Our Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait is full of strawberries, creamy cheesecake, crushed graham crackers and is so easy to make!
Love is in the air – Valentine’s Day is almost here. Cupid’s arrow strikes the hearts of lovebirds young and old and many of them tend to get a little bit giddy.
When you think of Valentine’s Day, you mostly likely think of flowers, candy and jewelry. Couples new and old go on dates, and some couple even tie the knot on this day of love. For the lovebirds who prefer staying home on this holiday of love, you might enjoy these Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits – they are the perfect romantic Valentine treat!
No bake makes it easy
What makes these parfaits simple is the no bake cheesecake box mix I use {I use Jello brand, but any brand will work}. Work smarter, not harder, right? It cuts down on so much time when I can just add a couple of ingredients and have the majority of components quickly done for my romantic Valentine treat. This is especially true when it comes to cheesecake {it takes forever – I simply don’t have the patience for that}!
I made the graham cracker crust according to the directions on the box, and since I only made two parfaits, I had a lot of crust leftover. Depending on how many cheesecake parfaits you make, you might also have extra mix. Just put the extra in a small pan and press it up against the sides. You’ll have a tasty little treat for the family too!
The sweet stuff
The next layer is simply strawberry preserves. You can use any flavor you desire, of course. One thing you want to do though, depending on the consistency of yours, is take a small whisk to loosen it up a bit. You’ll need to spread it over the graham cracker crust. I put about a tablespoon of preserves in mine, as the glasses I used (which resemble champagne glasses) are pretty narrow at the bottom. You may need more or less.
Spread it out with a rubber spatula and kind of “smoosh” it against the sides. Keep an eye on the outside of the glass while doing this, as you’ll want to make sure that you have pressed enough against the glass to make definite layers. I also left a little hollow area in the middle to fill with the cheesecake filling (which also allowed me to use less preserves).
The next step is the cheesecake filling. Just like the graham cracker crust, mix according to directions. The easiest way to fill the glass without making a big mess is to use a big cup, and inserting a sandwich size bag into it. but first cut a slit in the bottom corner. You can get an idea of how I did it by the shape of the filling ribbons in the below photo.
Fill ‘er up!
After you have made the slit in the bottom of the bag, place the bag in the cup and fold the edges over the rim of the cup. Using a spatula, fill the bag with the cheesecake mixture. Remove the bag from the cup and gently push the filling down to the corner where the slit is. Pick your glass up and using back and forth passes, fill the glass almost to the rim (like in the photo below). Use a rubber spatula to press it down into a dome shape.
Look how pretty it looks when you pick it up! The layers won’t be perfect, and that’s okay. When you push the cheesecake mix down, it dips a bit into the preserves and creates an awesome swirling effect. Refrigerate the parfaits until you are ready to serve (at least 30 minutes). You might choose to add a layer of sliced strawberries when you take them out of the refrigerator.
Time to get fancy!
Allow a few extra minutes before serving, as you’ll want to “pretty” them up for the final presentation. Add a dollop of whipped cream, and add whatever other accoutrements you desire. These can be graham cracker crumbles, colored sugar pearls, sprinkles, or whatever your little heart desires.
Put a small slice in the strawberry and slip it on the side of the glass . It is the perfect finishing touch to the No Bake Sweet Layered Parfaits.
Here is the view from the top:
It’s your turn to relax now. Enjoy your Valentine’s evening in a cozy candlelit room and enjoy a glass of champagne. Present to your loved one the beautifully created Strawberry Cheesecake Parfait – the perfect romantic Valentine treats. The ones that were make with sweet stuff, and a whole lot of love.
Another simple and romantic idea for Valentine’s Day are these Easy Valentine’s Day Madeleine Cookies from Plates & Palettes. Just like the sweet parfaits above, these are no-bake, which naturally, makes me one happy lady!
