Sometimes individual desserts are so much easier to serve. There’s no cutting or plating required and everything is already prepped. This Mini Cherry Cheesecake Trifle recipe makes delicious individual desserts to enjoy. With layers of cherry pie filling, creamy cheesecake and graham cracker crumbs, every bite is irresistible. The best part? You can prep these beforehand and not worry about baking anything.

Trifles are one of my favorite desserts to make. The layers look so pretty and individual trifles are great to prepare ahed of time. Every spoonful has a bit of each layer to enjoy. So all of the flavors compliment each other with a harmonious end result. If you love cherry pie and you love cheesecake, this is the ultimate fusion dessert to try.

Looking for even more trifle dessert options? My Mini Apple Pie Trifle is great during the fall season. Easter is all about this Easter Trifle featuring bunnies. During strawberry season, I always make this Boozy Strawberry trifle! There’s a trifle for every occasion and season.

Tips For Making Mini Cherry Cheesecake Trifle

For this recipe, you’ll need plastic 9-ounce punch cups. An alternative could be individual mason jars. To make the cheesecake filling, use an electric mixer to ensure the filling is smooth and creamy. Those are the biggest tools you’ll need to make the trifles. Everything else is basic.

When To Make Cherry Cheesecake Trifle

Since you aren’t using fresh cherries, you can make this dessert any time of the year. I love it during the spring and summertime when it’s BBQ season. Have these Mini Cherry Cheesecake Trifle desserts ready to be served, waiting in your refrigerator. You can make them up to 24 hours ahead of time, before serving.

How To Store Leftover Trifle

Keep any leftovers in the refrigerator, because of the cream cheese filling. Add plastic wrap on the top of each cup and store it in the fridge. For best freshness, enjoy within 3-4 days of making the dessert. I eat it chilled, straight from the refrigerator. However, you can let it come to room temperature if preferred.

Can You Freeze Dessert Trifles?

I do no recommend freezing the trifle. Dessert trifles hold onto a lot of moisture with the fillings. That moisture thaws and causes extra liquid in the dessert. The original texture is lost and it ends up being a soggy mess. Do not freeze them!

Recipe Substitutions To Try

This recipe can be made with other pie fillings instead of cherries, such as blueberry, peach, or lemon. You can make the graham cracker layer and the cheesecake layer, then offer different flavors other than the cherry. That’s a lot of fun if you are serving a crowd and want to offer different flavors. Plus, it’s not much extra work on your end.

What You Need From The Grocery Store:

• Crushed Graham Cracker Crumbs
• Granulated Sugar
• Butter
• Cream Cheese
• Sweetened Condensed Milk
• Lemon Juice
• Vanilla Extract
• Cherry Pie Filling

Step-By-Step Directions To Make Mini Cherry Cheesecake Trifle

In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, granulated sugar, and melted butter; set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in the sweetened condensed milk until combined. Add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and vanilla extract and stir well.

Set 6 plastic 9-ounce punch cups on the counter or a cookie sheet. Scoop 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumb mixture into the bottom of each cup and press down lightly.

Add 3 tablespoons of the cheesecake mixture to each cup and spread out evenly. 

Next, evenly distribute half of the cherry pie filling between the 6 cups, reserving the other half of the pie filling for another layer.

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker crumb mixture over the cherry layer. 

Divide the remaining cheesecake mixture between the 6 cups and spread out evenly.

Divide the reserved cherry pie filling evenly between the 6 cups, then sprinkle the top with a little graham cracker crumb mixture. Serve immediately or chill for up to 24 hours before serving.