No Bake Creamy Cheesecake Parfaits
December 21st, 2017 | 
Author: A super light and creamy no bake cheesecake dessert that is perfect for a holiday dessert or a gathering with friends! Top with your favorite cheesecake toppings and dig in!
With Christmas being 4 days away desserts are one thing that I always get asked to bring when we visit friends. However when I have friends over I tend to keep dessert a bit more simple because while I’m running around the house like a mad woman trying to clean, sweet, pick up crap, make food and do 9 million other things, making elaborate desserts are honestly last on my list. This no bake cheesecake is so simple yet it looks so incredibly elegant and the best part about it, is I love to set this up with a cheesecake bar where my friends can top their cheesecake with their favorites treats!
Case in point, we’re having friends over tomorrow night and let’s just say my house looks like a bomb went off in it. So while I’m running around getting the house picked up as best we can considering we’re still under construction and I’m fighting off a sinus infection, I need to figure out the foods. I’m keeping the main stuff simple – sheet pan pizza, spinach and artichoke dip, barbacoa nachos (they went nuts over them last time) and these parfaits. Truth be told I’ve not really baked any Christmas cookies for us. I just haven’t had time.
So instead I’m whipping up a few of these and putting them in my pretty glasses along with an assortment of toppings for them to put on top. I’ll make some ganache for a drizzle, crumble up some Oreos, have some chunky strawberry sauce, whipped cream and whatever else I can find. These take no time to make but are such a huge hit at parties!
While I should heed my own and take a breath, everything will be fine I still go nuts. I just will scale back the foods to more appetizer type things and just take the time to chill with my friends (hopefully). Now if you don’t have small glasses like these, you can most certainly use mason jars. Just think how absolutely adorable these would be in mason jars with a pretty ribbon tied around them! Heck put the lids on and folks can take their treats home! BONUS!
If you wanted to serve this for a crowd what I’ve done is double the recipe and grab my trifle bowl. I’ll actually layer it with graham cracker crumbles, cheesecake filling, topping (mini chips, berry preserves), crumbles and so forth. That, though, definitely chill for at least 4 hours when you make a layered dish.
For this dish, you really can’t go wrong. Well okay wait, you can – you HAVE to make sure the cream cheese is completely room temperature and softened. If not, no matter how much you try to whip it in the mixer, you will not get all of the lumps out. I set mine out on the counter in the morning and let it rest til room temperature. This can take a couple of hours. Now granted if you’re in the middle of a heat wave definitely watch as you don’t want it to spoil!
Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back on my broom, sweep the floors and head out to the store for a few things for tomorrow. Enjoy the deliciousness!
Serves: 6-8
- 1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 6 Tbl melted, unsalted butter
- 12 ounces cream cheese, full fat and room temperature
- 1 cup vanilla greek yogurt
- 3 Tbl heavy cream
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- mini chocolate chips
- fresh fruits
- berry preserves
- In a bowl add the crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix with a rubber spatula until the mixture is thick, coarse and sandy. You want it to just slightly make crumbles.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the cream cheese and Greek yogurt until smooth and creamy.
- Shut off the mixer and add in the confectioners’ sugar then slowly turn the mixer on gradually mixing until it is mixed in.
- Shut the mixer off and scrape down the sides. Turn the mixer back on to medium and slowly add in the cream and vanilla.
- Whip until light and creamy.
- Fill 6-8 decorative glass with 4-5 Tbl of graham cracker filling. With the back of a spoon or spatula, gently push the filling down. At this point, you can keep it loose and crumbly or pack it down firm. Chill for 10 minutes.
- Evenly divide the cheesecake filling on top of the crumbs. If desired top with fruit or chocolate drizzle.
- Loosely cover and chill for at least 3 hours prior to serving.
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