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It’s no surprise that I love making cottage cheesecake jars—they’ve become one of my signature creations. It all started back in January 2024 with my classic cheesecake jars, which quickly took the internet by storm. People loved them for good reason: they’re incredibly simple to make, requiring just two ingredients for the base, yet they taste remarkably similar to traditional cheesecake.

The sweet creaminess of the cottage cheese base pairs perfectly with the tartness of the cranberries, creating the ultimate bite every time. To make these jars feel extra indulgent for the holidays (because you deserve it), I added a Biscoff cookie crust. Trust me, you don’t want to skip it! If you prefer a lighter option, you can swap the base for granola, nuts, or even breakfast cookies—check out my other flavors for more ideas. Whether you’re looking for a festive treat or a nourishing dessert, I hope you give these a try.

What You Need to Make Cranberry Cottage Cheesecake Jars

These are the main ingredients and substitutions for No Bake Cranberry Cheesecake Cups. Scroll down to the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and instructions.

• Cottage Cheese: The perfect creamy base for no-bake cheesecake cups, offering a smooth texture and a subtle flavor that pairs beautifully with a variety of toppings. Its versatility makes it an excellent choice for creating desserts that feel indulgent without being overly heavy. I like good culture the best!
• Plain Greek Yogurt: Adds a rich, creamy texture and the signature tang reminiscent of cream cheese, making it a perfect addition to no-bake cheesecake cups. I typically use plain yogurt from Greek Gods Yogurt, but vanilla would work too!
• Maple syrup: Keeps this recipe free from refined sugars and adds the perfectly amount of sweetness. Feel free to use honey, agave or even just sugar like cane sugar or coconut sugar instead!
• Vanilla Bean Paste: Adds even more flavor than vanilla extracts (in my opinion), plus I just love to see those vanilla beans in each bite. Makes it feel a little more special!
• Biscoff Cookies: Makes this recipe feel a bit more indulgent and special for the holidays! I love how the sweet cookie butter base blend with the rest of the ingredients. But feel free to use graham crackers, nuts, or granola instead.
• Cranberry sauce: I make my own homemade sauce that comes together with cranberries, orange juice, coconut sugar and some spices. It’s really so delicious- i’ll leave the recipe down below!

How to Make No Bake Cheesecake

If you don’t have any leftover cranberry sauce from the holidays then you’ll need to start there. But don’t worry, it’s rather easy and comes together in about 10 minutes. Simply add all the ingredients into a saucepan and heat until the berries popped and you have a thicken mixture. Let it cool completely as you want this mixture to be cold and not warm.

When ready, add the greek yogurt, cottage cheese, maple syrup and vanilla to a food processor and blend for 10 seconds! Be really careful here as you don’t want to over blend your mixture and create a soupy texture. Pop this in the fridge to set while you make the base.

Place the biscoff cookies to a blender, or just pop them in a baggie and crush them down until you have a fine powder. Add the crushed cookies to the bottom of each jar for the base and set aside.

Pour the cheesecake mixture on top of the crust, followed by the cranberry sauce and then more cheesecake filling. You can stop there or you can garnish them with some frosted cranberries to make them feel extra special.

How do you make frosted Cranberries?

Frosted cranberries are surprisingly simple to make and add a festive touch to any dessert or snack. Start by combining equal parts water and cane sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer.

Remove the pan from the heat, then gently stir in the cranberries, ensuring each one is coated in the syrup. Be careful not to leave the cranberries in the hot mixture for too long, as they can become mushy. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the coated cranberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading them out in a single layer with space between each berry. Let them dry for about 30 minutes.

Once the cranberries are dry, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle with cane sugar. Gently toss them to ensure they are evenly coated, resulting in a frosty, sparkling effect. These cranberries can be stored in an airtight container and are best enjoyed within a few days at room temperature or up to one week when refrigerated. They make a beautiful and tasty garnish for cakes, cocktails, or holiday treats!

A Few Tips For Making these Mini Cheesecakes Jars

• Go easy when pulsing: I already mentioned this, but it’s so important that it bears repeating! Only pulse the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt mixture for about 10 seconds. Any more, and you’ll end up with an overly liquidy dessert.
• Adjust the sweetness to your preference: I use a bit of maple syrup as a sweetener for my mini cranberry cheesecake recipe. I suggest starting with 1/4 cup, then taste the filling before adding more.
• Feel free to use any fruit: If you don’t have any cranberry sauce on hand, and you don’t want to make it from scratch, use store-bought instead or just swap for any other fruit!

Other Recipes You May Like:

• Cottage Cheese Cheesecake Jars
• Lemon Cheesecake Jars
• Pumpkin Cheesecake Jars
• No Bake Cheesecake in a Jar
• Peach Cheesecake Jars

If you make these Cranberry Cottage Cheesecake Jars, I would really appreciate a comment and rating down below the recipe card. Don’t forget to take a picture and tag me over on Instagram, Tiktok, or Pinterest!

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Cranberry Cottage Cheesecake Jars

5 from 2 ratings

Hannah Kling

Indulge in the perfect blend of creamy and tangy with my Cranberry Cottage Cheesecake Jars, made with a velvety mixture of Greek yogurt and cottage cheese, whipped together for a light base. Topped with vibrant sweet and tart homemade cranberry sauce!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4 (8oz) Cheesecake Jars

Ingredients  

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Cheesecake Jars

• 1 cup cottage cheese
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
• 16 biscoff cookies (crushed)
• 1/2 cup cranberry sauce

Cranberry Sauce

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice

Frosted Cranberries

• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1 cup water
• 1.5 cups cane sugar (divided)

Instructions

Cheesecake Jars

• Start by making the cranberry sauce. Add fresh cranberries, orange juice, coconut sugar and lemon juice to a saucepan. Heat over medium low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes or until berries have popped and mixture is thick. Set aside to cool.
• Next, make the crust. In a food processor, add in the biscoff cookies and process until there are no more clumps left. Pour into a separate bowl and set aside.
• Clean out your food processor and then add the cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, and vanilla bean paste, and process for 10 seconds — don’t over-process or you’ll get a watery texture!
• Assemble the no bake cheesecake cups. Add the biscoff crust to the bottom of each small mason jar and use a spoon to press down on the crust to mend to the jar.
• Top with the cheesecake mixture, then the cranberry sauce and then more cheesecake mixture. Garnish with frosted cranberries and a rosemary sprig. Enjoy!

Frosted Cranberries

• Start by combining equal parts water and cane sugar in a saucepan over low heat, stirring until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture begins to simmer. Remove the pan from the heat
• Gently stir in the cranberries, ensuring each one is coated in the syrup. Be careful not to leave the cranberries in the hot mixture for too long, as they can become mushy.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the coated cranberries to a parchment-lined baking sheet, spreading them out in a single layer with space between each berry. Let them dry for about 30 minutes.
• Once the cranberries are dry, transfer them to a bowl and sprinkle with cane sugar. Gently toss them to ensure they are evenly coated.

Equipment

8oz mason jars

Notes

• Go easy when pulsing: I already mentioned this, but it’s so important that it bears repeating! Only pulse the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt mixture for about 10 seconds. Any more, and you’ll end up with an overly liquidy dessert.
• Adjust the sweetness to your preference: I use a bit of maple syrup as a sweetener for my mini cranberry cheesecake recipe. I suggest starting with 1/4 cup, then taste the filling before adding more.
• Feel free to use any fruit: If you don’t have any cranberry sauce on hand, and you don’t want to make it from scratch, use store-bought instead or just swap for any other fruit!

Did you make this recipe?Don’t forget to tag @lovelydelites across all social media platforms!