Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait Layers (Print version)

Creamy cheesecake, fresh strawberries, and cookie crumbs layered in elegant cups for a light dessert.

# What You Need:

→ Cheesecake Layer

01 - 8 oz cream cheese, softened
02 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
03 - 1/4 cup granulated sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Strawberry Layer

05 - 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and diced
06 - 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
07 - 1 teaspoon lemon juice

→ Cookie Crumble

08 - 8 digestive biscuits or graham crackers, crushed
09 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

# How to Make:

01 - Combine diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice. Set aside to macerate for 10 minutes.
02 - Mix crushed biscuits with melted butter until the texture resembles wet sand.
03 - Beat cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract together until smooth and fluffy.
04 - Spoon cookie crumble into the bottom of each cup, followed by a layer of cheesecake filling and a spoonful of macerated strawberries.
05 - Add another layer of cookie crumble, cheesecake filling, and top with strawberries.
06 - Refrigerate the parfaits for at least 1 hour before serving to set and develop flavor.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • It looks fancy enough for guests but comes together faster than most cakes cool.
  • Every spoonful gives you creamy, crunchy, and fruity all at once, so you never get bored.
02 -
  • If your cream cheese is too cold, it will leave lumps no amount of beating will fix, so patience at room temperature saves you frustration.
  • Do not skip macerating the strawberries, that syrupy juice soaks into the layers and ties everything together instead of leaving dry pockets.
03 -
  • Crush the cookies finer than you think you need to, big chunks look rustic but can be hard to eat gracefully with a spoon.
  • Taste your strawberries before adding sugar, sometimes they are sweet enough on their own and extra sugar just makes syrup instead of enhancing fruit.
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