One of the best things about summer is Saskatoon berries! And like summer, Saskatoon berry season is short, so you'll want to take advantage of it and make as many Saskatoon berry recipes as possible! Fortunately, I've got another fabulous recipe for you. This indulgent No Bake Saskatoon Berry Cheesecake (in a jar) has layers of white chocolate cream cheese, a chocolate crust, and Saskatoon berry sauce. It requires no oven, is fun to eat out of a mason jar, and is the ultimate summer cheesecake!
It's too hot to bake, and I really wanted Saskatoon Berry Cheesecake, but I didn't want an entire cheesecake, nor did I want a bunch of leftovers, so this Saskatoon Cheesecake was perfect! It was inspired by my Saskatoon Berry Pie and my No Bake Strawberry Rhubarb Cheesecake.
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Making cheesecake in individual jars was perfect for our family of 4. My daughter even put our names on them so we'd know whose was whose if we couldn't finish them. But they were hard not to finish because they were so tasty!
Now my daughter is hooked and wants to eat everything out of a mason jar! She even ate her macaroni and cheese out of a jar today. And I totally get that - eating out of a jar is fun! This made me realize that I need to make more recipes you can eat out of a jar.
I love eating my Rhubarb Overnight Oats out of a jar, as well as my Healthy Chicken Taco Salad (in a jar), but eating mason jar cheesecake is absolutely the best!
🥘 Ingredient Notes
Saskatoon berries make such a great cheesecake because they have such a unique taste. They are a little more tart and nuttier than blueberries, so they pair perfectly with white chocolate cream cheese and a chocolate crust.
- White chocolate baking squares. Do NOT use white chocolate chips, as they don't melt properly.
- Cream cheese. You can use regular or light, but I recommend using a high-quality cream cheese like Philadelphia. I tried this with No Name brand cream cheese, and it just wasn't the same!
- Butter. I prefer to use unsalted butter in my recipes, so I can control the salt. The salt content in salted butter varies by brand. Measure the butter AFTER it's melted.
- Saskatoon Berry Pie Filling and Sauce. I don't put Saskatoon berries straight up into the recipe- I use my cooked filling in this recipe, which gives it an incredible depth of flavor! It's a delicious sauce with a hint of almond, and it also happens to be super versatile! It can be used as a pie filling, tart filling (photo below), berry sauce/topping on pancakes, waffles, ice cream, yogurt, a Dessert Perogy filling, a Saskatoon berry ice cream (no churn), and more! I make a big batch and freeze it for future use.
- Chocolate baking crumbs. Since Oreo baking crumbs have been discontinued, I've been using chocolate baking crumbs, which I find at Superstore or Sobey's in Canada.
📖Variations & Substitutions
- Saskatoon berries -you can use fresh Saskatoon berries or frozen Saskatoons to make the filling for this recipe. *If you use frozen berries, make sure to defrost them and drain off excess liquid before you measure! Alternatively, you could use blueberries and turn these into a blueberry no bake cheesecake. You could also use store-bought Saskatoon berry pie filling (affiliate link) instead. I have also found this at Co-op in Alberta.
- Lactose -free- Use a lactose-free cream cheese and skip the milk in the filling (or use lactose free milk)
- WW friendly- use fat-free cream cheese and Monk Fruits instead of sugar (but you'll only need half the amount that you'd need of sugar).
- Base: Use plain graham cracker crumbs instead of chocolate, if you desire. Alternatively, you could use an Oreo cookie crust with crushed Oreos. Simply follow the directions for the crust/base in my Black Forest Cheesecake (no bake).
🔪Step-by-Step: How to Make No Bake Saskatoon Berry Cheesecakeke
PREP: Prepare Saskatoon Berry filling as per recipe. Cool.
- Step 1: Mix chocolate baking crumbs and melted butter together.
- Step 2: Melt white chocolate in the microwave at ½ (50%) power for about 1 minute and 30 seconds.
- Step 3: Beat cream cheese, white granulated sugar, and melted white chocolate together with an electric mixer.
