Dairy-Free Cheesecake Parfaits (Vegan, Paleo, Low-Carb)

No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Parfaits served in mini mason jars! Smooth cream layered with colorful fruit on a shortbread crust. No gluten, dairy, eggs or sugar (Vegan, Paleo & Low-Carb)

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Red, White & Blue Desserts

Blueberries and strawberries are the absolute PERFECT fruit to create a patriotic dessert for Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Labor Day!

Summer in a JAR

Whether it's a holiday, birthday or just a gathering with your family and friends, these little parfaits served in jars will be the star of the meal. The mini mason jars are the absolute CUTEST.

These are 4oz size glass jars that I found at Target. I think some people use them to store baby food, but they make the absolute ideal size for an individual serving of cheesecake. I searched high and low for just the right size, and THIS IS IT. They are sold in a 4-pack with lids, which makes them PORTABLE. Did someone say PICNIC? 😀

If you don't happen to have the mini jars, you can use small clear plastic cups.. the smallest you can find. Otherwise they only look half full (or half empty?) And everybody wants a FULL jar, right? 

Easy CRUST

These little parfaits have a simple shortbread crumb crust. No baking required (although you totally could, if you wanted to!) It's gluten & grain-free and made with the best alternative to wheat: almond flour! I love that it has a neutral flavor, and I LOVE using it in my crust recipes.

Simply spoon a heaping Tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each jar. It's so easy. No rolling, chilling, waiting or special equipment. Nada!

Dairy-Free "CHEESECAKE"

The cream for these parfaits is made with my favorite substance ever-- CASHEW CREAM. It's so smooth and rich. And I gave this one a slight cheesecake tang with a splash of lemon juice. It's the perfect counterpart to the sweet and tart berries and the shortbread crust.

I sweetened my cashew cream with just a little pure stevia powder, but you can sub maple syrup if you like. But I'm trying to stick to lower carbs. And honestly, the stevia tastes JUST as good to me as the maple. As long as you don't use too much, there's no weird aftertaste or metallic flavor.

Layers Upon Layers

Fruit makes such a pretty statement in desserts. It's like the jewelry! It's so fun to decorate your treats with pretty blueberries and strawberries. I love it!

I added a layer around the bottom of the jar, then spooned a bit of cheesecake over it and repeated that twice, so the berries had enough stability to stay against the edge of the jar.

You can use any fruit you like here, too! Berries are lower in carbs, and patriotic, which makes me happy 🙂 But what about raspberries, kiwi, blackberries or pineapple? Just keep in mind, if you cut the fruit, some of the juices will seep out and color the cream.

Recipes for Summer Celebrations

If you're looking for more summer dessert recipes, here are some of my FAVES. Perfect for cookouts, parties and celebrations 🙂

• Strawberry Cream Pie
• Fruit Pizza
• Key Lime Pie
• Lemon Delight Pie

I'm so excited because this year we'll be on a little family vaca for the 4th of July. There's nothing I love more than spending time with my FAMILY & making memories. (Ok, well maybe eating delicious FOOD with my family, haha) How are you celebrating? Fireworks? Or perhaps a special patriotic dessert?? Yes, please!

Follow me on Pinterest @emilyrosespain for more dairy-free recipes! 

No-Bake Berry Cheesecake Parfaits (Vegan, Paleo, Low-Carb)

Creamy cheesecake layered with colorful berries on a no-bake crust! The perfect patriotic dessert! (You won't miss the dairy, gluten, or sugar.)

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Emily

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Crust:

• ½ cup almond flour
• 1 ½ Tbs coconut oil
• Dash of pure stevia powder - or 1 teaspoon maple syrup
• Splash of vanilla
• Dash of pink salt

Cheesecake:

• 1 cup raw cashews - soaked
• ½ cup coconut milk - or ¼ cup maple syrup + ¼ cup milk
• 2 Tbs coconut oil
• 1 ½ Tbs vanilla extract
• 1 Tbs lemon juice
• Pinch of pure stevia powder - about 1/16 tsp
• Pinch of pink salt
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 cup strawberries

Instructions

To make the crust:

• Stir together all ingredients in a small bowl. Taste and adjust for sweetness.
• Spoon a heaping Tbs into the bottom of each jar and flatten with a spatula or spoon. Set aside.

To make the cheesecake:

• {Soak cashews in hot water for 2 hours. Drain, rinse and shake dry} Blend cashews in a food processor until smooth. Scrape down the sides.
• Add remaining ingredients (except fruit) and blend again. Taste and adjust for sweetness.

To assemble parfaits:

• Add a layer of blueberries around the perimeter of the jar (on top of the crust). Spoon a little cheesecake on top.
• Repeat 2 more layers of blueberries & cheesecake. pressing the blueberries into the sides. Place a sliced strawberry on top.
• Chill parfaits for 1-2 hours. ENJOY.

Notes

What I used:

Blanched Almond Flour https://amzn.to/2sGaSZ2

Pink Salt: https://amzn.to/2qDduFk

Mexican Vanilla: https://amzn.to/2vinWYh

Raw Cashews: https://amzn.to/2vmQjop

Nutiva coconut oil: https://amzn.to/2H5V0o2

To store: Keep refrigerated for up to 7 days. Freezing not recommended because the fruit will turn soggy when thawed.

Tried this recipe?Tag @emily.likes.food #prettypies!