This is a full page dedicated to homemade individual no-bake cheesecake jars! Use this simple no-bake recipe when you need a quick and crowd-pleasing 30 minute dessert. Have fun with different flavors and toppings, too!
No bake cheesecake jars are a fun individual dessert to serve when you’re short on time and don’t feel like turning on the oven. There’s literally no baking involved and the entire dessert takes around 30 minutes. You only need a handful of familiar ingredients and some cute little jars. Individual desserts have been all the rage the past several years and this mason jar dessert trend isn’t disappearing any time soon.
I’ve published no-bake cheesecake, classic baked cheesecake recipe, and even an easy cheesecake pie on my blog, all of which take hours to either bake, cool, and/or chill. Shortcut cheesecake, here we come!
Why You’ll Love Individual No-Bake Cheesecake Jars
If you’ve ever enjoyed my no-bake cheesecake recipe or mini no-bake cheesecakes, you know you’re in for a real treat with this jar version. You see, no-bake cheesecake (either served as a whole or in jars) is a lot easier than baked cheesecake. Without eggs and baking, there’s no way to mess up this dessert. You can’t over-bake it, you can’t over-whip the eggs, and there’s no cheesecake water bath involved. It’s easier and quicker than strawberry cream cheese pie, with all of the flavor and texture. If summer was a dessert, it would be no-bake cheesecake jars.
Here’s what I appreciate and know you will too:
- Easy recipe
- Creamiest cheesecake filling
- Few tools required—just a mixer and a couple bowls
- Ready in 30 minutes
- Unlimited flavors & topping options
- Convenient to transport to parties, BBQs, baby showers, & other events
- Did I mention no baking?
Video Tutorial: No Bake Cheesecake Jars
Before we get to the written out recipe, let’s review each layer. Even though this is a simple dessert, it’s important you familiarize yourself with the process before starting.
3 Layers in No-Bake Cheesecake Jars
- Buttery Graham Cracker Crust
- No-Bake Cheesecake Filling
- Topping
The graham cracker crust doesn’t need much explanation. You only need graham cracker crumbs and melted butter. Mix the two together, then layer into the individual jars. Again, there is NO BAKING so you do not need to pre-bake this graham cracker crust.
If you use certified gluten free graham crackers, you can add these cheesecake jars to your list of go-to gluten free dessert recipes, too.
2 Parts to Cheesecake Filling
There are 2 parts to the cheesecake filling. First, whip heavy cream into stiff peaks. You’re essentially making whipped cream without sugar or flavor. Set that aside. Then beat the remaining cheesecake filling ingredients together. Finally, fold in the whipped cream. Whipping the cream 1st is imperative because it supplies all the deliciously fluffy and creamy texture. This no-bake cheesecake jar filling almost tastes like cheesecake mousse—it’s so light—and we have the whipped cream to thank for that. 🙂
Cheesecake Jar Filling Ingredients
- Heavy Cream: Whip into stiff peaks. Set aside.
- Brick Cream Cheese: Use full-fat brick cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. I recommend this for all of my no-bake and baked cheesecake recipes, including mini cheesecakes and white chocolate raspberry cheesecake bars.
- Sugar: Sugar sweetens the cheesecake jars. This is a lightly sweetened dessert, so you only need 1/3 cup of sugar in the entire filling.
- Sour Cream: Sour cream is a must-have ingredient in this recipe. Even though you only need 2 Tablespoons, it promises a tangy cheesecake flavor and ultra creamy texture. In fact, I don’t make regular cheesecake without it.
- Vanilla Extract: Vanilla extract adds flavor.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Lemon juice adds a little brightness and slight flavor.
Here’s the heavy cream beaten into stiff peaks:
Here’s the cheesecake filling after you fold in the whipped cream. It’s airy, light, and fluffy:
Filling Flavors
The pictured no bake cheesecake jars are plain, but you can definitely add some flavor! Add these ingredients when you beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, and vanilla extract together. I recommend leaving out the lemon juice if making the peanut butter, Nutella, chocolate, or coconut variations.
