No bake strawberry cheesecake cups are the perfect individual dessert! These layered dessert cups are a great option for all kinds of events, like Mother’s Day, bridal showers, baby showers, brunches, summer parties, and more!
My mom is the cheesecake QUEEN. I honestly don’t know how she magically whips up cheesecakes of all kinds in what seems like a matter of minutes, but she does. My friends have requested her cheesecakes for our annual 4th of July cabin weekends for over a decade, and they’ve become the hit of the fall chili cookoff too. She’s just darn good at them!
And while I love a good cheesecake (especially hers), I don’t always have the time or patience to bake one (it’s usually over an hour process). Which is where these yummy no bake strawberry cheesecake cups come in. As an homage to my mom and her cheesecake making glory, our no bake version is a simplified way to enjoy the yumminess of cheesecake but in an easy, no bake kind of way. Through lots of testing and tweaks, we know that our detailed steps and process shots will help you create beautiful deconstructed cheesecake parfaits in no time!
I’m proud to partner with Taittinger to bring you this delicious dessert recipe to pair with their Brut Réserve Champagne as an idea for Mother’s Day! Taittinger is one of the few remaining family owned and operated Champagne houses. They’re known for their high-quality production standards and sustainable practices.
For those 21+. pairing these delicious strawberry cheesecake cups with Taittinger Brut Réserve is a great way to enhance any celebration or to make dessert time extra special. Brut champagne is known to be very versatile. It’s not too dry and not too sweet. This characteristic makes it a great champagne to serve with a wide variety of foods, including these individual strawberry cheesecake parfaits!
You’ll Love this Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait
Level of difficulty: Easy. Mix up your layers, layer them in cups or jars, chill, and serve!
Flavor: Strawberry and cheesecake are the primary flavors, with the graham cracker accenting.
Time: It will take you approximately 20 minutes to prepare no bake cheesecake jars. A one hour chill time is recommended to let them set. However, I’ll admit I often dive right in… so no judgment if you do too!
Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake in a Cup
- Fresh strawberries
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon juice
- Optional: lemon zest
- Graham crackers
- Salted butter
- Cream cheese (regular, ⅓ less fat, or a combination)
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Vanilla extract
All ingredient measurements are located in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Helpful Equipment
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
Prepare the Strawberry Layer:
Wash and cut the strawberries into small, bite-sized pieces (discarding the stems). Place the strawberries into a medium sized mixing bowl and then add the granulated sugar and 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice on top. If using the optional lemon zest, add to the bowl. Stir to combine, and set aside. Let the strawberry layer rest for about 15 minutes to ‘marinate’ and release any juices.
Prepare the Graham Cracker ‘Crust’ Layer:
Place the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse until ground into fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin instead.Add melted butter in the food processor and pulse until the graham cracker crumbs are moistened. Set aside.
Prepare the Cheesecake Layer:
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth (about 2-3 minutes). Then add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper as needed throughout the mixing process.
Assemble the Cheesecake Parfaits:
Place a spoonful of the graham cracker layer into the bottom of the glass. Next, pipe or spoon a layer of the cheesecake mixture on top of the graham cracker layer. Top that with a layer of the strawberries. Repeat with one more of each layer.
Chill and Serve:
Chill the parfaits for about an hour in the refrigerator prior to serving and enjoy!
Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait Variations
This no bake strawberry cheesecake parfait recipe is vegetarian and egg free as written. One simple modification can be made to make these strawberry cheesecake cups gluten-free.
- To make this into a gluten-free no bake cheesecake parfait, purchase a gluten-free graham crackers.
Strawberry Cheesecake Cups Recipe Tips
Don’t skip the butter in the graham cracker layer! It may be tempting to save a few calories, but don’t do it! The butter really enhances this layer and the parfait as a whole. Using just graham cracker crumbs creates a dry layer that just isn’t as enjoyable.
Pipe your cheesecake layer for a more even, cleaner look. I’ve found piping the cheesecake layer into the cups or jars allows me to create a nicer layer. I use a larger, circular tip in my piping bag to do this. Don’t have the stuff to pipe? No problem! Gently spoon your cheesecake layer in and lightly tap your glass on the counter or table that you’re assembling on to even out the layer.
For the strawberry lovers: 1.5x or 2x the strawberry layer! I love strawberries a whole heck of a lot, so I often add a very generous layer of the strawberry layer to my strawberry cheesecake cups. If you’re like me, and want lots and lots of strawberries, I’d recommend making more of this layer than outlined in the recipe! 1.5x the recipe amount will give each parfait a generous portion. 2x may allow you to have the wildest strawberry layers ever (no regrets). You do you!
