavy cream?
yes I did use heavy whipping cream….how much lemon juice exactly (Tbsps ??) maybe thats it ??
About 2 tablespoons juice per lemon, so 1/4 cup for this recipe.
Thank You so very much 🙂
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Perfect for a summer buffet!
I’m throwing a baby shower for a friend later this month, and I’m going to make these!!!