Barb Hodgens
Barb Hodgens

Barb Hodgens loves to cook with alternative, healthy whole food ingredients, with a focus on gut health. Barb has overcome her own gut health issues through healthy eating. Share your ideas, comments and photos at the end of this post :)

cheesecake parfait

Cheesecake love in a glass.

These deconstructed cheesecakes are just the kind of relaxed summer dessert to make everyone smile. You get all the deliciousness of creamy cheesecake, buttery cookie crumb and sweet vibrant berries without having to wait for the layers to set or slice and serve it up. Best of all you can make parfaits ahead of time - just grab them from the fridge, pre-portioned, looking pretty and ready to go. You can also serve these in small glass jars with screw top lids for the perfect portable picnic dessert.

With a little forward planning to drain the yogurt, cheesecake parfaits are an effortless dessert with three simple layers. The buttery, gluten and grain free biscuit crumb, takes only seconds to make in the Vibe Blender System. 

cheesecake parfait

The parfaits can be as rustic or as elegant as you care to make them. You can pipe the cheese filling or spoon the layers in dollops. Either way, will taste and look amazing. Choose berries of your choice, we used fresh strawberries & raspberries.

cheesecake parfait

WATCH HOW TO MAKE CHEESECAKE PARFAITS HERE 


MAKES: 6 parfaits

INGREDIENTS

Berries
2 cups fresh berries of your choice – fresh or frozen and defrosted.

1 tablespoon honey (or sweetener of your choice)
1 tablespoon of Brandy or Grand Marnier (optional)

Biscuit crumb
½ cup almonds

½ cup pecans
½ cup flaked or shredded coconut, toasted  
1/3 cup coconut sugar
¼ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon of ground ginger
50 grams of butter, melted
Pinch salt

Cream cheese mousse
½ cup double cream or cultured cream

2 cups of dripped yogurt cheese
1/3 cup honey (or sweetener of your choice)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest 

METHOD

1.   Begin this recipe a day ahead to drain the yogurt. Watch how it’s done here.
2.   Wash and dry the berries. Slice larger berries such as strawberries.

3.   Add the honey (or sweetener of your choice) and Brandy, stir well to coat then set aside for an hour or more to soften and become syrupy.
4.   Toast the coconut in a small pan on the stovetop until golden brown. Set aside to cool.

cheesecake parfait steps

5.
   Add the almonds and pecans into the Vibe Blender jug. Blend on ‘nut’ mode for 10 seconds or until you have a coarse meal. Tip the ground nut into a large bowl.

6.   Add the toasted coconut to the Vibe jug and blend on ‘nut’ mode for 5 seconds. Add the coconut crumb to the bowl.
7.   Add all of the remaining biscuit crumb ingredients to the bowl and mix until the butter is thoroughly incorporated. Set aside.

cheesecake parfait steps

8.
   In a large bowl combine all of the cream cheese ingredients and whip with a spatula until the lumps are removed and the consistency is smooth.

9.   To assemble the glasses (or jars), add two tablespoons of biscuit crumb to the base of each glass, then spoon in a layer of cream cheese mousse, then a layer of berries, reserving the syrup. Continue laying up all the ingredients - one or 2 layers depending on the size and shape of your glasses.
10.  Cheesecake parfaits will stay fresh for approx. 5 days.

If you make these deconstructed cheesecake parfaits, be sure to leave us a comment, or tag a photo using #luvelelife on Instagram.

PIN THIS RECIPE 

cheesecake parfait steps