This single serving raspberry cheesecake in a jar is a simple and fun Canada Day dessert. Buttery graham cracker crust, a sweet and fluffy cream cheese mixture and fresh raspberries are layered into small jars or dessert cups.

Finish them with a short chill in the refrigerator and you’ve got yourself the perfect, red and white mini dessert for Canada Day!
I also have these bison sliders, strawberry parfaits and a strawberry lime mojito mocktail for more themed food and drink options on your Canada Day menu.
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❤️ Why You Will Love Them
- This is an easy, make-ahead Canada Day dessert option if you’re worried about being pressed for time on the day-of. It can be prepared up to a few days in advance or on the morning of. This can take a load of stress off and allow you to be prepared for the big day.
- Another nice thing about this dessert is there is no baking required! The cake just needs a quick chill in the refrigerator. It firms up nicely if you leave it in the fridge overnight. The longer they sit in the fridge, the more firm they will be, so keep that in mind.
- Cheesecake is always a crowd favorite treat.
- They are easy to transport, just like my strawberry cheesecake cake pops.
🍰 Ingredients
- graham cracker crumbs - For the cheesecake crust. If desired, you can substitute with Oreo baking crumbs or chocolate crumbs; they taste great too!
- butter - You can use salted or unsalted. I personally always have salted on hand and that is what I use. A little bit of salt enhances the flavor of desserts.
- cream cheese - Make sure it is softened before using in this recipe.
- granulated sugar - Regular white sugar for sweetening the cheesecake filling. I haven't tried this yet, but maple syrup might be a good substitute for the sugar and it's a classic Canadian ingredient.
- vanilla extract - Artificial vanilla extract is okay to use here.
- lemon zest - Freshly grated for a hint of zesty flavor.
- heavy cream - Heavy cream has a milkfat content between 36-40% which makes a nice and rich whipped cream.
- fresh raspberries - You can top the cheesecake with whatever fresh, red berries you like, but I prefer raspberries for something a little different - plus they grow all summer long in my backyard, so why not?
*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.
Chef's Note: You can get creative with what to serve the cheesecakes in. I like to use small mason jars (4 ounce jam jars). If you hold off on the toppings when refrigerating, this dessert fits perfectly into a jam jar and can be sealed with the lid.
But there are so many options for mini dessert cups out there or you can even go beyond that and think outside the box. Shot glasses can also be used for a cheesecake shooter. Just note that the servings and nutrition information will change depending on the size.
🥣 How to Make Cheesecake in a Jar
Step 1. To make the crust, add the melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and mix together until moistened.
Step 2. To make the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest together with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth.
Step 3. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with the mixer until stiff peaks form. Start on low speed and move to medium-high speed as it thickens to avoid splatter.
Step 4. Slowly add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture by folding it in with a spatula or electric mixer on low.
Step 5. Press the graham crumbs into the bottom of small jars or dessert cups.
Step 6. Add the cream cheese mixture.
Step 7. Top with fresh raspberries, plus a bit more graham cracker crumbs.
Step 8. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.
👩🏻🍳 Recipe Tips
- Hold off on toppings until serving. This dessert can be made 1 to 2 days in advance but hold off on the toppings until serving time.
- Don't whip the cream for too long. Avoid over-whipping the heavy cream. You want to stop just when stiff peaks form or it will become grainy.
- Chill the heavy cream but not the cream cheese. Make sure the heavy cream is chilled before whipping but the cream cheese needs to be at room temperature for proper combining.
- Get rid of lumps. When beating the cream cheese mixture, make sure there are no lumps. If there are, continue beating until soft and smooth.
- Fold gently. Combine the whipped cream and cream cheese mixture slowly so that you don't deflate the whipped cream.
- Use a muddler. I find that a cocktail muddler works great for pressing the crumbs into the dessert jars. You can also use the bottom of a cup.
- Use red and white utensils. I used red and white, small wooden spoons. You can even paint them with little maple leaves to be more Canadian-themed.
❓ Cheesecake in a Jar FAQs
You can store leftover cheesecakes, covered well in the fridge, for up to 5 to 7 days.
Yes. Cheesecake that has been set in the fridge can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
🍁 More Canadian Recipes To Try
If you tried this 🍁 Canada Day Dessert Recipe: Raspberry Cheesecake in a Jar or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!
📋Recipe
Canada Day Raspberry Cheesecake in a Jar
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups graham cracker crumbs
- ¼ cup butter - melted
- 8 ounces cream cheese - at room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ tablespoon lemon zest - freshly grated
- 1 cup heavy cream - chilled
- fresh raspberries - for topping
Instructions
- To make the crust, add the melted butter to the graham cracker crumbs and mix together until moistened.
- To make the filling, beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla extract and lemon zest together with an electric mixer on medium speed, until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream with the mixer until stiff peaks form. Start on low speed and move to medium-high speed as it thickens to avoid splatter.
- Slowly add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture by folding it in with a spatula or electric mixer on low.
- Press the graham crumbs into the bottom of shot glasses or small jars. Add the cream cheese mixture and top with fresh raspberries, plus a bit more graham cracker crumbs.
- Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.
Notes
- You can use any size mini dessert cup for this recipe, but note that the servings and nutrition information will change.
- I like to use small mason jars (4 ounce jam jars). If you hold off on the toppings when refrigerating, this dessert fits perfectly into a jam jar and can be sealed with the lid.
- For the cheesecake crust, if desired, you can substitute with Oreo baking crumbs or chocolate crumbs; they taste great too!
- I find that a cocktail muddler works great for pressing the crumbs into the dessert jars. You can also use the bottom of a glass.
- This is a great make-ahead dessert option for Canada Day. It can be made 1 to 2 days in advance but hold off on the toppings until serving time.
- Avoid over-whipping the heavy cream. You want to stop just when stiff peaks form or it will become grainy.
- Make sure the heavy cream is chilled but the cream cheese needs to be at room temperature for proper combining.
- When beating the cream cheese mixture, make sure there are no lumps. If there are, continue beating until soft and smooth.
- Combine the whipped cream and cream cheese mixture slowly so that you don't deflate the whipped cream.
- You can store leftover cheesecakes, covered in the fridge, for up to 5 to 7 days.
- Cheesecake can also be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
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