3 WAYS: No-Bake Cheesecake in a Jar

Usually, I would post a recipe on the 15th of every month. But, since it’s Valentine’s Day—and, regardless of how you feel about it, you might want to eat something sweet today—I thought it would be perfect to post this recipe today. At first, I wanted to make some baked goods because it feels like it’s been a while since the last time I baked.

However, since it would be too much of a hassle, my sister and I decided to make some no-bake dessert. Cheesecake was our dessert of choice, as we both love it so much. However, we reached an impasse when we couldn’t agree what kind of cheesecake we wanted to make. That’s when we came up with the idea of making three different cheesecakes to satisfy both our taste buds. Hope this will sweeten your V-day!

Ingredients

(makes 3 jars, via Brit.Co)
For the crust

  • 5 graham crackers
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  1. Crush the graham crackers until they become crumbs. For this, I used pestle and mortar as they were handy in my household, but you can also use a food processor or a ziploc bag and roller
  2. Move the crumbs to a mixing bowl then add sugar then the melted butter, mix well
  3. Put the crumbs at the bottom of the jar(s). You can flatten the crust using an ice cream scoop, or simply a table spoon
  4. Put the jars in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake
For the cheesecake
  • 250 gr cream cheese, room temperature
  • 200 gr sweetened condense milk
  • 1/8 cup (roughly 3/4 lemon) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
  1. Beat the cream cheese (easier with an electric mixer) until it’s soft and creamy
  2. Add the condense milk little by little, making sure it’s fully integrated
  3. Finally, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract then mix well
  4. Once it is put in the jar, refrigerate it for 2 hours (or freeze it for 30 minutes)
For the salted caramel
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 heavy cream
  • a pinch of sea salt
  1.  In a saucepan (or wok) heat the sugar in low heat, it will take a while
  2. Let it sit in the heat until all has melt into a brown goo
  3. Add water and let it dissolve
  4. Remove from heat and quickly add in the butter
  5. Add the cream in a steady stream while mixing
  6. Finally, add in the salt and let it melt

For the layering

Oreo version

  1. After the crust is set, add the cheesecake layer and let it freeze for 30 minutes
  2. Take out the jar and add a layer of crushed oreos (I used double stuff)
  3. Add the cheesecake layer again and let it freeze for another 30 minutes
  4. Take it out and add more crushed oreos on top
Strawberry version
  1. Cut strawberries in half depending on the size of your jar
  2. Once the crust is set, put the strawberries around the perimeter, facing outward
  3. Add the cheesecake layer and let it freeze for 30 minutes
  4. Take out the jar and add a salted caramel layer then let it freeze for 30 minutes
  5. Take it out and add another cheesecake layer
  6. Add a strawberry on top for garnish and freeze it for 30 minutes
Salted Caramel version
  1. After the crust is set, add the cheesecake layer and freeze it for 30 minutes
  2. Take out the jar and add the salted caramel layer
  3. Let it freeze for 30 minutes and add garnish
  4. Yum!

Tips: First and foremost, you don’t have to use fancy mason jars for this, any old mayonnaise/jam jars would do! (That’s what I used.) Better use the cup measurement for the lemon, as the sizes of lemons vary. Do not add water to the sugar before it melts, when cooking the caramel. It will prevent the sugar from browning. Crush the oreos using pestle and mortar, ziploc bag and roller or food processor—or just use your hands. Do not forget to freeze every layer before adding a new one to prevent it from sinking into one. You can obviously change up the layers as you see please. Lass euch schmecken!

Usually, I would post a recipe on the 15th of every month. But, since it’s Valentine’s Day—and, regardless of how you feel about it, you might want to eat something sweet today—I thought it would be perfect to post this recipe today. At first, I wanted to make some baked goods because it feels like it’s been a while since the last time I baked.

However, since it would be too much of a hassle, my sister and I decided to make some no-bake dessert. Cheesecake was our dessert of choice, as we both love it so much. However, we reached an impasse when we couldn’t agree what kind of cheesecake we wanted to make. That’s when we came up with the idea of making three different cheesecakes to satisfy both our taste buds. Hope this will sweeten your V-day!

Ingredients

(makes 3 jars, via Brit.Co)
For the crust

  • 5 graham crackers
  • 2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
  • 1/2 tbsp. sugar
  1. Crush the graham crackers until they become crumbs. For this, I used pestle and mortar as they were handy in my household, but you can also use a food processor or a ziploc bag and roller
  2. Move the crumbs to a mixing bowl then add sugar then the melted butter, mix well
  3. Put the crumbs at the bottom of the jar(s). You can flatten the crust using an ice cream scoop, or simply a table spoon
  4. Put the jars in the freezer for 10 minutes while you prepare the cheesecake
For the cheesecake
  • 250 gr cream cheese, room temperature
  • 200 gr sweetened condense milk
  • 1/8 cup (roughly 3/4 lemon) fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tbsp. vanilla extract
  1. Beat the cream cheese (easier with an electric mixer) until it’s soft and creamy
  2. Add the condense milk little by little, making sure it’s fully integrated
  3. Finally, add the lemon juice and vanilla extract then mix well
  4. Once it is put in the jar, refrigerate it for 2 hours (or freeze it for 30 minutes)
For the salted caramel
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp. granulated sugar
  • 3 tbsp. water
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 heavy cream
  • a pinch of sea salt
  1.  In a saucepan (or wok) heat the sugar in low heat, it will take a while
  2. Let it sit in the heat until all has melt into a brown goo
  3. Add water and let it dissolve
  4. Remove from heat and quickly add in the butter
  5. Add the cream in a steady stream while mixing
  6. Finally, add in the salt and let it melt

For the layering

Oreo version

  1. After the crust is set, add the cheesecake layer and let it freeze for 30 minutes
  2. Take out the jar and add a layer of crushed oreos (I used double stuff)
  3. Add the cheesecake layer again and let it freeze for another 30 minutes
  4. Take it out and add more crushed oreos on top
Strawberry version
  1. Cut strawberries in half depending on the size of your jar
  2. Once the crust is set, put the strawberries around the perimeter, facing outward
  3. Add the cheesecake layer and let it freeze for 30 minutes
  4. Take out the jar and add a salted caramel layer then let it freeze for 30 minutes
  5. Take it out and add another cheesecake layer
  6. Add a strawberry on top for garnish and freeze it for 30 minutes
Salted Caramel version
  1. After the crust is set, add the cheesecake layer and freeze it for 30 minutes
  2. Take out the jar and add the salted caramel layer
  3. Let it freeze for 30 minutes and add garnish
  4. Yum!

Tips: First and foremost, you don’t have to use fancy mason jars for this, any old mayonnaise/jam jars would do! (That’s what I used.) Better use the cup measurement for the lemon, as the sizes of lemons vary. Do not add water to the sugar before it melts, when cooking the caramel. It will prevent the sugar from browning. Crush the oreos using pestle and mortar, ziploc bag and roller or food processor—or just use your hands. Do not forget to freeze every layer before adding a new one to prevent it from sinking into one. You can obviously change up the layers as you see please. Lass euch schmecken!