Drudgery, Drama, and Dessert: Cheesecake in a Jar

Last night my girls group made cheesecake in a jar (yes, we are that cool!). The little cheesecakes turned out awesome! Kelly got the idea off of Pinterest which is our newest addiction. I wish I would have kept track of how many times we mentioned something cool that we saw on Pinterest - it was a lot! What can I say? There are such creative things there. So fun! Anyway, you have to try this. Here is the recipe:

Cheesecake in a Jar

24 4 oz. regular mouth jars

2 cups graham cracker crumbs (16 whole graham crackers, ground)

2 Tbs. sugar

8 Tbs. butter, melted

4 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

1 cup sour cream

1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste

zest of 1 lemon

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.

Spray the jelly jars with non-stick cooking spray, making sure to spray the bottoms so the crust doesn't stick.

Blend the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter in a bowl. Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of the crumbs into each jelly jar and tamp down to make the crust.

In a large mixer bowl, mix the room temperature cream cheese with the sugar until smooth. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix well. Add the sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until well incorporated. Fill each jelly jar with about 1/3 cup of the filling, leaving room at the top for your topping.

Place the jars in a large roasting pan or two deep baking dishes. Fill the pan with hot water halfway up the jelly jars. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.