- Step 4: Take ½ cup of the chocolate baking crumb mixture and add to the bottom of each jar, dividing evenly by 4 jars.
- Step 5: Take ½ of the cream cheese mixture and add it on top of the chocolate baking crumb mixture, dividing evenly by 4 jars.
- Step 6: Add ½ cup of the Saskatoon berry filling to each jar on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Step 7: Repeat with the remaining ½ of the ingredients, in the same order, dividing evenly among all 4 jars. Top with fresh Saskatoon berries and a dollop of whipped cream, if desired. *Note: I added a little more of each ingredient than I usually do because I wasn't making as many for the photos.
Expert Recipe Tips
- Use high-quality cream cheese. Lower-quality or generic brands can affect both texture and taste-Philadelphia cream cheese yields the best results.
- Avoid using white chocolate chips. They don't melt as smoothly as baking squares and can cause the mixture to seize or clump.
- Cool the berry filling completely before layering. Warm filling can melt the cream cheese layer and make the layers messy or runny.
- Don't overheat the white chocolate. Microwave at 50% power and stir halfway through to prevent burning and ensure smooth melting. And be sure to keep water/moisture away from the chocolate, bowls, and utensils, as contact with water will cause it to seize.
- Soften cream cheese to room temperature. This ensures a smooth, lump-free cheesecake filling when beaten with the other ingredients.
- Drain thawed frozen berries well. Excess liquid can make the filling watery and throw off the texture of the final dessert.
- Press down the crust layer firmly. This creates a solid base for layering and prevents it from mixing with the cream cheese.
- Chill before serving. Refrigerating for at least 1-2 hours helps the cheesecake firm up and improves the flavor and texture.
- Top just before serving. Add fresh berries and whipped cream right before serving to keep them looking and tasting fresh.
- Customize portion sizes with jar size. Use 4-oz jars for smaller portions or 8-oz jars for a full-size dessert, depending on your needs.
👪 Servings
This recipe makes 4 large servings. However, you can half or double the recipe by clicking on the servings, and the amounts will adjust accordingly.
🍽Equipment
You will need some mason jars (affiliate link) for this Saskatoon Cheesecake recipe, as well as an electric mixer (affiliate link).
🌡️Storage
Store this Saskatoon cheesecake in the same jars you make it in with seals and lids for up to 4 days. This recipe does not freeze well.
❔ Recipe FAQs
Yes, this cheesecake can be made up to 24 hours in advance. In fact, allowing it to chill overnight helps the layers set nicely and enhances the flavor.
Absolutely! If you don't have mason jars, you can layer the cheesecake in small dessert glasses, ramekins, stemless wine glasses, or even a mini trifle bowl.
8 oz (half-pint) mason jars work best for this recipe. If you use smaller jars (4 oz), you can stretch the recipe into 6-8 portions instead of 4.
No Bake Saskatoon Berry Cheesecake is the ultimate summer cheesecake! So, if you have Saskatoon berries and you're looking for no bake desserts, then give this a try!
Summer baking when it's hot is not fun, nor is having leftover cheesecake ideal when you're trying to stay on track. That's why no bake cheesecake in a jar is perfect - it's portioned out and you can make it as big or as small as you like. You can even use smaller jars and make more portions. Although once you try this, you'll wish you had more!
For more no bake cheesecakes, check out my No Bake Birthday Cake Cheesecake (with Oreo crust), my No Bake Black Forest Cheesecake, and my Baileys No BakeCheesecake.
📋 More Saskatoon Berry Dessert Recipes!
