This is a fun and delicious dessert, and Strawberry Cheesecake in a jar is no-bake and and easy to put together too. Use the prettiest berries you can find for this favorite summer dessert recipe.
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When it comes to cheesecake, there’s nothing worse than biting into one that’s like a block of cream cheese. Ugh.
On my first draft of creating this recipe, the original idea was simple; chunks of fresh rhubarb with perfect spring strawberries cooked into a loose jam with sugar and lemon juice, to use as a topping for individual cheesecakes.
The rhubarb was a lot of trouble for little payoff, so that idea was scrapped. Plan B included:
- Fresh, organic strawberries, which are a MARVEL this time of year. No stove top cooking! Instead, simply cut them into small chunks and toss with good quality strawberry jam. Perfect!
- The cheese layer – which can be heavy and thick, is made lighter and brighter thanks to a quick mixture of cream AND ricotta cheese, flavored with lemon extract and a bump of fresh lemon zest.
- Regular graham crackers work very well in this recipe, but experiment with other shortbread styles of cookies too.
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Recipe
Ingredients You’ll Need for this Recipe
- Strawberries: The freshest, prettiest, organic variety you can find.
- Cream Cheese: Use light cream cheese here for best results.
- Ricotta Cheese: Use the skim variety, which isn’t as heavy in texture as regular ricotta cheese.
- Graham Crackers: Plain works perfectly, and so do other shortbread styles of cookies if you want to change it up.
- Strawberry Jam: I use my fave Bon Maman Strawberry Preserves which is found in most grocery stores, but any good quality strawberry jam will do.
I whizzed up some Biscoff cookies I had on hand for the base layer instead of graham crackers for a test batch, and the results were a subtle spicy caramelized flavor that was SUPER delicious. 🙂 Try chocolate wafer cookies or vanilla shortbread for variation.
See that small juice glass? I used it to lightly pat the crumbs into place for the base for these little cheesecakes and it worked perfectly.
How to Make this Recipe
- Make the crust: Whiz the graham crackers to a fine sand texture in a food processor or blender, or use a rolling pin to crush the crackers inside of a sturdy plastic bag.
- Make the cheese layer: Use a hand mixer or food processor to blend the cream and ricotta cheeses, plus the sugar, lemon extract and zest, and mix just until combined to keep the mixture light.
- Prep the Strawberries: Remove the stems off each strawberry, then cut the berries into small chunks, leaving some whole for garnish. Toss the cut strawberries with the jam.
- Assemble the Cheesecakes: Lightly pat the graham cracker mixture into canning jars, using a smaller glass with a flat bottom to hold the crumbs in place, or just use a small spoon. Divide the cheese mixture into each jar, then scoop the strawberry mixture on top of it. Add whipped cream and enjoy!
Serving Ideas for Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar
- This is a great single-serving dessert that’s portable enough for a picnic. Disposable cups can be used instead of canning jars.
- Serve this dessert in log-stemmed glasses too! Use a glass with a wide mouth for a really pretty presentation.
- This is a great dessert to have after a substantial salad, maybe something like this Blackberry Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts?
Tips for Success
- You can make this recipe several hours ahead or the day before, just store in refrigerator until ready to use.
- Garnish with whipped cream and a sliced fresh strawberry or two just before serving.
- Use half-pint canning jars for this recipe, or clear, disposable cups.
- You can make this recipe into 6 servings by using smaller containers. Just eyeball this to distribute the ingredients as evenly as possible.
More Recipes to Try:
- Ice Cream Cake with Peanut Butter Ganache: This will cool you off in summer!
- Summer Fruit Crisp: A favorite classic recipe.
- Coconut Milk Rice Pudding with Rose Rhubarb: Comforting and delicious!
- Strawberry Asparagus Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette: A strawberry favorite!
- Strawberry Shortcake Cookies: Love these cookies, soft and wonderful.
- Cornmeal Pancakes with Strawberry Jam: These are incredible!
- California Fig Banana Bread: Moist, flavorful and easy.
- Fresh Banana Cake: An all-time favorite.
- Outrageous Chocolate Dipped Strawberries: Everyone loves these!
If you’ve tried this Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar, or any other recipe on Studio Delicious, please leave me a note in the comment section below!
STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE IN A JAR
Strawberry Cheesecake in a jar is a fun way to eat dessert. It's easy to put together and no-bake, so use the prettiest berries you can find.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 493kcal
Ingredients
- FOR THE CRUST
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- FOR THE CHEESE LAYER
- 1 8 ounce light cream cheese softened
- 1 8 ounce light ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest from one lemon
- ½ teaspoon lemon extract
- FOR THE STRAWBERRY LAYER
- ½ cup strawberry jam
- 1 teaspoon water
- 2 cups fresh strawberries, organic if possible sliced into 1/4" chunks
- whipped cream, for serving
- whole strawberries, cut vertically, for serving
Instructions
- CRUST
- Crush the graham cracker crumbs by adding to a food processor, you'll need 1 ½ cups of crumbs, which is approximately 8 sheets of graham cracker, plus a quarter. Alternatively, use a blender for this, or place the graham crackers in a large plastic freezer bag and crush with a rolling pin until it's a sand-like consistency
- Combine the graham cracker crumbs with the sugar and ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and set aside.
- MAKE THE CHEESE LAYER
- Place the cream and ricotta cheese together with the sugar, lemon extract and lemon zest in a food processor. Alternatively, place the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and use a hand-held electric mixer. For either method, blend the mixture together for about a minute or so, just to combine and lighten it until slightly fluffy. Don't over mix or the cheeses will be heavy and dense.
