These blueberry and blackberry mason jar cheesecakes are quick and easy to make. A great portable dessert for picnics and packed lunches that doubles as a make ahead dessert!
Ahhh those baby days, when daytime naps were the norm and we had a billion cuddles and giggles a day.
She's now in her second year of high school, and I think she's about 6 months away from being taller than me. She also steals my clothes, pillages the snack cupboard and costs me a fortune in pocket money. But she's awesome, so I'll take all that (in the hope she stays that way and doesn't turn into a teenage nightmare).
Anyway, back to the cheesecake.
The baby weaning one was pretty good considering it had hardly any sugar in it, and as I started to add more butter, sugar and cream to the grown up version, I came to the conclusion that I could eat a whole lot of cheesecake.
I've got to admit, I'm not big on baked cheesecakes though......
I think I've only ever baked two (whereas I've made hundreds of no-bake cheesecakes) and the extra time, effort and finger crossing (so the top doesn't crack) is usually enough to make me stick to the no-bake version.
We're off to New York in March, so maybe a few baked cheesecakes over there will change my mind, but for now, no-bake cheesecakes are the favourite!
I often make big ole' cheescakes - like this humongous Snickers cheesecake or this spiced pecan caramel one. But today I'm making individual mason jars. For 4 reasons:
- They're portable - and who doesn't like carrying a cheesecake around in their handbag for emergencies?
- They're actually pretty big - unless you have some really tiny mason jars. More cheesecake can only be a good thing.
- There's no risk of crust breakage, wonky slices, arguing over who has the big slice, and somebody nicking all the topping - as with a regular cheesecake.
- They're cute!
We start off by crushing some digestives or graham crackers.
You can also use gluten free digestives if you're looking for a GF version. Or you could swap for hobnobs for an extra special treat (sorry my US friends - I believe you don't have hobnobs over there unless you want to bulk buy from your Hobnobs from Amazon
🙂
Then we add melted butter and brown sugar to those crushed biscuits.
and spoon the mixture into your jars for the cheesecake base.
Next whisk up double (heavy) cream until thick, then whisk in cream cheese, vanilla and confectioners' sugar. Spoon or pipe that on the biscuit base.
Finally we're going to heat some blackberries and blueberries with sugar, lemon juice and a little cornflour (cornstarch) slurry.
We let that cool then spoon on top and add a little lemon zest.
That's it. 10 minutes and done.
Eat them right away, or put lids on and they should keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Can I make them gluten free?
Yes! Swap the digestives for the same weight of gluten free digestives.
Can I make ahead?
Yes, make the cheesecakes, then cover and refrigerate them. They should keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Can I freeze them?
Unfortunately not. The cream cheese mixture doesn't do well in the freezer and the cheesecake base would end up soft.
What size are the mason jars?
I'm using 200ml (7 ounce) preserving jars - they fit in quite a lot of cheesecake, so you can go smaller and make more cheesecakes if you like.
Can I swap out the blueberries and blackberries?
Yes, strawberries and raspberries work well. Also black cherry pie filling makes an even easier topping. Just spoon it right on!
More Cheesecakes
Are you after a bit more cheesecake inspiration? Then why not try one of these:
No-bake Salted Caramel Cheesecake bites
Strawberry and Rhubarb Cheesecake Bars
Spiced Pecan Caramel Cheesecake
The Individual Berry No Bake Cheesecakes Recipe:
Individual Berry No Bake Cheesecakes
Ingredients
Biscuit base:
- 210 g digestives - (or 7.5oz /14 whole graham crackers) - the gluten-free variety work great too
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter - melted
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- pinch of salt
Berry layer:
- 175 g (1 cup) fresh blueberries
- 225 g (1 ½ cups) fresh blackberries
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 100 g (1/2 cup) caster (or fine granulated) sugar
- 1 tbsp cornflour - (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Cheesecake layer:
- 180 ml (¾ cup) double (heavy) cream
- 2 x 225g (2x 8 oz) packs Philidelphia cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 85 g (¾ cup) confectioner’s sugar
- Zest of one lemon
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place the biscuits graham crackers into a large bag or bowl and crush into crumbs using the end of a rolling pin. Add the melted butter, brown sugar and salt and mix until the crumbs absorb the butter.
- Place the blueberries, blackberries, lemon juice, water and sugar in a pan and heat gently until the berries start to break down (about 5 minutes).
- Stir in the cornflour mixture and heat through, continuously stirring for another 30 seconds until the berry mixture has thickened. Turn off the heat and allow to cool.
- Pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until thick. Add the cream cheese, vanilla and confectioners’s sugar and whisk again until combined. The mixture should be thick enough to hold its shape.
- Divide the cookie crumbs between 6 mason jars (mine are 200ml/7oz jars) and press down with the back of a spoon.
- Spoon or pipe the cream cheese mixture on top, then spoon over the cooled berry mixture.
- Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve – or place a lid on and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Video
✎ Notes
Can I make them gluten free?
Yes! Swap the digestives for the same weight of gluten free digestives.Can I make ahead?
Yes, make the cheesecakes, then cover and refrigerate them. They should keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.Can I freeze them?
Unfortunately not. The cream cheese mixture doesn't do well in the freezer and the cheesecake base would end up soft. . What size are the mason jars? I'm using 200ml (7 ounce) preserving jars - they fit in quite a lot of cheesecake, so you can go smaller and make more cheesecakes if you like. .Can I swap out the blueberries and blackberries?
Yes, strawberries and raspberries work well. Also black cherry pie filling makes an even easier topping! . Nutritional Information is per mason jar of cheesecake. These are large cheesecakes, so if you wanted to serve them in smaller pots, the calorie content would be 569 per pot if you were making 8 pots, or 379 per pot for 12 pots.Nutrition
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Victoria says
Really easy to make, was great for a dinner party. Used strawberries for the topping but was too sweet, added in some fresh on serving to reduce the sweetness. Will make again.
Julie says
Hi, I was wondering if I could use frozen berries instead of fresh?
Nicky Corbishley says
Hi Julie, yes you can, but you probably won't need to add the 2 tbsp of water, as the frozen berries will release more water when cooking.
2pots2cook says
Oh this is nice ! Summer is back over here and these beauties are perfect to fill the basket for a walk in the woods ... Thank you !
Kelly says
Really great with crushed ginger biscuits too!
Danielle says
Cheesecake is my absolute favorite thing ever - bakes, not baked, batter, in whatever form I can get my hands on. However, in the summer it sure is nice to not turn the oven on. These are perfect for that. Plus, portion control (I act like I won't just eat more than one).
Kath says
Love these individual cheesecakes. Means I can make 1 gluten free for myself and non gluten free for everyone else.