No Bake Boozy Cherry Cheesecake Jars

5 from 7 votes

No Bake Boozy Cherry Cheesecake Jars

Whip up these easy No Bake Boozy Cherry Cheesecake Jars tonight! Indulgent creamy layers, bourbon cherry compote, and graham cracker crumble. Vegan, Gluten Free and Kid Friendly options!

Prep Time30

Cook Time5

Assembly10

Total Time45

Course: Desserts

Cuisine: American

Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegan

Servings: dessert cups

Calories: 457kcal

Author: HWC Magazine

Equipment

rolling pin or food processor to crush the graham crackers into a fine crumb

Ingredients

Boozy Cherries

2 cups sweet cherries fresh cut in half and pit removed (reserve some whole for garnishing) or can use frozen pitted cherries.
½ cup water
1.5 tablespoons lemon juice or juice from ⅓ lemon
2 tablespoons maple syrup or sweetener of choice - to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons bourbon or alcohol of choice to taste. (See Recipe Notes: Add ½ teaspoon of almond extract instead of alcohol to keep the recipe kid friendly.)
1 teaspoon cornstarch gluten free and mix with 2 teaspoons of water to make a cornstarch slurry.
2 teaspoons water to make cornstarch slurry

Graham Cracker Crumble

4 whole graham crackers gluten free or regular depending on your needs
3 tablespoons butter or vegan butter

Cheesecake Mousse

1 cup heavy whipping cream or dairy free cold whipping cream or coconut cream.
8 ounces cream cheese room temperature light or a vegan cream cheese made without cashews.
1 teaspoon vanilla
⅓ cup maple syrup or sweetener of choice - to taste
1 tablespoon lemon zest or zest from one lemon

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Boozy Cherry Compote

Wash and remove the pit from the cherries.
Add the fresh pitted cherries to a sauce pan along with water, lemon juice, maple syrup and bourbon and cook over medium heat until the cherries start to break down and release their juice. This takes between 5 to 10 minutes. (If you are using almond extract instead of alcohol, please see the recipe notes below.)
Make a cornstarch slurry. Add 1 teaspoon of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons of water in a small bowl and mix well. Add ½ of the cornstarch slurry to the cooking cherries. Mix well and reassess if you need the other half. The sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down. It should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Add the other half of cornstarch slurry as needed.

Cheesecake Mousse Filling

In a bowl whip the heavy whipping cream (or coconut cream or vegan whipping cream) until it forms stiff peaks. In a separate bowl combine together the cream cheese (or vegan cream cheese) vanilla, maple syrup and zest from one lemon and mix until smooth. Taste and adjust for sweetness as desired.
Gently fold the whipping cream into the cream cheese mixture. Place cream cheese filling in a piping bag if desired. Set aside.

Graham Cracker Crumble

Place 4 whole graham cracker sheets into a baggie and beat with a rolling pin or place in a food processor and pulse until its is fine crumbs. (Each graham sugar sheet contains 4 perforated crackers.)
Place the graham crackers in a bowl and add the butter or vegan butter and stir well. Set aside.

Assembly

First, add a layer of graham cracker crumbles into the jar or cup .Gently pat it down. Next, add a layer of the cheesecake mixture on top of the graham cracker crumble. Finally drizzle a spoonful or two of those luscious boozy cherries on top of the cream cheesecake layer. Repeat this layering process one more time and add a fresh cherry to garnish.
Garnish with a dollop of whipped topping, cherries and chocolate shavings if you desire.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips

Wear kitchen or disposable gloves if you are pitting cherries and don’t want to stain your fingers. In addition, you might want to don an apron as cherry pitting can be a juicy messy procedure.
Try using frozen pitted cherries for a quick time saving hack and enjoy this mini dessert all year around.
Use a plant based cream cheese that has no water added or cashews to make delicious vegan cheesecake cups.
Bring the cream cheese to room temperature to make it easier to mix.
For the best results, freeze your bowl and beaters before whipping the COLD cream.
To keep it tidy, we used a piping bag to layer up the cheesecake in the jars. You can also use a small spoon.
This recipe will make 5 mini cheesecake jars. Our jars have a 4-ounce capacity.
Making these little mini cheesecakes in a mason jar is super convenient. You can make the desserts in advance and store them in the refrigerator with the lid on.

Using Almond Extract instead of Alcohol

If you are preparing this dessert for children or wish to make this recipe alcohol free, you have the option of when you want to add the almond extract. If you add the almond extract before the cherries cook down, the almond flavor will be reduced. However, if you add the almond extract after the cherries have reduced but right before you add the cornstarch slurry the almond flavor will be more pronounced. Either way, it's delicious and its your personal choice.

Storage

There are 2 different options for storing no-bake cheesecake jars. You can store each of the individual ingredients such as the cheesecake filling, fruit filling and graham cracker or cookie crumble in separate containers with lids in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Then, you can assemble them in mason jars by layering the ingredients just before serving. The second option is to assemble the cheesecake jars up to 24 hours in advance, cover with mason jar lid and refrigerate.

In addition, these cherry cheesecake jars can be covered and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Nutrition