Raspberry Cheesecake Parfaits

Ingredients You’ll Need

• 3 cups (340 g) fresh or frozen raspberries, divided
• 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice, divided
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water
• 1 1/4 cups (125 g) graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp (56 g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 8 oz (226 g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy cream

How to make raspberry cheesecake parfaits

1. Step 1.

   Combine 2 cups of the raspberries, the granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring and mashing the berries, until they break down and the mixture bubbles, about 5 minutes.

2. Step 2.

   Stir the cornstarch and water together and whisk into the raspberries. Simmer for 1–2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce turns glossy and coats the back of a spoon thickly. Transfer to a bowl and cool, then refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Step 3.

   Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Mix the graham crumbs, melted butter, brown sugar and salt, spread them on a small rimmed baking sheet and bake for 7–9 minutes, stirring once, until fragrant and a shade darker. Cool completely; they will crisp as they cool.

4. Step 4.

   Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, remaining 1 tablespoon lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla until completely smooth.

5. Step 5.

   In another bowl, whip the heavy cream to medium-firm peaks. Stir one-third of it into the cream cheese mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest until no streaks remain.

6. Step 6.

   Transfer the cheesecake cream to a piping bag or zip-top bag and snip off a corner.

7. Step 7.

   Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons of graham crumbs into each of 6 glasses (8–10 oz). Pipe a layer of cheesecake cream over the crumbs, then add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of cold raspberry sauce and a few fresh raspberries.

8. Step 8.

   Repeat with another layer of crumbs, cheesecake cream and sauce. Top each parfait with the remaining fresh raspberries and a light sprinkle of crumbs.

9. Step 9.

   Serve right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.

Clean layers come from temperature and thickness

A parfait looks best when you can see each layer through the glass. The raspberry sauce is the component most likely to spoil that. If it goes in warm, it melts the whipped cream in the filling and slides down the sides of the glass in streaks. If it is too thin, it sinks into the cream instead of sitting on top.

Two things keep it in place. A little cornstarch gives the cooked berries body without the long reduction that would dull their fresh flavor. Chilling it thoroughly then thickens it further, until it mounds on a spoon. So make the sauce first, or even the day before.

Why the raspberries are used twice

Cooked raspberries give a concentrated, jammy flavor and deep color that raw berries alone cannot. Fresh berries on the other hand give juicy bursts of sharpness and texture, and they make each parfait look like raspberry cheesecake at a glance. Using both gives the dessert enough fruit to balance the rich filling.

The sauce keeps its seeds, which most people will not notice in a layered dessert. For a completely smooth sauce, press it through a fine-mesh strainer before chilling. You will lose a few tablespoons of volume, so be slightly more generous with the fresh berries.

Toasting the crumbs keeps them crunchy

Raw graham crumbs mixed with butter taste a little flat and soften quickly against a creamy filling. A few minutes in the oven browns the butter slightly, deepens the graham flavor and dries the crumbs so they stay crisp noticeably longer. Spread them out on the sheet so they toast evenly, and stir once. They can burn quickly at the edges.

The crumbs will still feel soft when they come out of the oven. They firm up as they cool into loose, sandy clusters, which are easier to spoon into glasses than a pressed crust.

A lighter cheesecake filling

This filling is cream cheese sweetened with powdered sugar and lightened with whipped cream, so it has the tangy taste of cheesecake with a spoonable mousse-like texture. Lemon juice and zest sharpen the flavor, which is important next to sweet sauce.

Make sure the cream cheese is completely soft and beaten smooth before adding the whipped cream. Any lumps left at that point will stay in the filling. Stirring in the first third of the cream loosens the dense cream cheese so the rest folds in without deflating.

A piping bag keeps the glasses clean. Start at the outside edge and work toward the center, and the filling will spread against the glass in a neat, visible layer.

Make-ahead plan

All three components can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated separately: the sauce and filling covered, the cooled crumbs in an airtight container at room temperature. Assemble the parfaits up to 8 hours before serving. The graham layers soften gradually, becoming more like a cheesecake crust than crunchy crumbs, which many people prefer. For the most crunch, add the top sprinkle of crumbs just before serving.

Keep assembled parfaits refrigerated until serving, and do not leave them out for more than 2 hours. Leftovers keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 2 days, although the fresh raspberries on top will start to weep.

For a party

For a dessert table, use smaller 4- to 5-ounce glasses or disposable cups. The recipe makes about 10 to 12 mini parfaits with a single layer of each component. Clear cups are worth it; seeing the layers is much of the appeal.

Useful swaps

Mixed berries: blackberries or blueberries can replace up to half of the raspberries in the sauce. Blueberries need a few extra minutes to burst.

Whipped topping: 2 cups of thawed Cool Whip can replace the whipped heavy cream. The filling will be a little sweeter and slightly firmer.

Cookie crumbs: crushed shortbread or vanilla wafers can replace graham crackers. Both are sweeter, so reduce or omit the brown sugar.