Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

Cool, creamy and sweet, my berry cheesecake parfaits are absolutely bursting with fresh, seasonal berries, and filled with all the flavor we love in a slice of berry cheesecake! Prepared with a rich cream cheese filling, sweet graham crumbles, a tangy sour cream layer and lots of fresh raspberries and strawberries, this sweet parfait recipe is the perfect indulgence for berry season!

Berry cheesecake, in a glass

Summer is a time for all things berry, and a couple of the berries that I always seem to have on hand are tangy, ruby-red raspberries and sweet, juicy strawberries.

And seeing as my hubby and I are suckers for a slice of good cheesecake, especially a slice slathered in juicy berries, my berry cheesecake parfaits are a favorite summertime dessert when our sweet tooth hits. They require no baking, only assembling and chilling!

A cool, creamy dessert-in-a-glass is something that we adore, from my tart lemon curd parfaits and my luscious cranberry cheesecake parfaits to my creamy and spiced pumpkin parfaits.

Parfaits are quicker and easier to make, require no time in the oven, and can be piped into individual glasses for a pretty presentation. And a bonus is that they can be kept chilled in the fridge until ready to be enjoyed!

My berry cheesecake parfaits are just the indulgent dessert to spoon up on a hot, sunny day, or to whip up and enjoy after a lovely dinner.

Filled with all the flavors we love in a slice of classic berry cheesecake, they're a fantastic treat to make use of all the gorgeous berries of the season, one sweet spoonful at a time!

My recipe for berry cheesecake parfaits

When it comes to preparing parfaits, I like to think of them as a deconstructed slice of pie, or cake, made with several components or layers.

In this case, because we're talking cheesecake, I have a graham cracker layer which acts as the “crust”. It's made easy with a few ingredients added to processed graham crackers, to create sweet crumbles to add to the glass.

I also have a couple of creamy “filling” layers, one being the richer, thicker cheesecake layer made with a combo of cream cheese and some whipped cream to lighten it up. There's also a tasty sour cream layer, which is made with sweetened sour cream and vanilla.

The fruity layer, which brings all of that lovely berry flavor and red, glossy color to these berry cheesecake parfaits, is simply fresh, whole raspberries and diced strawberries kissed with a touch of sugar and lemon juice, to create juiciness.

When preparing the parfaits, to make things clean and easy, I like to add both of my cream “fillings” to a piping bag (or even a large ziplock bag with the corner tip cut off), and use that to pipe the filling layers in, neatly. I just crumble the graham cracker crust layers in with my fingers, and add the berry layers in using a spoon.

Once these colorful and creamy parfaits are assembled, they're ready to chill in the fridge until we're ready to spoon them up and enjoy.

Here's a sneak peek at my recipe for berry cheesecake parfaits:

(or just jump to the full recipe...)

1. To get started, I prep my cheesecake filling layer, and keep that cold.
2. Next, I prepare my sour cream layer, and keep that cold as well.
3. I then prepare my graham cracker crust layer, by combining my processed graham cracker crumbs with a few other ingredients, until they resemble a crumble. I then set those aside.
4. Then, to make my berry filling layer, I combine my raspberries and my diced strawberries with some sugar and lemon juice, to make them juicy and glossy.
5. To assemble my berry cheesecake parfaits, I place 6 roughly 10-ounce glasses in front of me, add some of my graham crumbles to the bottom of each glass, then pipe in some of my cheesecake filling, next my sour cream layer, and then spoon in some of my berry filling.
6. Next, I repeat the previous process once more, for a total of 2 layers of each component.
7. Finally, I chill the berry parfaits for at least 30 minutes (even overnight if prepping ahead), and then enjoy!

Recipe

Berry Cheesecake Parfaits

by Ingrid Beer

Print Recipe

These berry cheesecake parfaits with fresh raspberries and strawberries are a delicious, no-bake way to enjoy rich, creamy cheesecake!