- Peanut Butter: 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- Nutella: 1/3 cup Nutella
- Lemon: 2 extra teaspoons lemon juice + 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- Raspberry: 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons raspberry preserves
- Chocolate: 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder or chocolate ganache and replace graham crackers with Oreos or chocolate graham crackers
- Coconut: 1 teaspoon coconut extract
- Key Lime: replace lemon juice with lime juice and add 2 more teaspoons of lime juice, plus 1 teaspoon lime zest
Toppings
Last layer! Finish the no-bake cheesecake jars with your favorite toppings. This recipe yields about 6 8-ounce cheesecake jars, so you can layer each with a different topping.
- Chocolate Ganache (pictured with raspberries & mint)
- Strawberry Topping (pictured)
- Blueberry Sauce Topping (pictured with fresh blueberries and lemon slice)
- Whipped Cream
- Hot Fudge Sauce
- Lemon Curd
- Salted Caramel
And let’s not forget garnishes like sprinkles, berries, lemons, mint, etc!
Jars for No-Bake Cheesecake Jars
8 ounce jars, as pictured, are a pretty generous serving size. Feel free to use smaller jars like we do for homemade dirt pudding, or even use this recipe as a trifle. Whichever size jar, I highly recommend using wide mouthed jars so you can easily spoon the layers inside. These are all affiliate links.
- 8 ounce glass jars (pictured)
- 8 ounce glass jars (vintage fruit design)
- 6 ounce glass jars (hexagon shape)
- 6 ounce glass jars (smooth surface)
If you don’t have jars, use custard cups or bowls. Same taste, different delivery. This cheesecake filling also works in place of pastry cream in homemade mille-feuille. No matter how you serve it, these are always fun to serve at bridal showers, baby showers, for tea parties, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, wedding celebrations, BBQs, graduation parties, and more. A crowdpleaser every time!
See Your No-Bake Cheesecake Jars!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
Print
No Bake Cheesecake Jars
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 8-ounce jars or 10 6-ounce jars
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
This jar dessert recipe combines a 2 ingredient graham cracker crust with an easy no-bake cheesecake filling. For best results, read through the recipe and watch the video tutorial above before beginning. See blog post for cheesecake filling flavors and see recipe notes or blog post for topping and garnish suggestions.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (100g) graham cracker crumbs (about 8 graham crackers)
- 1 cup (240ml) heavy cream or heavy whipping cream, cold
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/3 cup (65g) granulated sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- toppings & garnishes (see note)
Instructions
- Have your jars ready to go and lined up. This recipe yields about 6 8-ounce jars or 10 6-ounce jars.
- Crust: Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium heat-proof bowl or use the stove. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs. The mixture will resemble wet sand. Spoon a generous spoonful into each jar, about 2 Tablespoons into the 8-ounce jars and 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons into the 6-ounce jars. If there’s any crust leftover, sprinkle into the jars to use up or discard. Set jars aside.
- Filling: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream into stiff peaks on medium-high speed, about 3-4 minutes. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, sugar, sour cream, lemon juice, and vanilla extract together on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy. Make sure there are no large lumps of cream cheese. If there are lumps, keep beating until smooth.
- Using your mixer on low speed or a silicone spatula, fold the whipped cream into the cheesecake filling until combined. This takes several turns of your silicone spatula. Combine slowly as you don’t want to deflate all the air in the whipped cream.
- Layer a couple large spoonfuls of filling on top of the crust in the jars. Use about 1/4 – 1/3 cup filling in the 8 ounce jars and 3 Tablespoons (or however much you can pack in!) into the 6 ounce jars. Make sure to leave room for the topping.
- The cheesecake jars are at room temperature at this point, but if you’d like to serve chilled, chill for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 days before adding the topping. (Cover if chilling for longer than 30 minutes.) I recommend adding the topping when serving or up to 2 hours in advance. The topping can seep down into the layers, so that’s why I recommend adding it soon before serving.
