Recipe—Individual Blueberry Cheesecakes

Last weekend we went to another summer BBQ. This one was about two hours away and would be a long windy drive. I needed a dessert that would transport well. Pies seem to always end up squished and most of my Pyrex dishes wont fit in my ice chest. I have seen individual desserts in mason jars trending on Pinterest and I thought to myself, “I bet something like that would transport wonderfully.” And they did! Now what to put in them? Hmm…

If you have been following my blog for a while now then you may know that I love my cheesecake. I am not picky about my desserts but if it has the word “cheesecake” in the name I will lack all self control. So I knew I wanted some sort of cheesecake in a jar. (I know, pretty self-serving right?) Blueberries were on sale at the grocery store and so my decision was made. I would be taking individual blueberry cheesecakes in mason jars. They made a great presentation, were out of this world good, could not have been easier to serve, and they were fun to eat. In other words, they were amazing!

Note: I was able to fill six 8 ounce mason jars. You can get also get 4 ounce jars for smaller servings.

BLUEBERRY FILLING INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp butter
4 c blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/2 c sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp cornstarch
4 tbsp water

CHEESECAKE INGREDIENTS
1 c graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c butter, melted
1 1/4 c sugar, divided
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/3 c milk
8 oz tub of Cool Whip
mason jars (see note above regarding sizes)

BLUEBERRY FILLING STEPS

• Melt the 2 tbsp of butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
• Add in the blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice.
• Whisk together the cornstarch and water in a small bowl and pour into the pot.
• Lightly mash the blueberries with a hand held masher making sure to leave about half of the berries in tact.
• Bring the blueberry filling to a boil and then reduce the heat to low.
• Cook the filling for 6–8 minutes stirring frequently.
• Remove from heat.

CHEESECAKE STEPS

• While the blueberry filling is cooling, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and 1/4 c of the sugar.
• Distribute the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of each jar saving a couple of spoonfuls for garnish.
• Using a hand held mixer, beat together the cream cheese and remaining cup of sugar until well combined. Gradually add in the milk until it is nice and creamy.
• Distribute the cream cheese filling among the jars. (I transferred my filling into a Ziploc bag, cut of the corner, and piped it into each jar.)
• Add a layer of the blueberry filling to each jar.
• Fill the rest of the jar with Cool Whip and sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs.
• Add lids if you will be transporting your dessert.
• Chill for at least one hour before serving.
• Enjoy!