- PREPARE THE STRAWBERRIES
- Combine the strawberry jam and 1 teaspoon water in a medium-sized bowl, stir together to loosen the jam before adding the fresh strawberries. Toss the strawberries in the jam mixture, breaking them up a bit to release their juices until the mixture is combined.
- ASSEMBLE THE CHEESECAKES
- Lightly pat ¼ cup of the graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each jar using your fingers or a small spoon
- Spoon ½ cup of the cheesecake mixture on top of the crust
- Divide the strawberry mixture between each cup Garnish with a tablespoon or more of whipped cream, a fresh strawberry sliced in halfAdd some fresh mint, too if you'd like!
Notes
- Use half-pint canning jars for this recipe, or small disposable plastic cups
- You can make this recipe into 6 servings instead of 4 by dividing the ingredients equally in smaller plastic cups. Just eyeball this to distribute the ingredients.
- Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar can be served in long stem glasses too – such as a wide-mouth red wine glass – this presentation looks especially pretty.
- The cheesecakes travel well in the canning jars shown. Great for picnics!
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 493kcal | Carbohydrates: 68g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 595mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 40g | Vitamin A: 597IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 309mg | Iron: 2mg
Tips for Success with Every Recipe
- Super important to read the whole recipe before you begin
- Pay attention to the ingredient list and photos for the recipe
- If possible, prep your ingredients a little before you start
- Always use a sharp knife for safety
- Use the size of pan called for in the recipe
- For savory recipes, taste and season as you go
- Buy fresh, organic ingredients, locally sourced whenever possible
Did you make this recipe?Show me! Tag @studiodelicious or use the hashtag #studiodeliciouseats!
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This post was originally published April 2019 and updated with new tips and content in May 2020
With berry season just around the corner, what a great way to showcase them. Love the presentation of this delicious dessert. Perfect for BBQ parties this summer.
These little cheesecakes are the perfect treat for when you’ve got a serious sweet tooth. Delicious!
Thank you!
So cute! These look absolutely perfect for a summer dinner party. Strawberry ANYTHING is so great in the summer.
I recently picked up little jars like these and have been waiting for the perfect recipe to use them–this is it! That Biscoff cookie crust sounds absolutely irresistible, and the layering of the dessert is beautiful. How pretty it would be to present a platter of these for a summer gathering!
It sure would! Enjoy 🙂
I loved reading about the changes you made to get this recipe where you wanted it to be! The combination of cream cheese and ricotta for the middle layer sounds especially lovely – definitely a lighter way to go for a bright, summery dessert like this! And, they are so darn pretty!
Thank you so much 🙂
Yum. these are an amazing dessert. I love no bake desserts, especially during the summer. This has great flavor and a great dessert!
Thank you 🙂
These are so pretty and the combination of ingredients sound lovely! Strawberries are just coming in season where I live and this recipe is a perfect way to enjoy them!
Great! Thank you!
Is there ever TOO much crust though?!?! I love a lot of crust!! But I like that you went through the bad to get to the good because that means you perfected this recipe!! Can’t wait to try! Perfect for summer!
It was a rough job, but someone had to do it 🙂
I love ‘in a jar’ desserts, my husband can’t get enough either because he just throws a lid on it and takes it to work to have with lunch. He’s a strawberry and cheesecake fanatic too. I’m going to have to give these a go!
Hope you like them! 🙂
These are gorgeous and sound so tempting! I love that they’re in a jar, perfect to carry along anywhere or for a party.
Thank you!
I love single serving desserts in jars so much! They somehow look so much fancier, and like you mentioned – so portable for picnics or other summer festivities!
Definately! And easy too!
A kind of dessert that I would love to eat today, it is so delicious and I am sure my mom would love this.
Great…I hope so! Thanks..:)
Love this recipe, perfect for those of us who need portion control. I should never be left alone with an entire cheesecake. Anyways- so simple and incredibly satisfying.
hahaha…so funny. Thanks, too.
I love how pretty these are! Easy to put together for a weeknight dessert, but equally as great for a special meal. They look and taste of everything summer!
thank you!
Cheesecake fan and thia looks amazingly delicious. Thanks for sharing
Great, thanks
what a fun dessert! I just love that you have a thick graham cracker crust layer. That’s my fave part!
Mine too! Thanks
These mini cheesecake jars are my favorite to make when I have guests coming! They are so easy to make and soooo cute!
Me too! Thanks
OMG this is such a cute idea, loooks so yummy too! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you!
These are so pretty – I just love berries, and little individualized desserts are always adorable. Plus easy to serve, another big bonus!
Exactly! Thanks
Love these individual servings of strawberry cheesecake in a jar! Also love that you use a combination of light cream cheese and ricotta cheese, yum!
Thank you!
These are so cute and will be a great treat for the summer! The girls are going to love helping me make these!
They are fun! Thanks
These are just so cute. All you love about strawberry cheesecake in cute little individual servings. Love this idea. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks very much..:)
I love how easy this recipe is and that I can literally pack it with me for an afternoon snack at work or even for a cookout on a balmy summer evening.
Yes! Great, thank you
This Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar was so refreshing and delish! The husband and children loved it. Saving to make again.
Great news! Thanks
I saw this post last night n made it tonight, supelicious and so lovely to the eyes. Wanted to share a picture of mine here but don’t know how 😅
Oh that’s great! Thanks 🙂
Simlpy awesome!!
Well thank you!
I am such a sucker for anything mini and these were no exception! Love that you used Biscoff cookies for the crust, on my “make soon” list!
Thank you 🙂
Hi the recipe looks great… I have in house full fat cream cheese & full fat ricotta cheese.. Will your recipe work with those??? Thank You…
Sure, they should work just fine!