Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait (Printable Version)

Creamy layers of cheesecake, fresh strawberries, and crunchy cookie crumbs in elegant cups.

# What You'll Need:

→ Cheesecake Layer

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

→ Strawberry Layer

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

→ Cookie Crumble

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

# Steps:

01 - Toss diced strawberries with 1 tablespoon sugar and lemon juice in a medium bowl. Set aside for 10 minutes.
02 - Combine crushed biscuits with melted butter until the mixture resembles wet sand.
03 - Beat cream cheese, heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until smooth and fluffy.
04 - Spoon cookie crumble into the bottom of each cup followed by a layer of cheesecake mixture and macerated strawberries.
05 - Repeat layers once more, finishing with strawberries on top.
06 - Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving to allow set and enhance texture.

# Expert Insights:

01 -
  • No oven required—perfect for hot days or when your kitchen is already busy with other dishes.
  • It comes together faster than you can chill the glasses, yet feels fancy enough for company.
  • Each spoonful delivers three textures at once: creamy, crunchy, and bright.
02 -
  • Cold ingredients are essential—if your cream cheese or heavy cream are room temperature, your filling will never reach that fluffy texture, no matter how long you beat it.
  • Don't skip the maceration step for the strawberries; those ten minutes of sitting time completely changes their flavor intensity and how much juice they release to flavor each bite.
03 -
  • Use a rubber spatula to scrape every last bit of cream cheese and cream from the bowl—it's where the flavor lives, and it feels wasteful not to.
  • If your strawberries aren't as sweet as you'd hoped, add an extra half teaspoon of sugar to their maceration and let them sit a few minutes longer before using.
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