Blueberry Cheesecake in a Jar
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Blueberry Cheesecake in a Jar with a graham cracker crust, creamy baked cheesecake filling, and a delicious blueberry compote topping is the ultimate Summer time—or anytime—dessert!
Devout cheesecake fans will flip over these smooth and velvety individual cheesecakes. The filling is straight-out classic cheesecake—not the no-bake stuff—baked in a water bath for a delicate and rich texture. The blueberry topping is a mixture of fresh blueberries and blueberry jam melted together.
Blueberry Cheesecake in a Jar
Mason Jar desserts are a great option for picnics and cookouts—just make them ahead and stash them in a cooler for easy serving later. My husband’s favorite dessert is classic cheesecake, so I made a dozen of these Mason jar cheesecakes to celebrate his birthday last week.
With social distancing and all that, individual dessert jars just seemed the way to go when we gathered with family for an outdoor party on the deck. Everyone agreed these blueberry cheesecake jars were absolutely scrumptious!
Baking in a jar
These individual cheesecakes with blueberry topping bake in 8-ounce widemouth mason jars in a water bath. Baking in jars is a fun way to serve dessert, but you should follow some precautions to make sure there are no mishaps. Here are a couple of key things to remember:
- Don’t bake in recycled jars, like from condiments, since the glass may not be tempered properly for high temperatures. Instead use a canning jar.
- Never put a cold jar in a hot oven or set a hot jar (directly from the oven) on a cold surface. The drastic change in temperature could cause the jar to shatter.
- Bake the jars inside a deep cake pan for two reasons. 1.) The cake pan will catch any spills as you fill the jars. 2.) Fill the pan 3/4 full with warm water to create a water bath for baking.
Instructions
This blueberry cheesecake in a jar recipe is completely homemade, from the graham cracker crust to the filling to the blueberry topping.
- Make the crust. Combine finely crushed graham crackers with sugar and cinnamon, then add melted butter and mix with a fork. Divide between the jars, pressing down gently, then bake for 10 minutes.
- Make the filling. Cream together cream cheese and sugar until nice and fluffy. Beat in sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth. The eggs go in one at a time, making sure to incorporate them well. This batter is divided between the jars and on top of the graham cracker layer. Bake until the edges are firm and the middle still slightly jiggles.
- Make the topping. Melt a cup of blueberry jam (homemade or store-bought) with lemon juice and cornstarch for thickening. Stir in fresh blueberries, mashing some of them with the back of a spoon, and cool until ready to top the cheesecakes.
Variations
This classic cheesecake can also be made with different toppings other than the blueberry compote. Here are a few tasty ideas:
- Strawberry Cheesecake in a Jar—substitute strawberry jam and fresh strawberries for the blueberry jam and fresh blueberries
- Cherry Cheesecake in a Jar—substitute cherry jam and fresh pitted cherries for the blueberry jam and fresh blueberries
- Blackberry Cheesecake in a Jar—substitute blackberry jam and fresh blackberries for the blueberry jam and fresh blueberries
- Cheesecake in a Jar with Chocolate Ganache—instead of the fresh fruit topping, make this easy chocolate ganache to drizzle on the top!
Related recipes
- Blueberry White Chocolate Cookie Bars. Rich and buttery, these bars are studded with fresh blueberries and are melt-in-your mouth delicious. Who doesn’t love a good cookie bar? I know I do, especially because when they come together so easily.
- No Churn Blueberry Ice Cream. Simple recipe for smooth and creamy homemade ice cream without churning – no ice cream maker needed!
- Blueberry Pie Bars. A hand-held blueberry pie? You betcha! Blueberry Pie Bars have a shortbread crust, fruity filling and crumble topping, and don’t necessarily require a fork!
- Blueberry Coffee Cake. Bursting with fresh blueberries and a dash of lemon flavoring, this lightened-up coffee cake makes a beautiful and delicious brunch dessert.
- Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles. Take a creamy cheesecake filling and swirl in a sweet blueberry puree to make these Blueberry Cheesecake Popsicles, a low-calorie summer treat!
- Blueberry Crumb Cake. This deliciously moist Blueberry Crumb Cake is loaded with juicy berries, topped with a buttery cinnamon streusel, and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze.
Let’s bake!
You’ll need a dozen widemouth 8-ounce jelly jars to make these cheesecakes. I used these Ball Quilted Jelly Jars with Lids and thought they were really cute and just perfect for the desserts.
Blueberry Cheesecake in a Jar
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Layer
- 12 whole crackers graham crackers finely crushed
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 8 tablespoons butter melted
Cheesecake Layer
- 3 8-oz. pkgs. cream cheese softened
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 15-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- ½ cup sour cream
Blueberry Layer
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 ½ tablespoons corn starch
- 1 cup blueberry jam 8-ounce jar
- 2 cups fresh blueberries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Graham cracker crust
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium size bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, and butter with a fork. Divide evenly among 12 8-ounce wide mouth mason jars, pressing down gently.
- Place the jars in a 9×13 inch cake pan and bake for 10 minutes. Allow the jars to cool slightly while preparing the batter.
Cheesecake layer
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar together until fluffy. Add the sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the bowl after each addition. After the last egg is incorporated, beat on high for 2 more minutes.
- Spoon the batter on top of the crust in the jars, about 1/2 cup in each jar. Return the jars to the cake pan and carefully pour enough water into the pan to fill it 3/4 full.
- Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave the jars in the pan until they cool to room temperature before topping with the blueberry mixture.
Blueberry topping
- Stir together the lemon juice, cornstarch, and blueberry jam in a medium size microwave-safe bowl, stirring until smooth. Add 1 cup of the blueberries and stir again. Microwave on high for 5 minutes, stirring halfway through.
- Remove from the microwave and stir in the remaining 1 cup of blueberries and the vanilla extract, crushing the whole berries slightly with the back of a spoon. Cool completely, then cover and refrigerate till ready to use.
- When the cheesecake jars have cooled to room temperature, spoon blueberry topping on the tops, leaving some headspace in the jars. Screw on the lids and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
