No Bake Chocolate Blueberry Cheesecake In a Jar

This easy no bake chocolate blueberry cheesecake in a jar is rich, thick and creamy with no added sugar.  Decadent but not too sweet, its an easy healthy cheesecake recipe that can be made ahead for family dinners, Sunday BBQ’s and get togethers with friends.

Recipe Highlights

• The filling is light and fluffy and won’t weigh you down
• Rich chocolate flavour that intensifies over time
• Super simple to make, even if you’ve never made cheesecake before
• No baking, no eggs and no oven needed, so perfect to make in warm weather
• Make them in under 30 minutes
• They set in the fridge in an hour
• Naturally sweetened with no added sugar
• Makes 6 generous servings in a jar, or 12 mini servings
• Use mason jars, or a mixture of jars, even tea cups would work
• Its lightly sweet and creamy with a buttery chocolate crumble base
• Goes perfectly with blueberries which add tang and freshness

Ingredients

Checkout this Lemon and Blueberry Cheesecake in a cup for something a little less chocolatey! Or these fabulous healthy mini bite sized cheesecakes:

Ingredient Notes

• Cream Cheese:  this is the basis of the filling and you’ll need two blocks.  Its best to get the cream cheese out of the fridge and hour or two before making this recipe so that it softens and is easier to beat and whip with the cream.
• Cocoa Powder:  using unsweetened cocoa powder is best and provides a deep and rich chocolate flavour.  You can find it in the health food aisle of most supermarkets and in my Sugar Free Chocolate Panna Cotta
• Almond Flour/Almond Meal:  sometimes is says Almond Flour on the packet, but it is actually Almond Meal.  Look for an Almond Meal/Almond Flour this more gritter, has a rougher texture.  Almond flour tends to be more powder like, and almond meal is more grittier. It provides more texture and complements the creaminess of the filling.  Its harder to get a “chocolate dirt” effect with almond flour that is too powdery.
• Granulated Sweetener:  any granulated sweetener that measures like sugar will work, but it should be powdered as it will be going in the cheesecake filling.  Using a powdered sweetener means it will disappear into the creamy filling so you wont see it or feel it when eating the cheesecake.  (Check out my recipe tips for making powdered sweetener out of granulated)
• Cream:  Heavy cream or Thickened cream works best for whipping and mixing in with the cream cheese.  This also helps to add lightness to the cheesecake and gives it body.
• Butter:  this is used in the base of the cheesecake to create the chocolate dirt.  Any butter will work and margarine could be substituted.
• Vanilla Essence:  this adds an additional level of flavour that complements the chocolate
• Blueberries:  Frozen or Fresh will work.  If in season, I recommend using fresh, otherwise frozen berries work just as well.

For more chocolate healthy cheesecake recipes check out my popular Chocolate Ricotta Cheesecake, perfect for dinner parties.

How To Make

1. Base:  Mix all the ingredients for the base in a bowl until it resembles a chocolate “soil”. Divide mixture into six cups. Refrigerate them while making the rest of the cheesecake.

2. Softening Cream Cheese:  Place softened cream cheese in a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to beat until creamy. Then add powdered powdered sweetener that measures like sugar, cacao powder and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

3. Whipping the Cream:  In a different bowl, whip heavy cream until firm picks. Next, combine whipped cream with the cream cheese mixture.

4. Fill Jars:  You can either use a piping bag for a fancy look or a spoon.  Divide the cheesecake filling into the prepared cheesecake jars and refrigerate for one to two hours for the cheesecake to set.
5. Before serving:  Garnish with some fresh fruit, whipped cream or shaved chocolate.

Recipe Tips for Cheesecake Jars

• Level of Sweetness:  Whilst this is not an overly sweet cheesecake, I recommend tasting the filling before putting it into the jars to check the level of sweetness is to your taste.  If not, add a little extra sweetener, but do keep in mind that if adding berries or additional toppings that will increase the level of sweetness as well.
• Powdered Sweetener:  If you only have granulated sweetener, its easy to create powdered sweetener using a mortar and pestle by grinding it down and it only takes a minute to do.
• Getting the cheesecake filling into the jar: If you’re not using a piping bag and still want it to neatly get into the jar, use two teaspoons working together to fill one jar.  Its easier than using one teaspoon which can sometimes be a bit messy.
• Making Ahead:  These chocolate cheesecakes in a jar can be made a day or two in advance.  If doing this, keep them in the fridge covered in a container, or put plastic wrap over each one until needed.
• Scaling up and down: This recipe makes six 8 ounce cheesecakes in jar which are a very generous serving (about 1 cup in size).  If you’d prefer something smaller, its easy to halve the recipe to make six half size cheesecake jars, or three generous sized ones.  (Check below for different sized jar options)
• Lightening up the recipe:  To make this recipe on the lighter side, I would recommend using extra light cream cheese, light cream (make sure it is suitable for whipping) and low fat butter.  You will still end up with a delicious chocolate cheesecake jar, but it will be lower in fat, and lower in calories.

Flavour Addins

• Peanut Butter:  A one tablespoon of natural peanut butter to the cheesecake filling, blended through it will subtly enhance the flavour without loosing the delicious chocolate flavour.
• Other Nut Butter: If peanut butter has too strong of a flavour, consider cashew nut butter or almond butter for an earthy and nutty flavour to complement the chocolate,
• Coffee:  Add 2 tablespoons of instant coffee and blend through the filling for a coffee and chocolate flavour combination
• Fresh Blueberries:  Swirl in some fresh blueberries to the cheesecake filling for a fruity burst of flavour when eating
• Blueberry Jam:  to really pimp the flavour, you could try swirling through around ¼ cup of no added sugar blueberry jam (or any berry jam, really).  With this technique, its best not to completely mix it in as it looks great roughly swirled so you can see it through the jar.  Easy to do and looks impressive!

Topping Ideas

• Blueberries:  Fresh or frozen will work.  If making ahead add some frozen ones on top and let them defrost slightly in the fridge so that when you’re ready for them they won’t be too hard but will still have a little “bite”.  Or, add fresh blueberries for an extra juicy hit.  Or, a combination of both.
• Creme Fraiche:  A small amount of crème fraiche is all you’ll need to boost the creaminess
• Shaved Chocolate:  for extra richness and texture
• Orange Zest: for a tropical freshness.  A small about of orange zest pairs perfectly with the chocolate and blueberries and the citrus helps to cut through the richness.
• Nuts:  a few granulated peanut scattered on top will add some crunch and texture, or even a couple of whole hazelnuts at the bottom of the jar.

Jars for Cheesecake in a Jar

• 8 oz/250 ml (1 cup):  this could be a mason jar or any other type of jar the same size.  If using this size, the recipe will make 6 generous servings.
• 4 oz/125 ml (½ cup):  mini jars are a great alternative if you like smaller desserts, or want to make the recipe go further without doubling it.  Use 12 mini jars to make 12 mini cheesecake jars.
• 6 oz/180 ml (¾ cup):  if your looking for something in between this might be a good option and with this recipe will make around 9 cheesecake jars.

FAQ’s

No bake chocolate cheesecakes in a jar are simple and easy to make with just 7 basic ingredients.  No oven, eggs, or gelatin needed! 

Creating a tasty and naturally sweetened dessert in under 30 minutes with barely any fuss is possible and by getting creative with different toppings and flavour addins, you can have impressive looking desserts ready for any dinner party, BBQ or family dinner.