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📋 No Bake Saskatoon Berry Cheesecake in a Jar Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 oz white chocolate baking squares (melted) **Do NOT use white chocolate chips
- 3 cups light cream cheese *3- 8 oz packages, softened
- ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- 3 cups Saskatoon berry filling * See recipe (https://foodmeanderings.com/saskatoon-berry-pie-filling-and-sauce/)
Crust
- 1 cup chocolate baking crumbs
- 2 ½ tablespoon melted butter or margarine *Measure after melting
Topping (optional)
- fresh Saskatoon berries (optional)
- whipped cream (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Saskatoon Berry filling as per recipe (see NOTES) . Cool.3 cups Saskatoon berry filling
- Mix chocolate baking crumbs and melted butter together in a medium bowl.1 cup chocolate baking crumbs, 2 ½ tablespoon melted butter or margarine
- Melt white chocolate in microwave at ½ (50%) power for about 1 minute and 30 seconds. *See your microwave operating manual for instructions on how to do this with your model. OR melt chocolate with a double boiler.6 oz white chocolate baking squares
- Beat cream cheese, white granulated sugar and melted white chocolate together with an electric mixer.3 cups light cream cheese, ⅓ cup white granulated sugar
- Take ½ cup of Oreo cookie crumb mixture and add to the bottom each jar, dividing evenly by 4 jars.
- Take ½ of the cream cheese mixture and add on top of the Oreo cookie crumb mixture, dividing evenly by 4 jars.
- Add ½ cup of the Saskatoon berry filling to each jar on top of the cream cheese layer.
- Repeat with remaining ½ of ingredients, in same order, dividing evenly by all 4 jars.
Topping
- Top with fresh Saskatoon berries and a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.fresh Saskatoon berries (optional), whipped cream (optional)
Notes
-
- Use high-quality cream cheese. Lower-quality or generic brands can affect both texture and taste-Philadelphia cream cheese yields the best results.
-
- Avoid using white chocolate chips. They don't melt as smoothly as baking squares and can cause the mixture to seize or clump.
-
- Cool the berry filling completely before layering. Warm filling can melt the cream cheese layer and make the layers messy or runny.
-
- Don't overheat the white chocolate. Microwave at 50% power and stir halfway through to prevent burning and ensure smooth melting. And be sure to keep water/moisture away from the chocolate, bowls, and utensils, as contact with water will cause it to seize.
-
- Soften cream cheese to room temperature. This ensures a smooth, lump-free cheesecake filling when beaten with the other ingredients.
-
- Drain thawed frozen berries well. Excess liquid can make the filling watery and throw off the texture of the final dessert.
-
- Press down the crust layer firmly. This creates a solid base for layering and prevents it from mixing with the cream cheese.
-
- Chill before serving. Refrigerating for at least 1-2 hours helps the cheesecake firm up and improves the flavor and texture.
-
- Top just before serving. Add fresh berries and whipped cream right before serving to keep them looking and tasting fresh.
-
- Customize portion sizes with jar size. Use 4-oz jars for smaller portions or 8-oz jars for a full-size dessert, depending on your needs.
Sharon
I would ignore those names on the jars and eat your leftovers!! Hahaha! Sorry but this dessert is too good. I'll take my punishment. 😉
Terri Gilson
haha love it, Sharon! Never thought to do that, but you got that naughty idea in my head now!
Kristen
I can’t wait to make this again, I still have so many Saskatoon berries from our pick day! Thanks again for the recipe!
NANCY
love this no bake dessert. keep myself cool during summer with this delicious treat!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Nancy! Yes, no baking when it's hot if you don't have A/C!
Sabrina
Oh my goodness yum!!! I am a sucker for a no bake cheesecake and this hit the spot. So tasty, thanks!
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sabrina - glad you enjoyed it!
Vanessa
No oven desserts are perfect during this heatwave. My family will love these!
Colleen
We love puttting desserts in mason jars! It's so handy for putting in the picnic cooler, too. I love that this is no bake because it's been sweltering here!
JustineCelina
Another delicious and inventive saskatoon recipe! Beautiful as always, Terri!
stefani
Super easy recipe.
5 star from me.
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Stefani - glad to hear you loved it!
Sue Slaght
I love how easy this looks. How do you think it would be with other berries such as blueberries?
Terri Gilson
Thanks, Sue! I think this dessert would work great with almost any berry!