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Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits

VGVegetarian

By Danae

on May 11, 2016, Updated Aug 23, 2024

4.54 from 30 votes

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Layers of graham crackers, creamy no bake vanilla cheesecake and tart lemon curd are the perfect combination of flavors in these Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits!

I can’t believe a whole year has already gone by and tomorrow I’ll be saying goodbye to being 31 and hello to 32. Yep, tomorrow’s my birthday so it’s only appropriate that I made dessert to celebrate. Aside from a giant bowl of ice cream, lemon desserts and cheesecake rank pretty high for me. I couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate my “me” day than with one of these Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits!

I think it’s funny how the older we get the harder it is to come up with a birthday wish list. When I was young my list was about a page long and took about 30 seconds to come up with, now it’s hard for me to even come up with one or two things. It drives my husband crazy, but sometimes I secretly think to myself that he should know me well enough by now to come up with something on his own.

I still can’t believe I’ll be 32 this year. I don’t feel like I’m 32, that is until I see kids in high school and think they look like they’re 12 or hear a song or watch a movie and realize it was made 15 years ago. How does that even happen! I actually get excited now when I go to a restaurant or the liquor store and get carded, hell yeah! I’m looking young today! In reality 32 isn’t that old, but just let me have my moment, I’m sure it will pass by Friday.

Enough talk about age, let’s talk about the best part of birthdays, the dessert! I have several recipes for cheesecake parfaits on my blog, but these Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits might be my favorite. I absolutely love anything with lemon and especially lemon curd. I love that tart flavor that almost makes you pucker up when it hits your tongue. That tartness paired with the smooth, creamy, vanilla cheesecake is one of my favorite flavor combinations. When your spoon goes down into one of these parfaits and you get a little bit of each layer, it’s seriously a magical bite and you’ll light up with happiness inside! Now who can say no to a dessert like that? Enjoy!

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4.54 from 30 votes

Lemon Curd and Vanilla Cheesecake Parfaits

By Danae Halliday

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 8 minutes mins

Additional Time: 2 hours hrs

Total: 2 hours hrs 23 minutes mins

Servings: 5 servings

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Ingredients 

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Lemon Curd

• ▢ 1/2 cup granulated sugar use 2/3 cup if you want it less tart.
• ▢ 2 eggs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• ▢ 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• ▢ 1/4 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract optional
• ▢ 2 teaspoons cold butter cut into small pieces

Cheesecake

• ▢ 12 ounces plain non-fat Greek yogurt
• ▢ 4 ounces low-fat fat cream cheese softened
• ▢ 3 tablespoons granulated sugar more or less depending on desired sweetness
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
• ▢ 6 graham crackers crushed
• ▢ Whipped cream for topping the parfaits

Instructions 

Lemon Curd

• Combine the sugar, lemon zest and eggs in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a whisk. Cook until sugar dissolves and the mixture turns light in color (about 2-3 minutes).
• Stir in lemon juice and cook for about 5 minutes or until mixture thinly coats the back of a spoon, stirring constantly with a whisk.
• Remove from the heat and whisk in the cold butter and vanilla bean paste or extract. Strain the curd for a smoother texture. Cool the lemon curd before covering and chilling in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Vanilla Cheesecake

• In the bowl of a mixer with the whisk attachment or using a handheld mixer, whisk together the softened cream cheese, yogurt, sugar and vanilla on medium-high speed until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Assembling the Parfaits

• Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumbs into five jars, glasses or bowls.
• Layer equal amounts of the vanilla cheesecake and lemon curd into the jars. Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Top with whipped cream before serving.

Notes

• Both the lemon curd and cheesecake can be made a couple days in advance to save time.
• To save time buy store bought lemon curd.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 360kcalCarbohydrates: 48gProtein: 12gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 105mgSodium: 220mgFiber: 1gSugar: 36g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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