Fun and festive Patriotic Cheesecake Parfaits made with fresh strawberries, blueberry sauce, and goat cheese-based cheesecake are perfect for the 4th of July or any summer party.
One of my favorite 4th of Julys was when I was about 20. I went to a carnival with a group of girls and we packed a cooler with food and drinks to take with us to watch the fireworks at a local town park.
It seemed like the epitome of summer fun.
That is, until two of the girls just up and decided that they suddenly hated each other and couldn’t stand to be in each other’s company for even another minute. Of course we all came in one car, so that was a bit of a problem. We ended up staying the night as planned, but I remember those two slinging a few sideways comments and idle threats at each other throughout the night.
At one point, I had to laugh when Angry Girl 1 took two other girls with her and fast-paced it to the car, leaving me with just Angry Girl 2 to carry the very heavy cooler and several bags. Angry Girl 2 happened to be my workout buddy and she happened to know that her now-mortal enemy, Angry Girl 1, didn’t workout. When I complained that the cooler was heavy and we could use a little help, Angry Girl 2 said (loud enough for Angry Girl 1 to hear), “It’s ok…at least we workout…we got this!” That elicited a withering look from Angry Girl 1 to Angry Girl 2, and a good chuckle for the rest of us.
It might sound like a spoiled evening, but in reality, it provided some funny memories of girls being girls, as they are prone to do. If only every Independence Day were so amusing.
If you’re looking for something red, white, and blue and just a little different to serve for your 4th of July party, my Patriotic Cheesecake Parfaits are perfect. I used goat cheese in this recipe because I had it on hand, but you could use 8 oz of cream cheese instead for a mellower flavor with less tang. I happen to like that twinge of tang, but it is definitely more of an adult flavor, so if you’re making this for kids too, using cream cheese instead is definitely something to think about.
Cheers to a lovely patriotic dessert!
Here are a few more red, white, and blue desserts for your 4th of July party:
All American Berry Buttermilk Shortcake from Boulder Locavore
Birthday Cake Pie with Chocolate Mousse and Berries from FoodieCrush
Fruit Pops from Bakers Royale
Red, White, and Blue Double Berry Coconut Pops from An Edible Mosaic
Red, White, and Blue Jello Stars from Fake Ginger
- Cheesecake Layer:
- ½ teaspoon gelatin dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
- 3 tablespoons boiling water
- 6 tablespoons heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
- 8 oz (225 g) goat cheese (see Note)
- 6 tablespoons milk
- 4 tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Blueberry Sauce:
- ½ teaspoon gelatin dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water
- 3 tablespoons boiling water
- 1 cup (140 g) frozen blueberries
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1 pinch sea salt
- Other:
- 1 cup whole strawberries, washed, hulled, and chopped
- For the cheesecake layer, add the gelatin and cold water to a small bowl and swirl it around; let it sit until the gelatin absorbs the water, about 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Cool to room temperature.
- Whip the cream to soft peaks and set aside.
- Whip together the goat cheese, milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl. Once the gelatin mixture is cooled, whip it into the goat cheese mixture. Fold in the whipped cream ⅓ at a time. Cover and refrigerate until slightly chilled and starting to set, about 30 minutes, whisking it every 10 minutes. Once chilled, use a handheld electric mixer to beat until the mixture is very thick and you can see the trail of beaters as it whips.
- For the blueberry layer, add the gelatin and cold water to a small bowl and swirl it around; let it sit until the gelatin absorbs the water, about 2 minutes. Add the boiling water and stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved.
- Add the blueberries, 2 tablespoons water, powdered sugar, and salt to a small/medium saucepan. Cover the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, then add the gelatin mixture and continue boiling (uncovered) for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
- Layer the cheesecake, blueberry sauce, and strawberries into 6 (5 fluid ounce) juice glasses. (I add a layer of cheesecake on the bottom, then a layer of blueberry sauce, and then a layer of strawberries and repeat this one time.)
- Serve chilled.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
Rosa says
June 29, 2015 at 7:08 amThey look divine and wonderfully summery!
Cheers,
Rosa
Becky Winkler (A Calculated Whisk) says
June 29, 2015 at 9:36 amI love the idea of using goat cheese here! I’ve been trying to think what I should make for dessert on the 4th and I think I just figured it out.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
June 29, 2015 at 3:53 pmYes, girls will be girls. :) My best friend and I have taken turns being Angry Girls now and then for the whole 30(!) years that we’ve been best friends.
I know you said that cream cheese would work here, but I love that you used goat’s cheese. I think it’s wonderful in sweet preparations as well as savory. This looks like the perfect way to celebrate Independence Day to me!
Happy Valley Chow says
June 29, 2015 at 4:39 pmWow what a beautiful treat! Definitely bookmarking and giving this a try. Great job :)
Happy Blogging!
Happy Valley Chow
Laura (Tutti Dolci) says
June 29, 2015 at 6:56 pmSuch pretty parfaits, the layers are just perfect for the 4th!
Erica says
June 29, 2015 at 7:44 pmThey are so beautiful! And that story is hilarious. Oh girls…
Kevin | keviniscooking says
June 30, 2015 at 2:10 pmThese are beauties and I love the goat cheese here. It is indeed a perfect Summer dessert and I think I might add a little granola in the layers, too. Thanks!
Joanne says
July 4, 2015 at 2:25 pmOh tweenage girls…never a dull moment, is there? At least you can look back and laugh about it now! I am all sorts of in love with goat cheese cheesecakes at the moment AND berries…so this would hit the spot!