Category: Dessert
Cuisine: American

Yield: Makes 6 parfaits (in 10-ounce glasses)

Nutrition info: 1100 calories (per parfait)

Prep time: 45 minutes (does not include chill time)
Cook time: 0 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature and pliable
• 11 ½ tablespoons sugar, divided use
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons pure vanilla extract, divided use
• 12 fluid ounces whipping cream, cold
• 1 (16 ounce) container sour cream
• 24 graham cracker sheets, finely processed in a food processor
• Pinch salt
• ¼ cup honey
• 2 tablespoons applesauce
• ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups fresh, whole raspberries
• 1 (16 ounce) package strawberries, hulled and diced small
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Preparation:

1. Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above to have ready and organized for use.
2. In a medium bowl, add the 2 packages of room temperature cream cheese, and with a stiff spatula, work the cream cheese until smooth and creamy/fluffy.
3. When fluffy, add 5 tablespoons of the sugar, the lemon zest and 2 teaspoons of the vanilla extract, and fold together with the spatula until well combined. Set this aside for a moment.
4. Next, in the bowl of a mixer, add the 12 ounces of cold whipping cream, and whip for a few moments until slightly thickened. Then, add 1 ½ tablespoons of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla extract, and continue to whip until the cream has stiff peaks and becomes whipped cream.
5. Then, gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, until all the whipped cream is incorporated and the cream cheese is fluffy and thick. Set this cheesecake “filling” mixture aside in the fridge to keep cold until ready to assemble the dessert.
6. Next, in another medium bowl, add the sour cream, 3 tablespoons of the sugar and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla, and whisk well to completely combine. Set this aside in the fridge to keep cold, as this is the sweet sour cream “filling” part of the dessert.
7. In another small/medium bowl, add the finely processed graham crackers, the pinch of salt, the honey, the applesauce, the ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla extract, and using your fingers, rub the mixture together until moist and crumbly, like a crust. Cover with plastic wrap to avoid it drying out, and set aside this graham cracker “crust” layer.
8. Next, add the raspberries and the hulled and diced strawberries to a bowl, and add the 2 remaining tablespoons of the sugar and the lemon juice. Mix well with a spoon to incorporate, and set aside for a few minutes to allow the natural juices in the fruit to come out.
9. To assemble the berry cheesecake parfaits, add the cheesecake filling layer to either a piping bag fitted with a medium tip, or a large ziplock bag (you will cut the tip off when ready to pipe), and do the same with the sour cream filling layer.
10. Have your graham crumble layer and your berry filling layer ready as well, and line up 6 roughly 10-ounce glasses for the parfaits.
11. Add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumbles to the bottom of each glass. Next, pipe in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake filling layer, followed by about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sour cream filling layer mixture.
12. Then, spoon in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the fresh berry mixture, and repeat this layering process once again with the graham cracker crumbles, then the cheesecake mixture, next the sour cream layer, and finally top with the berries.
13. Add a little decorative flourish with either one of the cream fillings on top of the parfaits, to make it look like the top of a classic cheesecake, if you wish. Then, place the berry cheesecake parfaits into the fridge for at least 30 minutes to an hour (even overnight if preparing ahead), to allow them to chill completely and firm up. Serve and enjoy cold.

Tips & Tidbits for my berry cheesecake parfaits recipe:

• A combo of raspberries and strawberries, or your favorite: Since I'm going for a vibrant red berry color here, I'm opting for both raspberries for zinginess, and strawberries for sweetness. They complement each other really deliciously, and have that deep, berry flavor. But feel free to use your favorite berries, or combo of berries! Blackberries work nicely here, even blueberries... you can even use only strawberries or raspberries, if you prefer.
• Make these parfaits ahead for an easy dessert: I love to prepare these parfaits a day ahead of when I'd like to serve them, ideally. This makes for easy serving the day of, and I keep the assembled parfaits in the fridge (covered with plastic wrap, if desired), and when ready to enjoy, just grab and dig in!
• Use 10-ounce glasses to serve: Because these are nice and rich, I ideally like to use 6 roughly 10-ounce glasses, and leave a tiny bit of room at the top so that I can wrap them in plastic wrap without smashing the tops. Things don't have to be too precise, just use roughly equal amounts of each of the different layers in each glass.

Craving more cool and creamy desserts like this one? Check out my Lemon Pudding recipe, my recipe for Lemon Cheesecake Bars, Easy Chocolate Mousse, Cranberry Cheesecake Parfaits, Lemon Curd Parfaits, or even my Pumpkin Parfaits!

Cook's Note: This recipe was originally published in 2012, and has been updated with even more love!