How To: Get Your Cheesecake Fix with These 10-Minute Parfaits

Cheesecake is a nearly flawless dessert. It's rich but light, has a toothsome crust but a creamy body, and tastes good served room temperature or frozen. What's not to like?

I can only think of one thing cheesecake doesn't have going for it: it's a pain to make. Cheesecakes are hard to master without any cracking, and they can take a really long time to assemble.

That's why my new favorite dessert is this 10-minute, no-bake cheesecake parfait. It's easy, quick, and has all the benefits of a traditional cheesecake. And here's everything you need to know to make it yourself:

Ingredients

• bag of ginger snaps
• 3 Tbsp. hot, melted butter
• 1/3 c. sugar
• ½ tsp. vanilla extract (or the seeds of half a vanilla bean)
• ½ pt. of heavy whipping cream
• 8 oz. cream cheese (one package)
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• lemon zest (optional)
• toppings such as fresh fruit, peanut butter, cookie dough, etc. (optional)

Step 1: Make the Cheesecake Crust

Start by putting a few handfuls of crispy ginger snaps in a food processor, then blitz them into coarse crumbs. Put 1 cup of the crumbs in a bowl and add the hot, melted butter, then mix them up. If you prefer, you can use graham crackers instead of ginger snaps, though you'll want to add a few tablespoons of sugar since graham crackers aren't as sweet.

Step 2: Make the Cheesecake Filling

Add the sugar and vanilla extract (or the vanilla bean seeds) to the heavy whipping cream, then whip the cream until it reaches soft peaks. In a separate bowl, add room temperature cream cheese, and mash it until it becomes creamy and fluffy.

Add the lemon juice to the cream cheese, which helps to balance out the richness of the cream cheese and the whipping cream. If you want a stronger lemon flavor, add the zest of the lemon as well. Mix the whipped cream with the cream cheese, and whip them together until they form one smooth filling. (If you have a stand mixer, you can simply put all of the ingredients in it and use the whip attachment until the filling is finished.)

Step 3: Put It Together & Add Some Toppings

Place a layer of the crust in the bottom of a bowl or glass (I prefer wine glasses). Add a few dollops of filling, then finish the cheesecakes with a few fresh berries or whatever other toppings you would like (my favorites are peanut butter and cookie dough). Now just dig in and enjoy!

With this 10-minute, no-bake cheesecake, you can make a delicious dessert anytime you're craving one, with very little wait and minimal effort. What could be better? Let us know your cheesecake hacks in the comments below.

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More Creamy Dessert Tricks & Tips:

• 10 Amazing Reasons to Dust Off Your Ice Cream Maker
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