Apple Cheesecake Parfaits – A No-Bake Treat

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No-Bake Apple Cheesecake Parfaits are the perfect, no-fuss, crowd-pleasing dessert. A creamy, apple-infused cheesecake mixture is topped with nuts, cranberries and caramel. Make ahead and freeze for easy entertaining.

Have I mentioned that I’m in apple butter overload these days? After making A LOT of low-sugar Crock Pot Apple Butter, I realized that this spread  is more than a condiment used to top waffles and toast.

I already had success using it in Cranberry Apple Caramel Popcorn and Stuffing Muffins. The addition of this sweet “butter” in a recipe infuses an apple flavor that’s hard to duplicate. Now that the holidays are in full swing, I decided it was time to incorporate it into a favorite cool treat…no-bake cheesecake.

The Not So Secret No-Bake Cheese Cake Formula

The quickest route to a cheesecake treat is the no-bake one. It’s a lower-calorie choice too. Simply mix 8 ounces of cream cheese, 1/4 cup sugar and 8 ounces of whipped topping and you’ve got the base for so many desserts. Use low-fat ingredients to save a few calories. Mix-in and/or top it with your favorite ingredients, drop it in a graham cracker pie crust and wohoo…you’ve got a pie…that you can make ahead and freeze too!

Or, layer the ingredients into a parfait. I’m a big fan of the trifle because you get all the creamy goodness of cheesecake, but less of the calorie-laden crust. I love a graham cracker crust, but I save that indulgence for the real thing. 🙂

Apple Cheesecake Parfaits

To give the cheesecake mixture a hint of apple flavor, add 1/3 cup of apple butter to the cream cheese mixture. Even though the apple butter is sweet, a little sugar keeps the customary cheesecake flavor, particularly if you’ve used a low-sugar version of apple butter.

To make the parfait, layer dried cranberries, toasted walnuts, crushed graham crackers and more apple butter. For a decadent treat, top it with caramel sauce for caramel apple cheesecake parfaits.

Prepare apple cheesecake parfaits in trendy little mason jars and freeze them. Last minute guests…no problem!

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Apple Cheesecake Parfaits

Apple cheesecake parfaits are layers of creamy, apple-infused cheesecake, nuts, cranberries, graham crackers and caramel. An easy and decadent no-bake dessert.

Servings: 6 servings

Author: Marjory Pilley

Ingredients

• 8 ounces of light cream cheese
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup apple butter
• 8 ounce tub of lite whipped topping
• Optional Toppings
• Toasted walnuts
• Dried cranberries
• Crushed graham crackers
• Apple butter
• Caramel sauce

Instructions

• In a large bowl combine cream cheese, sugar, and 1/3 cup apple butter, using beaters to mix until light and fluffy.
• Stir in whipped topping.
• Spoon or pipe mixture into serving dishes, cups or mason jars.
• Top or layer with nuts, cranberries, crushed graham crackers, apple butter or caramel sauce.
• Allow mixture to set in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours or store in freezer for up to two months.
• If serving from freezer, allow parfaits to defrost in the refrigerator for about 2 hours before serving..

Notes

1) To toast walnuts, spreak walnuts on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, cook in a 350 degree oven for 5-8 minutes or until walnuts become fragrant. 2) To "pipe" cream cheese mixture, fill a plastic bag with cream cheese mixture, cut the tip off one corner of the bag and squeeze the mixture into the serving container.

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