These little no bake lemon cheesecakes are served in an individual jar making them perfectly portable, giftable or hide-able if you want to keep them for yourself! The easy homemade blueberry topping is the perfect accompaniment to make them shine.
These creamy and fresh no bake lemon cheesecakes are topped with a delicious blueberry sauce. The filling is made in a flash and topped with a quick berry topping.
Then you package it all up in cute little individual servings. The jars make them super portable and easy to serve. No mess, no fuss, just pass out a jar and a spoon and you’re ready to go!
I originally shared this recipe in the spring of 2018. I was honored to be asked by my little brother and his wife to make their wedding treats.
They were having a rustic chic wedding in a cool old apple orchard barn. Instead of one large cake, they wanted a smaller cake and a some easier grab and go options.
So I made them a small layered bakery style white cake, a cookie buffet that included monster cookies, chocolate chip cookies and a few kinds of cupcakes.
My favorite treat, however were these fun cheesecake jars. We dressed them up with a little ribbon and a cute bamboo spoon.
That brings us to today. I needed to make treats for a couple of small gatherings this weekend and I just knew these cute little jars would be the perfect springy option.
They are so easy to make and can be put together a day or two ahead of time. Plus they are the perfect mix of sweet, tart and creamy.
The lemon and blueberries make for such a bright and fresh combination. So basically this recipe ticks all of the boxes!
Little Dude and I whipped up a batch and a half and shot a quick video so you could see just how easy they are. Check out our collection of videos on the Cooking With Carlee YouTube channel.
Much like the key lime cheesecake jars, this recipe is a breeze to put together. They can easily be served at a casual picnic or be dressed up for a party.
Over the years I have made these for almost a dozen different gatherings. Every time they are met with oohs and ahs.
They are so easy I almost feel guilty accepting all the praise. But hey, it would be rude not to. 😉
Other than melting the butter, there is no cooking involved. So what are you waiting for? Let’s get some made!
Tips and tricks:
Make sure to get your cream cheese beat completely smooth before you add any liquid. Stop and scrape the bowl a couple of times along the way to make sure there are no chunks hiding anywhere.
A super creamy cheesecake has a much better mouthfeel, so it’s worth making sure you get this part right. It is much harder to get rid of lumps once you start adding more liquid.
If you want to save a few minutes, feel free to use blueberry pie filling as the topping. But really making you own is super simple and I think you can taste the freshness.
Feel free to experiment with the berries as well. The topping recipe should work wonderfully with strawberries, blackberries or a mix of berries.
If a Graham cracker crust isn’t your thing, sub in lemon or vanilla sandwich cookies. Vanilla wafers would be great too.
Just pulse them in a food processor until they are fine crumbs and proceed with the recipe. Small adjustments like this can really help you get a finished product you’ll love.
Helpful tools
I cannot overstate how much I love my stand mixers. With all the frosting, cookies, cakes and cheesecakes I make, I can’t imagine life without them.
I am lucky enough to have two Kitchenaid mixers, a 4.5 qt classic that I’ve had for almost 14 years and a 6 qt professional that has only been in the family for a little over a year. Are you as in love with your mixers as I am with mine?
A food processor is also handy for tasks like making graham cracker crumbs. It makes quick work of it with less mess than trying to do it in a zipper bag.
We love using cookie scoops for so much more than just cookies. A large cookie scoop or ice cream scoop is a great way to transfer the cheesecake mixture to the jar in a consistent and less messy way.
Of course an important part of making cheesecake jars is the jar. I like using 4 oz. glass jars for the perfect sized single serve treat.
However if you don’t have the jars, you can use the same recipe and make it in a pie plate or square baking dish. It will still taste absolutely amazing!
Now it’s time to head to the kitchen and get to work. Feel free to print out the recipe below and watch us make it by checking out the video we made on YouTube.
No Bake Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Jars
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 4 Tablespoons melted butter
Lemon Cheesecake
- 16 oz cream cheese softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- 1 cup heavy cream really cold
Blueberry Topping
- 12 ounces blueberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
Blueberry Sauce
- Put blueberries in heavy bottomed sauce pan or large skillet. Add sugar and cornstarch, stir to coat the berries.12 ounces blueberries, 3 Tablespoons cornstarch, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add the lemon juice and water and stir to mix. Cook over a medium-low heat, stirring frequently until it comes to a boil. Then stir constantly until it thickens. Remove from heat and cool completely before use.1 Tablespoon lemon juice, ½ cup water
No-Bake Cheesecake
- In a medium bowl, mix together the graham crackers, sugar, and butter for the crust. Spoon it into the jars and push it down a bit with your fingers to form a crust.1 cup graham cracker crumbs, 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, 4 Tablespoons melted butter
- Beat together sugar and cream cheese until smooth and fluffy.16 oz cream cheese, ½ cup granulated sugar
- Add lemon juice and extract and beat until combined. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl.1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon lemon extract
- With mixer running on medium speed, slowly drizzle in the cream. Stop half way through to scrape the sides of the bowl and then continue to drizzle in the cream until it is all added.1 cup heavy cream
- Turn the mixer to high and beat until the mixture is light, fluffy and holds its shape.
- Spoon about 3 Tablespoons into each jar. I like to use my large cookie scoop to make it easier.
- Top each jar with about a Tablespoon of blueberry filling and chill until ready to serve.
Bonni s
Tuesday 28th of February 2023
I put some melted white chocolate in with the cheesecake filling it gives a smooth texture and why it’s chocolate it’s yummy. Also I don’t like it so lemony so I added just half the called for lemon. And added some zest. Also I added half blackberries with half blueberries. And omgggggggg soooooo yummy. I needed a summer fix in a winter month. And it worked.
Carlee
Wednesday 1st of March 2023
That sounds amazing!
Anonymous
Wednesday 9th of May 2018
This little cheesecakes are CLEARLY calling my name! :-o Cheesecake is def one of my big weaknesses. These are amazing!
Carlee
Sunday 20th of May 2018
Mine too! I am glad you like them!
Amy
Friday 27th of April 2018
What a wonderful dessert!
Carlee
Tuesday 1st of May 2018
Thank you!
Lucie from Greener Niagara
Friday 27th of April 2018
Blueberry cheesecake is my favorite! I love the idea of making them individual portion sizes and putting them in mason jars.
Carlee
Tuesday 1st of May 2018
It makes them so fun to serve and even more fun to eat! Thank you!
Unknown
Friday 27th of April 2018
I think I could eat the gorgeous topping all by its self!!! But I love the cheesecake too... Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck - Colleen
Carlee
Tuesday 1st of May 2018
It is tempting, that is for sure! But the lemon cheesecakes are pretty out of this world too!