Cheesecake In A Jar

Bake this creamy Cheesecake In A Jar for a pretty presentation with layers of cookie crust and strawberry sauce! Give away as holiday gifts or keep for yourself as portion control.

“Hi, my name is Carla, and I am addicted to cheesecake.”

When I am brainstorming new recipes to try, cheesecake almost always appears on the list.

Seriously, I should consider getting stock in cream cheese or something because there is always blocks of it in my fridge, waiting to be made into something sinful at a moment’s notice.

I have all kinds of cheesecake in every shape, size, and flavor: 6 inch cheesecake, 7 inch cheesecake, ramekin cheesecake, mini cheesecakes, no bake mini cheesecakes, even air fryer cheesecake.

It’s only fitting I add Cheesecake In A Jar to the list.

They’re individual cheesecakes baked directly in a glass jar with pretty layers of crust and fruit, which is perfect for gift giving.

I don’t know about you, but I would thrilled if I got a mason jar cheesecake as a gift.

I know the whole serving foods in jars seems like a trend that’s been overdone, but it’s actually quite clever if you do it correctly.

To me, gifts in jars have always been some kind of baking mix. And although that may be fine for those who know how to bake, what about those who don’t?

Baking is an art and a science rolled into one, and I’ve had people tell me they are too scared or simply just don’t know how to bake.

And even if the instructions are easy to follow, some people just don’t have the equipment or supplies.

That’s where mason jar cheesecake comes in handy. Give people a dessert they can eat right on the spot. Bonus points if you include a spoon.

Why You’ll Love Individual Cheesecake Jars

You may be asking yourself, “Why should I bake cheesecake in a jar when I can make a classic cheesecake recipe?”

Here are some reasons to make mason jar cheesecake:

1. Give as gifts: Dress them up and poof! Much better than a generic Christmas mug from the dollar store.
2. Unlimited flavors and toppings: When you bake a whole cheesecake, you’re stuck with whatever garnish is on top. With mason jar cheesecake, you can add whatever topping your heart desires. You can even turn the concept into a cheesecake topping bar.
3. Convenient to transport: Did you get invited to a party or potluck? Serving individual cheesecakes is easier than cutting slices. Plus see above making a topping bar.
4. Portion control: I’m certainly not a fan of the D word (diet), but as we get older we need to be more mindful of how much dessert we eat. Serving cheesecake jars means you won’t overindulge.

Which mason jars should I buy?

You can use most glass mason jars, which are often 6-8 ounces. The wider the mouth, the easier it’ll be to add your layers.

Just make sure they are oven safe for baking.

The jars pictured here aren’t actual canning jars. My parents bought jam from the store and saved the jars because they had a cool handle.

After measuring the volume, they are 14 ounces each, totaling 28 ounces.

To figure out how many jars you’ll need, take 28 ounces and divide by however many ounces your jar is (6 ounces, 8 ounces, etc).

For 6 ounce jars, you’ll need 4-5 jars. For 8 ounce jars, you’ll need 3-4 jars.

The cheesecake doesn’t rise too much, so make sure you leave some room for the topping.

Ingredients For Cheesecake In A Jar

This cheesecake in a jar recipe is made up of a few easy ingredients:

1. Cookie crumbs: I used Oreo but you can easily use graham cracker or another type of cookie.
2. Butter: Needed to bind the crust
3. Cream cheese: It’s not cheesecake without cream cheese! Use full-fat cream cheese because the low fat and fat free versions have more water in them.
4. Granulated sugar: Balances the tanginess of the cream cheese
5. Egg: Use a standard large egg at room temperature.
6. Vanilla: Adds flavor to the batter

No Bake Cheesecake In A Jar

Looking to make no bake cheesecake in a jar? Check out the recipe for no bake caramel apple cheesecake then spoon into jars with topping of your choice.

How To Make Cheesecake In A Jar

Ready to make your cheesecake jars?

1. Mix together crumbs and butter then pat into the bottom of your jars. You may need to use a spoon if you can’t reach with your fingers.
2. Beat together cream cheese and sugar until smooth, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla, being careful not to overbeat the batter. Transfer batter to jars, pushing down and smoothing the top so there aren’t any gaps.
4. Make a waterbath by placing the jars in an 8×8 pan then pouring hot water halfway up the pan.
5. Bake at 325F for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 150F (it’s ok if it wiggles a little).
6. Cool for 1 hour then cover with lids and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Garnish before serving.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 5-7 days.

Can you can cheesecake in a jar?

One question I didn’t anticipate when I first published this recipe back in 2013 is: can you can cheesecake?

No, these cheesecake jars are not shelf stable. They still need to be refrigerated. Make sure you let your recipient know if they don’t eat it right away, stick it in the fridge to enjoy later.

How To Garnish Cheesecake

Because these are individual cheesecakes, you can add any topping to each one! Perfect for customizing for you and your guests.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Pie filling such as cherry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, or peach pie filling.
• Sauces such as strawberry sauce (pictured), homemade caramel sauce, or ganache
• Whipped cream such as small batch whipped cream, peanut butter whipped cream, or chocolate whipped cream.

Like how I decorated my jars? I used an upside down cupcake liner!

You know those lids that come apart into two pieces? What you do is put the center piece onto the jar, stick a cupcake liner upside down over the lid, then screw the rim on top of that, securing the liner in place.

Instant cute gift.

First published June 23, 2013