Easy No Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits (High Protein)
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This easy recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits delivers fresh berries and a no-bake strawberry cheesecake filling layered over a crisp graham cracker crust. Perfect for picnics, parties, or whenever you’re craving a high-protein sweet treat!
If you’ve ever seen Shrek, you know Donkey was onto something when he said, “Parfaits may be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet!” – and these Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits are no exception. They’re essentially a strawberry-flavored version of my Mini Biscoff Cheesecakes, but with a 2-ingredient graham cracker crust instead of Biscoff.
But it’s the filling where this recipe really gets good. I used high-protein ingredients like Skyr and whipped cottage cheese to keep things healthy-ish, and also snuck in some ground-up freeze-dried strawberries for an extra burst of berry flavor and a naturally pretty pink hue. As a result, these parfaits not only hit the sweet spot but also keep you full.
Plus, the assembly couldn’t be simpler. You just layer the crust and luscious filling into your parfait cups and pop them in the fridge. When they’re set and ready, top them with fresh berries, a drizzle of honey, or anything else your heart desires, and dig in. Seriously, if you’re looking for the perfect no-bake dessert to make ahead for summer picnics, dinner parties, girls’ night-in, or just cause – this is it!
Why You’ll Love These Parfaits!
- No-bake. When it’s hot outside, the last thing anyone wants to do is turn on the oven. These keep things cool and come together without a single second of heat.
- High-protein. With 15 grams of protein per parfait, they’re healthy enough for a mid-afternoon snack but also fancy enough for a dinner party.
- Customizable. You can switch up the crust, play with the fruit layers, or add a fun topping because when it comes to parfaits, there are no rules.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Graham crackers. I crush about 10 full sheets to make the mini graham cracker crusts.
- Melted butter. This is the glue that binds the crushed graham crackers into a sturdy crust. Just be sure to let it cool slightly before mixing.
- Freeze-dried strawberries (optional). Grinding these into a fine powder and folding them into the filling is my little trick for serious strawberry flavor without throwing off the texture. I grab mine from Trader Joe’s.
- Unflavored gelatin. This is the ingredient that makes no-bake cheesecake possible. Just remember to always dissolve it in water first, or you’ll end up with tiny, rubbery lumps (and nobody wants that).
- Cream cheese. Stay away from the fat-free stuff. It doesn’t have the richness we’re after. Go for low-fat cream cheese, and let it soften at room temp to keep the filling silky.
- Skyr or plain Greek yogurt. Both work beautifully and are packed with protein. Greek yogurt is just a little bit thicker and tangier, while Skyr has a cleaner, more neutral flavor.
- Whipped cottage cheese. I don’t want any stray curds breaking the illusion of traditional cheesecake, so I whip Good Culture cottage cheese with a stick blender right in the container.
- Sweetener. I reach for a Splenda sugar blend, but honey is also a great option, especially if you’re making the crust with honey-sweetened graham crackers. See the notes section of the recipe card for other sweetener swaps.
- Fresh lemon zest. Lemon zest really brings out the strawberry flavor.
- Vanilla extract. Vanilla is essential for classic cheesecake flavor.
- Fresh strawberries. These are the crowning glory of our parfait cups! But if it isn’t strawberry season, thawed frozen strawberries are totally fine. They won’t have that same fresh texture, but the flavor will still be delicious.
How to Make Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
Step 1: Prepare the crusts. Using a food processor, blitz the graham crackers into a fine crumb, then pulse in the melted butter until the mixture feels like wet sand, adding more butter as needed. Evenly press this mixture into the bottom of each container (I use a tart tamper). Then, place them in the fridge.
Step 2: Pulverize the dried strawberries. Using a high-powered blender (I use a Bullet blender here), grind the dried strawberries into a fine powder.
Step 3: Bloom the gelatin. In a microwave-safe bowl or mug, pour the gelatin over ¼ cup of water, and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. Then, microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, stir, and set aside.
Step 4: Aerate the filling. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese, yogurt, whipped cottage cheese, dried strawberry powder, sweetener, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth.
Step 5: Incorporate the gelatin. With the mixer running on low, slowly stream in the dissolved gelatin until fully combined.
Step 6: Set the filling. Divide the filling mixture evenly between the prepared jars, cover, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or until the filling layer is firm and fully set.
Step 7: Finish with strawberries. Just before serving, top each parfait with fresh strawberries and an optional drizzle of honey or maple syrup, then grab a spoon and enjoy!
Recipe Tips and FAQs
- I like using travel-friendly 8-oz glass jars with lids so there’s plenty of room for the crust, a thick layer of the filling, and lots of berries on top. If you’re feeling fancy, parfait, dessert, or even martini glasses are also perfect.
- If you don’t have a tart tamper to press the crust into the bottom of your serving vessels, just use a small spoon or the bottom of a shot glass to create a level, compact surface.