- Spoon topping and garnishes on top of filling, then serve.
- Cover and store leftover cheesecake jars in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: These cheesecake jars can be made 1-3 days in advance. They can be refrigerated in step 7 for up to 3 days before serving. You can also make & layer the crust 1-2 days ahead of time. Another way to make these cheesecake jars ahead of time is to freeze them before adding the toppings. Seal jars with the lids and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before topping and serving. You can also freeze the cheesecake filling as a whole. Cover tightly and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before layering on top of crust.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 8-ounce Glass Jars (pictured), 8-ounce Glass Jars (vintage fruit design), 6-ounce Glass Jars (hexagon shape), or 6-ounce Glass Jars (smooth surface) | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula
- Toppings: Chocolate Ganache, Strawberry Topping, Blueberry Sauce, Whipped Cream, Cherry Pie Filling, Lemon Curd, Salted Caramel, Hot Fudge Sauce
- Garnishes: Fresh berries, chopped fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, lemon slices, lime slices, shredded coconut, sprinkles, mint, or whatever you desire.
- More Cheesecake Jars: This recipe can easily be doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. Keep in mind the whipping and beating times will increase with the added volume.
Reader Comments and Reviews
This was certainly a hit after a dinner at a friend’s house. I made the blueberry and strawberry sauce so they would have options.
I don’t curse frequently but I literally said “omfg” when I had a bite of this. I love cheesecakes and I resisted against making the no bake version because I really love the process of making baked cheesecake. After trying this I think I even like this better than baked cheesecake!! Love these challenges that allow me to expand my dessert horizons. Thank you Sally!
I made these for the challenge this month and they were very light and creamy and easy to make, a perfect summer dessert.
This recipe was perfect for a hot summer day! The cheesecake filling was very light and almost like a mousse. I topped each jar with a blueberry topping and lemon curd. You can’t go wrong with a Graham cracker crust.
I’m lactose intolerant but am determined to participate in all the baking challenges this year so I followed this recipe, swapping out the sour cream, heavy cream, and cream cheese for dairy free alternatives and it came out delicious!! It tastes just like cheesecake Thank you, Sally!
These were so fun to make! Easy to assemble and so cute in their little individual jars. The whole family LOVED them!!
These were so much fun to make!
I went with no-bake banana cream pudding cheesecake jars and my sons LOVED them!
Thank you for supporting exploration and confidence in baking. Your tips make all the difference! ❤️
It was so easy to make and just perfect for a sunny afternoon. I used your homemade caramel recipe for the topping…sooo amazing too! On top of the sauce I put fresh raspberries and blackberries. Such a lovely recipe :).
Made these today and they will definitely be my go-to summer dessert! Made 3 lemon and 3 strawberry jars -they are so refreshing! Looking forward to making them again- I might try pineapple as I love that combo!
I love all the different ways these can be made and that they’re No Bake for when it’s too hot for the oven! I made the Nutella version today and I’m in love!
Easy to make and great combo of sweet and tangy. I used cinnamon graham crackers to give a slight change. Perfect light dessert for summer. Thank you!
I used 4 oz jars which was the perfect size for everyone to get a taste but still enjoy other desserts. I imagine doing these again with a toppings bar so everyone can customize their own cheesecake experience.
So quick and delicious! And as a bonus the kids could join in too and help!
Loved how quickly these cheesecake jars came together. Everyone enjoyed picking different toppings to suit their own tastes. Definitely a crowd pleaser. The cheesecake was so creamy and delicious. Can’t wait to make them again!
Yummy! And easy! My kids loved these and my daughter put more cream cheese on the grocery list so that I can make her some more. I thought the cheesecake was a great base and then I got to be creative with toppings. I used some Swiss Meringue Buttercream flavored with Raspberry curd and some Lemon Curd that I lightened with some extra whipped cream as toppings. Both were delicious! And its fun to have cute little jars full. Thanks for the recipe!
