Fluffy cheesecake mousse is layered between salted caramel sauce and a brown sugar graham cracker crust to make this No Bake Caramel Cheesecake Mousse. I could not resist these little jars once they were stashed in the refrigerator. I worked my way through one of the jars, a tiny taste at a time as I waited through the day to serve them at night.
This is the best no-bake cheesecake dessert I’ve ever tasted. The cheesecake mousse layer is super fluffy and not at all heavy. As a result, the crumbs do not absorb the moisture from the cheesecake, allowing them to remain crisp and chewy.
I’ve served this layered into cute little jars, in fancy glasses, or layered into a larger family-style casserole dish or trifle bowl. This recipe was the result when I was craving cheesecake on a day when I lacked any motivation to actually bake one. I saw the cream next to the cream cheese in the refrigerator and one thing led to another. The whole family loved the way this dessert turned out.
No Bake Caramel Cheesecake Mousse
Ingredients
- 16 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup caramel sauce warm enough to pour, but not hot
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs about 10 crackers worth
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
Instructions
- Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, brown sugar and butter. Set aside. Cream together the cream cheese and the sugar until smooth. Slowly add the cream, mixing until well combined. Stir in the lemon juice and vanilla. Set out 4-6 small jars and scoop 2-3 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture into each jar. Press the crumbs down to form the bottom crust. You'll want to use about 2/3 of the crumb mixture for the bottom layers.
- Scoop about half of the cheesecake filling into each jar and spread it across the crumb layer. Drizzle a tablespoon or so of caramel over the filling and then scoop another layer of cheesecake on top of the caramel. Top with another drizzle of caramel and sprinkle with the remaining graham cracker crumbs. Chill for an hour or overnight before serving. Enjoy!
{originally posted 11/8/2013 – recipe notes and photos updated 1/17/2017}
Here are some more cheesecake recipes you might like:
Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries by Spend with Pennies
Turtle Cheesecake by Barefeet In The Kitchen
Miniature Cheesecakes by Love From The Oven
Death by Chocolate Cheesecake by Layers of Happiness
The Ultimate Lemon Cheesecake by Barefeet In The Kitchen
Raspberry Cheesecake by Tide and Thyme
Jenn S says
Oooohhhh.. this looks so great.. and I love that you can throw it together and not have to wait for it to bake… I have no patience for delicious foods these days, I just want to eat 🙂 lol
Mallory @ Because I Like Chocolate says
No-bake cheesecake is a go-to dessert for me. So easy, but so worth it! Especially when there is caramel involved!
Tricia Buice says
What's not to love about this dessert! Bravo Mary! It is also pretty, exceptionally, beautiful!
Ashley @ Wishes and Dishes says
Love this! I'm gonna schedule it to post on my facebook page while i'm gone on vacation 🙂
Anonymous says
Looks so yummy and easy. What size jar and how long will it last in the refrigerator? Thanks
Mary says
You can layer it into any size jar you'd like. I used half pint jars and they were honestly a bit large. This would work well in parfait glasses or wine glasses as well and it would look pretty!
Miranda says
I made these for thanksgiving and they were outrageously good
Barbara says
I made this. I am officially addicted to it and it was pretty impressive looking. Thanks for making me look good!
Kathryn|SlowRecipes says
No Bake Caramel Cheesacake Mousse is the unique and nice Idea These are beautiful! 🙂 I love lemon cheesecake and I just love the raspberries on top! I made bake cheesecake recently, but going to have try these a no baked ones 🙂 I can see why they weren’t safe in the freezer!
Anonymous says
This was delicious, made it last night. Yum yum. Will definitely do it again.
amie says
can i make the night before?
Mary says
Yes, these will hold nicely for a day in the refrigerator.
Dotti says
This looks amazing!
Amy McCord says
Made this last week for a family get together…everyone love it, but no one could finish one by themselves, so we shared. Just made it again today, but substituted fresh macerated strawberries for the caramel sauce. AWESOME! I can’t decide which one I like better. I will continue to experiment with different fruits/toppings, but one thing’s for sure, the cheesecake mousse filling is out of this world! Thanks for such a great and versatile recipe!
Faith says
These are such pretty little treats! I love your presentation too, the layers are gorgeous. This would be perfect for a holiday dessert table!
Bonnie says
Is the lemon necessary for the recipe, or can it be omitted? Thanks.
Mary says
The lemon adds a lovely tang to the cheesecake, but it is not required in order for the recipe to work.
Monica says
Made these for EASTER but used Gluten Free Gram Crackers. These were a HUGE HIT!!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so happy to hear it, Monica!