- I know it’s tempting to dig in ASAP, but the parfaits must set for at least 6 hours in the fridge, though overnight is even better! This allows the gelatin to fully do its thing, ensuring you get a firm, custard-like cheesecake consistency.
- Give the filling a little taste test before adding the gelatin. Depending on how tart your yogurt is, you might need to add a bit more sweetener.
Variations
- Switch up the crust – Instead of making it with graham crackers, you could use crushed Oreos, vanilla wafers, gingersnap cookies, or my personal favorite, Biscoff cookies.
- Low-Carb option– Skip the crust layer for a delicious, lower-carb, high-protein dessert.
- Make it a berry blend – Feel free to mix and match the strawberries with fresh blueberries, chipped kiwi, peaches, mango, or banana slices.
- Add a layer of crunch – If you want to lean further into the fruit parfait vibes, add a sprinkle of slivered pecans, toasted shredded coconut, or a little granola right before serving.
No worries. Just pop your graham crackers into a large freezer bag, seal it tight, and go to town with a heavy rolling pin until you have fine crumbs. Then, pour the melted butter right into the bag, seal it back up, and massage it with your hands until it’s fully incorporated.
Storing and Freezing
Storing: These cheesecake parfaits stay fresh in covered containers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Just wait to add the fresh strawberries and any other toppings until you’re actually ready to eat them.
Freezing: You can freeze the parfaits in freezer-safe containers without toppings for up to 1 month, but note that the cheesecake layer may become slightly grainy after thawing.
More Strawberry Recipes
- Strawberry Tres Leches Trifle
- Strawberry Lemonade Cake Mix Cookies
- Greek Yogurt Strawberry Muffins
- Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle
- No-Sugar-Added Fresh Strawberry Pie
- Strawberry Donuts with Strawberry Lemon Glaze
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No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Parfaits
Equipment
- 6 Parfait glasses or glass jars with lids I use the wide-mouth 8-oz jars so there's room for topping with berries. Parfait dishes work great here, too.
Ingredients
- 9 graham cracker sheets (full sheets)- one full sleeve for most brands
- ¼ cup butter *I use salted butter
- .25 oz unflavored gelatin 1 packet
- ¼ cup water
- 8 oz low-fat cream cheese *not fat-free
- 1 cup plain skyr or plain Greek yogurt (0% fat or low-fat)
- 1 cup 2% Good Culture cottage cheese , whipped
- 1.2 oz freeze dried strawberries *I buy these at Trader Joe's (you can leave these out for a plain cheesecake filling)
- ¼ cup Splenda sugar blend *see notes for sweetener swaps
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups fresh strawberries chopped
Instructions
- Place the graham crackers into a food processor and blitz until finely ground. Drizzle in the butter and pulse until combined. The texture should be similar to wet sand. Divide the crust mixture between the jars or dessert dishes and press down to compact (I use a tart tamper). Refrigerate the jars to chill the crust while you make the filling.
- Place the dried strawberries in a high-powered blender (I use a bullet blender). Blend until finely ground into a strawberry powder.
- Bloom the gelatin in ¼ cup of water and let it sit for 5 minutes, then warm for 15-20 seconds in the microwave until dissolved. Stir and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, Skyr (or Greek yogurt), whipped cottage cheese, dried strawberry powder, sweetener, lemon zest, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. *I use the whisk attachment on my stand mixer. Slowly beat in the gelatin mixture, pouring in a thin stream, until combined.
- Divide the cheesecake filling layer between the jars. Cover and chill for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until firm and set.
- Before serving, top each parfait with chopped fresh strawberries (I use the 8-oz jars so I have room for this) and drizzle with a little honey or maple syrup, if desired. Whipped cream is also great here!
Notes
- Sweetener options. The Splenda sugar blend sweetener conversion is 1/4 cup of the Splenda blend for 1/2 cup of regular sugar. If you make a sweetener swap, you’ll need 1/2 cup of another sweetener of choice (if using a granulated sweetener, go with white sugar or a white sugar substitute to reduce the grams of sugar). I’ve also made this recipe with 1/3 cup good-quality maple syrup with great results. It will be a softer set before chilling, but it firms up nicely as it chills overnight. Honey can be used instead of maple syrup, if preferred.
- If you don’t have a tart tamper to press the crust into the bottom of your serving vessels, just use a small spoon or the bottom of a shot glass to create a level, compact surface.
- Give the filling a little taste test before adding the gelatin. Depending on how tart your yogurt is, you might need to add a bit more sweetener.
- I know it’s tempting to dig in ASAP, but the parfaits must set for at least 6 hours in the fridge, though overnight is even better! This allows the gelatin to fully do its thing, ensuring you get a firm, custard-like cheesecake consistency.
Nutrition
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