These are so good! I’m excited to make them again for a girls’ night next week! Everything you touch is gold, Sally!
These jars were very easy and fun to make! Plus they taste incredible, I used a homemade cherry compote as a topping! Thank you for this recipe, Sally!!
These are amazing! Served them at a gathering and they were a huge hit! One person said she’s not much of a cheesecake fan but then asked for the recipe, she loved these! I let everyone make their own creations with homemade: cherry sauce, blueberry sauce, chocolate sauce and caramel. Such a perfect no bake treat! Will be making these again and again!
Can a premade whipped cream be used?
Hi Gayle! It could, yes, but for best taste and texture, I recommend homemade. Super quick to whip up!
Made these today, in 3 versions: Plain filling topped with raspberry sauce and garnished with fresh raspberries, Lemon filling topped with lemon curd and garnished with a Cherry, and Oreo filling with Oreo crumbs for base, topped with Chocolate ganache and Garnished by chopped Oreos!
All flavors came out fabulous! Thanks Sally for a great recipe!
Love these cheesecake jars! I made blueberry + lemon and chocolate + salted caramel! They were so light & delicious. I couldn’t pick a favourite because they were equally good 🙂
I loved this recipe, because it was so easy, fun, and especially tasty! Thank you!
I absolutely loved this recipe. I used mascarpone cheese instead of cream cheese and factoring in the additional fat because of that substitute, I reduced the amount of heavy cream to only half of a cup. I also used dark brown sugar instead of white sugar. It came out fantastic! I made half them peanut butter flavored with a 1/4 cup of crunchy peanut butter and topped with Peanut M&M’s. The other half I made coffee flavored with 1 teaspoon of espresso powder topped with chocolate-covered coffee beans. They reminded me of the fancy mini desserts at Carrabba’s. Thank you very much Sally!
This is such a quick and delicious recipe! It impresses a crowd, and you don’t have to be slaving in the kitchen all day to make it. I will definitely be making this for several summers to come.
This is a 5 star recipe! I will definitely make these again, and it’s such an easy recipe (just remember to make sure the cream cheese and sour cream are at room temperature). I think this will also become a recipe I go to when I’m pressed for time as the actual hands on time is very quick. We made a strawberry compote and a raspberry compote and loved them both. I want to try them with the Oreo crumb crust too. Thanks, Sally!
These are sooooo yummy! Perfect for Summer! I made two flavors: Strawberry and White Chocolate Cheesecake with Raspberry Sauce. They were both amazing. The cheesecake is so light and fluffy. Helps to feel less guilty about eating all 12 jars.
I’m not a fan of cheesecake, especially plain, but this recipe was so wonderful. I divided into 6 mismatched jars and one larger container. The jars were each a different flavor combo (Nutella, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Birthday Cake, Banoffee, Pumpkin, and S’mores) and the big container was left plain for my hubby. I enjoyed being able to try different flavors while keeping it plain for others. What a great recipe for kids or a group! Thanks Sally!!
I made half the recipe and it fitted perfectly in 3 of my 7oz jars, I used a mix of Digestive biscuits and Biscoff cookie crumbs for the crust and topped the cheesecake filling with homemade peach compote, raspberries and a Biscoff cookie piece – it was so good, thanks Sally for a fun and customisable challenge recipe! My baking friend suggested using a cookie scoop to put the cheesecake filling in which is ingenious!
Hi Sally!
This recipe was a wonderful make ahead dessert for a party at my house. Everyone loved them. I did a blueberry lemon combination and a chocolate strawberry. The blueberry lemon was the favorite but all were eaten quickly! Thank you!
Great recipe yet again! Loved that these were easy to make a half batch so it was just enough for our family! Tried the chocolate, peanut butter and plain and will definitely try others and different toppongs again. I’ll be keeping this one in my back pocket for easy make ahead desserts!