A Little Bit of Everything
If you’re looking for a recipe that’s dressed to impress this Valentine’s Day, then these Strawberry Guava Cheesecake Parfaits are for you! Not only is this dessert visually stunning, but also extremely delicious. And if you’re just looking for a delicious dessert recipe, then you’re also in luck. No matter what the occasion or season, these Strawberry Guava Cheesecake Parfaits are guaranteed to be a hit. It has layers of graham cracker crumble, a creamy cheesecake filling, and juicy strawberries macerated in guava jam. This recipe has all the elements of a cheesecake but is layered in a glass so you can see the different colors and textures of each component. With each bite you get a bit of crunch, sweetness, tartness, creaminess, and freshness.
Layers on Layers
A Sweet Buttery Crunch
Starting with our graham cracker crumble, we’re going to add the graham crackers to a resealable plastic bag. Then it’s time for you to destress! Use a rolling pin to smash the graham crackers into small crumbles. They don’t have to be finely ground — the smaller chunks will add some texture. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a bowl then add in cold diced butter. Use your fingertips to pinch the pieces of butter, working it into the dry ingredients. It should have the texture of wet sand and create small crumbles. Spread it onto a baking sheet and bake it in the oven until golden brown. When you remove it from the oven, use a rubber spatula to break apart the larger crumbles that have baked together. Allow it to cool to room temperature.
Macerate Your Berries!
Next up is the strawberry and guava! Dice the strawberries then mix it together with the guava jam, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. This process is called maceration. Maceration is when you soak food in a liquid to soften it. In this case, the guava jam, lemon zest, and lemon juice are going to enhance all the natural flavors of the strawberries and make them taste sweet and juicy. The strawberry and guava are great for this dessert because they add freshness and tartness, which cut through the fat of the cream.
Light and Airy
Lastly, we have our cheesecake filling. One of the best parts about these Strawberry Guava Cheesecake Parfaits is that you get all the classic cheesecake flavors without having to wait all that time for the cheesecake to bake and cool. Beat the cream cheese, a bit of heavy cream, sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice together in a bowl. Then whip heavy cream, sugar, and sour cream together until you get soft peaks. Gently fold half of the whipped cream into the cheesecake mixture. Once that has been incorporated, fold in the remaining whipped cream. You want to work gently to keep the filling light and airy.
The Perfect Bite
Now that all of our components are ready, it’s time to assemble! Like a regular cheesecake, we start with a base. Spoon a layer of the graham cracker crumble into your serving glasses. Then add some of the cheesecake filling on top and spread it into an even layer. Another easy way to add on the cheesecake filling is to transfer it into a piping bag, cut a large hole, and pipe it on top. Using the piping method is helpful for creating a cleaner layer without any smears on the walls of the glass. Then spoon the strawberry guava on top. Make sure to get some of the syrup because it had all of the guava flavor and looks beautiful when it marbles with the cheesecake filling.
If you want to make mini parfaits, you can use smaller glasses and stop here. Otherwise, add on another layer of graham cracker crumble, cheesecake filling, and strawberry guava. Transfer them to the fridge to chill. When you’re ready to serve, garnish the parfaits with mint leaves and enjoy! These Strawberry Guava Cheesecake Parfaits are a dessert you do not want to miss out on. It is such a gorgeous dessert because you can see all the different layers through the glass. And because the components are layered, you get the perfect bite with every spoonful. The crunch from the crumble, the creaminess from the cheesecake filling, and the sweetness and tartness from the strawberry guava. I would love it if you tried this recipe out and let me know what you thought of it in the comments below!
Looking for more Valentine’s Day inspiration? Check of these recipes:
Valentine’s Day Special K Cereal Bars
Red Wine Chocolate Donuts with a Whipped Ganache
Strawberry Guava Cheesecake Parfaits
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crumble
- 6-7 Sheets of Graham Crackers
- 1/3 cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 3 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Kosher Salt
- 5 Tbsp Cold Unsalted Butter (diced)
For the Strawberry and Guava
- 1 lb. Strawberries (destemmed and diced)
- 1/2 cup Guava Jam or Jelly
- 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- Zest from 1 Lemon
- Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
For the Cheesecake Filling
- 12 (oz.) Cream Cheese (at room temperature)
- 3/4 cup + 2 1/2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
- 6 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
- 3 Tbsp Sour Cream
- Mint Leaves (for garnish)
Instructions
For the Graham Cracker Crumble
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.
- Break the graham cracker sheets into smaller pieces then place them into a resealable plastic bag and seal the opening. Use a rolling pin to crush the graham crackers into small crumbs. It doesn't all have to be finely ground. Alternatively, you can add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse until you get small crumbs.
- Measure out 1 cup of the graham cracker crumbs and pour it into a large bowl. Add in the all purpose flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, and kosher salt. Mix until the ingredients are evenly combined. Then add in the diced cold unsalted butter. Use the tips of your fingers to work the pieces of butter into the dough. Your should end up with small crumbles with the texture of wet sand.
- Pour the graham cracker crumble on the prepared baking sheet. Spread it out into an even layer then bake it in the oven for 12-15 minutes until it looks toasted and golden brown. Remove it from the oven then use a rubble spatula to break apart the larger crumble pieces that have baked together. Set it aside to cool completely.
For the Strawberry and Guava
- Add all of the ingredients into a bowl. Mix until combined then place it in the fridge to macerate for at least 30 minutes.
For the Cheesecake Filling
- In a large bowl, add in the cream cheese, 2 1/2 Tbsp of heavy cream, 4 Tbsp of granulated sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Mix until combined and fluffy.
- Add the remaining 3/4 cup of heavy cream, remaining 2 Tbsp of granulated sugar, and sour cream to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until you get soft peaks. Add half of the whipped cream into the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese. Then fold in the remaining half of whipped cream.
To Assemble the Parfaits
- Spoon a layer of the graham cracker crumbles into the bottom of the parfait glasses. Then spoon a layer of the cream cheese filling on top of the graham cracker crumbles. For cleaner plating, you can transfer the cheesecake filling into a piping bag. Cut a large hole at the tip and pipe the filling on top. Then spoon a layer of the strawberry guava on top, making sure to get some of the syrup as well. Repeat this process again to add a second layer. Place the parfaits in the fridge to chill until ready to serve. Garnish with mint leaves and enjoy!
- This will make about 4-5 large parfaits with 2 layers of each component. To make 8-10 small parfaits, use smaller parfait glasses and only add 1 layer of the graham cracker crumbles, cheesecake filling, and strawberry guava.
