No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits filled with layers of creamy cheesecake, fresh berries, tangy lemon curd, and a brown sugar graham cracker crust.
A Mixed Berry Trifle is one of the easiest showstopping Summer Desserts with layers of berries, vanilla pudding, and cake. These layered parfaits are just as easy to make, they look just as pretty, plus they taste like Cheesecake!
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Cheesecake Parfaits Recipe
My delicious Cheesecake Parfaits are just the summer recipe you need when the weather is hot! You get the delicious flavor creamy cheesecake without having to bake it or wait forever for the filling to set. The sweet berries and bright lemon curd add a burst of refreshing fruity flavor and there is a buttery graham cracker crust too. It’s a beautiful fruity cheesecake treat in under 30 minutes!
These amazing No Bake Cheesecake Parfaits have filling made with cream cheese, whipped cream, sugar, and vanilla similar to my Cherry Cheesecake Dip. It has a creamy, thick texture that is halfway between pudding and cheesecake. While I used fresh berries and lemon curd for a summery treat, you can use the sweet creamy filling with so many other flavor combinations all year long. Check my Variations Section for more fun, tasty ideas!
Ingredients
- Graham Cracker Crust: Like a regular cheesecake, this parfait gets a crumbly, buttery sweet Graham Cracker Crust. One little change is that it is made with brown sugar instead of white sugar so it has a slightly richer flavor.
- Cheesecake Filling: The rich cheesecake filling is thickened with whipped cream so it gets a luscious, creamy texture similar to a no-bake cheesecake dip. Unlike a regular cheesecake, there’s no need to wait around for it to set, it’s ready to go as soon as it’s mixed and you want that light and fluffy texture. It has lemon, sugar, and vanilla added so it tastes just like tangy, sweet vanilla cheesecake!
- Mixed Berries: A mixture of fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries and blueberries are the perfect fruit layer during the summer! You can also use whatever fruit is in season or switch it up with canned or thawed frozen fruit.
- Lemon Curd: This parfait was made with my delicious, thick and silky Homemade Lemon Curd recipe that is actually much easier than you think to make! But feel free to grab a jar of lemon curd from the store. It’s usually with the jams and jellies or sometimes with the canned pie fillings.
Kitchen Tools
- Parfait Glasses: While you can use any tall clear glass, there are also specific glasses made just for parfaits. They are taller and clear so you can see each layer.
- Parfait Spoons: There are also special spoons that are long enough to reach the bottom of the glass so you can scoop out a bit of each layer all in one bite! You might see them called iced tea spoons.
How to Make
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Make the Crust
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl with a fork until it resembles wet sand. Set aside.
- Beat Whipped Cream
With a stand mixer on low speed, beat the whipping cream in a bowl until stiff peaks form.
- Make Cheesecake Filling
Set aside the whipped cream. In a clean bowl, beat the cream cheese, granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice until fluffy. Begin adding the whipped cream to the cream cheese until just combined.
- Add Crust to Glasses
In 8 serving cups, divide most of the graham cracker crust in the bottom, saving some cookie crumbs for the top.
- Begin Assembling
On top of the graham cracker crust, add some cheesecake filling, top with a fruit layer, then lemon curd.
- Repeat Layers
Repeat the layering with the remaining cheesecake filling, berries, and lemon curd.
- Top and Serve
Sprinkle the reserved cookie crumbs on top and serve chilled.
Can these be made ahead of time?
You can definitely prepare the different layers of the Cheesecake Parfaits in advance and assemble them the day you want to serve them. Layered parfaits will be freshest the first day, after that the berry juices might leak but they will still taste yummy! The layers can be kept separately for up to 2 days before you should assemble the parfaits and serve them.
Nutritional Facts
How to Store
Store: These parfaits can be at room temperature for up to 2 hours, but they are best kept as chilled as possible so the filling doesn’t melt. Leftover Cheesecake Parfait cups can be covered with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also store the layers separately if you haven’t assembled them yet.
Freeze: While you can definitely freeze leftovers all together, keep in mind when the fruit thaws it will be very soft and watery. If possible, just freeze the cheesecake mixture. It will stay good for about 2 months. When you are ready to serve it, thaw it in the fridge until softened then whip it to make it fluffy. Use it to assemble fresh parfaits.
Frequent Questions
You can absolutely add a different kind of crust instead of the graham cracker crust. You can make a crust with things like cookie crumbs, tiny cake bits, baked pie crust, sweetened granola, chopped toasted nuts, etc.
No, these Cheesecake Parfaits are not baked. The cheesecake layer is made with whipped cream and cream cheese that is more like a cheesecake dip than baked or set cheesecake.
A parfait has some kind of creamy filling, such as yogurt or pudding, and from there the layers can range from candy, nuts, granola, fruit, berries, pretzels or cookie pieces. There are usually dessert sauces like caramel, fruit curd, jam, or chocolate between the layers and can often be served with Whipped Cream on top.
The main differences between a trifle and a parfait comes down to presentation and the crust layers. A trifle is made in a large round glass dish as one whole dessert that is then portioned out as it is served. It is also usually made with big cake pieces, usually pound cake. Parfaits aren’t typically made with cake, instead they are layered with granola or a cookie crumb crust. Additionally, parfait is prepared in individual serving glasses.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar , packed
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter , melted
Cheesecake Filling:
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream , very cold
- 24 ounces cream cheese , softened
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
To Assemble:
- 2 cups mixed berries , sliced strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
- 1 cup lemon curd
Instructions
Graham Cracker Crust:
- Mix the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar, and melted butter in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cheesecake Filling:
- Add heavy cream to your stand mixer on low speed, raising it to a higher and higher speed and beat until stiff peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
- Remove the whipped cream from the bowl and set aside.
- To your stand mixer add the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon juice and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- On the lowest speed add in the whipped cream until just evenly combined.
To Assemble:
- To 8 footed cups or serving cups layer in the following order:
- Graham Cracker Crust
- Cheesecake Filling
- Lemon Curd
- Mixed Berries
- Cheesecake Filling
- Lemon Curd
- Mixed Berries
- A sprinkling of graham cracker crust
Nutrition
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Variations
- Crust: Swap out the cracker crumbs with cookie crumbs like vanilla wafers, Oreo cookies, or Biscoff cookies. For a gluten-free dessert, use nuts and gluten-free granola instead, or gluten free cookies.
- Fruit: Instead of mixed berries, try sliced fruit like apples, pears, bananas, or peaches. You can even use tropical fruit like kiwis and mangoes, or fresh cherries. Really whatever fruit is in season or you like eating will work. You can use fresh, raw fruit pieces or use cooked fruit pie fillings like Apple Pie filling.
- Strawberry: Make Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Parfait with Shortbread Cookie crumbs for the crust. Swap the mixed berries for strawberries, and instead of lemon curd, use Strawberry Topping. Top with whipped cream.
- Chocolate Cake: If you have leftover chocolate cake, turn it into a delicious chocolate cheesecake parfait. Crumble the chocolate cake into tiny bits and use it for the crust. Layer with the cheesecake and mixed berries but use Chocolate Ganache instead of lemon curd. Garnish with cake crumbs.
- Cherry: For a Cherry Cheesecake Parfait, swap the lemon curds and mixed berries with cherry pie filling and add some sliced almonds for a little crunch. Add almond extract to the cheesecake to pair with the sweet cherry flavor.
- Gingerbread: During the holidays, swap in crispy gingerbread cookie crumbs for the graham crackers. For the filling, add a teaspoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice and use brown sugar. Instead of the berry and lemon layers, add chopped pears and Caramel Sauce.
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