How to Serve Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert Cups
You can build your no bake strawberry cheesecake parfaits in a variety of glasses! Your glass selection can give your parfait a different feel depending on the type of event you’re making them for. A few of my favorite options include:
- A stemless martini glass (shown in the photos). I like these for a more elegant look. Stemless martini glasses are also my go-to for when I’m hosting because I personally find them the most enjoyable to eat my cheesecake parfait out of.
- Smaller sized mason jars. Great for summer parties or more casual events! Using a mason jar is also a good idea if you need to travel with your dessert. The lids can help prevent any spills on the way to your event.
- Short juice glasses or lowball glasses. A great middle ground style and feel wise. A short glass is also something you may already have in your cabinet!
Storing No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
Store leftover cheesecake dessert cups covered with plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 3 days (if they last that long!). If you have several, placing them on a baking sheet or tray and covering multiple with a large sheet of plastic wrap makes for easy removal and eating later.
Find Taittinger Champagne Near You
Taittinger’s Brut Réserve is an excellent champagne, suitable for any occasion! Brut Réserve is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes resulting in a champagne that is light, elegant and balanced. Their critically acclaimed champagnes consistently receive outstanding scores (90+) and can be found in a store near you.
Love This Recipe? Try One of These Fruity Desserts Next!
Strawberry Cheesecake in a Cup
Ingredients
Strawberry Layer
- 1 pound fresh strawberries
- ¼ C granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)
Graham Cracker Layer
- 1 sleeve graham crackers
- ¼ C salted butter
Cheesecake Layer
- 2, 8 oz blocks cream cheese*
- 1, 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Prepare the Strawberry Layer:
- Wash and cut the strawberries into small, bite-sized pieces (discarding the stems). Place the strawberries into a medium sized mixing bowl and then add the granulated sugar and 2 Tablespoons of fresh lemon juice on top. If using the optional lemon zest, add to the bowl. Stir to combine, and set aside. Let the strawberry layer rest for about 15 minutes to ‘marinate’ and release any juices.
Prepare the Graham Cracker ‘Crust’ Layer:
- Place the graham crackers into a food processor and pulse until ground into fine crumbs. If you don’t have a food processor, you can crush the graham crackers with a rolling pin instead.Add melted butter in the food processor and pulse until the graham cracker crumbs are moistened. Set aside.
Prepage the Cheesecake Layer:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl) beat the cream cheese on high speed until smooth (about 2-3 minutes). Then add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice and beat on medium-high speed until the mixture is smooth and combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber scraper as needed throughout the mixing process.
Assemble the Cheesecake Parfaits:
- Place a spoonful of the graham cracker layer into the bottom of the glass. Next, pipe or spoon a layer of the cheesecake mixture on top of the graham cracker layer. Top that with a layer of the strawberries. Repeat with one more of each layer.
Chill and Serve:
- Chill the parfaits for about an hour in the refrigerator prior to serving and enjoy!
Meredith says
We love these for special occassions!
David says
This is the perfect dessert for when you want cheesecake but not like a WHOLE cheesecake 😂
Meredith says
🤣 so true!!!! glad you enjoyed them
Celine Anaya says
This recipe is delicious and I’m up to try it again but in a bigger batch. Do you think it would affect the freshness if I made them a day in advance?
ourlovelanguageisfood says
Hi Celine, I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed theses no bake cheesecake parfaits!! This is a great question. Doing a little research, it sounds like making a batch of these cheesecake parfaits the night before an event would be a-okay! Once assembled, cover them and refrigerate. It would not be recommended to make more than 1-day ahead of time.
Note: I personally have not done this, and would still be a teeny bit nervous about that graham cracker layer getting a little soggy. A few ways you could pre-prep some of the items to make the day of your event easier include: 1) make the cheesecake layer the day before and store it in a container in the fridge. Take it out ~10minutes before you’re ready to pipe it into your jars/glasses 2) cut up the strawberries and store them in a container in the fridge (but wait to add the sugar and lemon juice until the day I plan to serve – because they begin to “juice” when you stir this all together). 3) get the graham crackers crushed up and ready (but mix with the butter day-of). 4) Set out the jars/glasses so you’re all ready to assemble. I hope this helps! I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Susanne says
This recipe sounds amazing and I can’t wait to make it, but I’ve got a couple of questions. Regarding the serving size: did you mean to say that 16 oz. of cream cheese serves 4? Also, are we supposed to include the macerated strawberry juice in the parfait?
Hope to hear from you, soon, as I want to make it for a party next week! Thanks in advance for your time and your recipe!
Susanne
ourlovelanguageisfood says
Hi Susanne! I’m so glad you’re excited about this recipe!
– Serving size: yes, the 16oz of cream cheese used in this recipe will result in 4 servings (up to 6, depending on the size jar or glass you use)
– I would recommend using a slotted spoon to avoid most of the juice from the macerated strawberries in your parfaits (a little is ok!)
Can’t wait to hear how they turn out!