These easy strawberry shortcake cheesecake jars are everything you love about the classic dessert – sweet, juicy berries, fluffy vanilla cake, and rich creamy whipped cheesecake filling – layered into fun, portable portions perfect for parties, picnics, or make-ahead treats.
If you’re craving a fresh strawberry dessert that’s easy to prep but looks like you spent hours in the kitchen—these cheesecake jars will be your new go-to!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Shortcake Cups/Jars Recipe
Fresh, fruity, and indulgent – Layers of juicy, glazed strawberries and whipped cheesecake cream that’s light, sweet, and oh-so-satisfying.
A layered twist on a nostalgic favorite – this dessert recreates traditional strawberry shortcake into beautiful, single-serve portions..
Portable and picnic-ready – served in mason jars, they’re portable, pretty, and mess-free.
Quick and easy – using a vanilla box mix delivers consistent, soft cake cubes with minimal effort, letting you focus on layering, presentation and hosting (or just eating!)
Perfect for make-ahead entertaining – these cups can be fully assembled a few hours in advance and stored in the fridge, making them ideal desserts for busy hosts.
Strawberry Shortcake Cups/Jars Ingredients
Cake
- Vanilla Box Mix + Ingredients (oil, eggs)
- Strawberries & Glaze:
- 4 cups strawberries, sliced
- ½ cup strawberry Glaze
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
Cream
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces whipped topping
More quick treats here:
- Quick & Easy Apple Snacks – Healthy & Kid Friendly
- Easy to Make Cream Cheese Snacks
- Frozen Banana Bites
- Chocolate Candy Cane Hearts
How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Jars
Mix any vanilla box mix and its specified ingredients in a bowl. Bake for the designated time in a square 9×11-inch pan.
Once removed from the oven, let it cool for 20 minutes.
While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese and cream mixture.
Beat the cream cheese for a couple of minutes until it has slightly lightened in color. Add the 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar and blend with a hand mixer.
Mix the cold whipped topping with the cream cheese mixture until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Next, slice the strawberries into thin pieces.
Add the white sugar to the strawberries and stir together. Let it sit to create a bit of syrup for 4 minutes.
Then add the strawberry glaze and coat the strawberries thoroughly. Set aside.
Once the cake has cooled, cut the vanilla cake into small cubes.
Now it’s time to assemble the strawberry shortcakes in the mason jars.
Fill the bottom of each mason jar with a large spoonful of the whipped cream cheese.
Top that with some of the strawberries and glaze.
Continue the next layer with several cake cubes.
Repeat this process until your mason jars are full.
Serve and enjoy!
Storage Instructions For Strawberry Shortcake Cups/Jars
To keep your strawberry shortcake jars fresh and creamy for longer, follow these simple storage tips:
In The Fridge
The longer these strawberry shortcake jars are assembled, the more the cake cubes will absorb the strawberry syrup and soften. So for best texture, they’re best enjoyed freshly assembled or up to 2 hours after.
To prep ahead, make the cake, prep the berries and mix up the cheesecake cream and refrigerate each separately. Then assemble a few hours before serving.
The fresh strawberries and whipped topping don’t freeze well and may become watery or grainy after thawing.
Check out these strawberry recipes too:
- Fresh Strawberry Loaf Cake (With Yogurt & Oil)
- No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Cups
- Easy & Decadent Strawberry Chocolate Milkshake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Topped Cinnamon Rolls
- Decadent Strawberry Crepe Cake Recipe
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cookies with Freeze Dried Strawberries
- Easy Homemade Strawberry Cheesecake Tacos
Easy Cake Mix Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Jars
Equipment
- Mason Jars
- 9×11 inch pan
- Hand Mixer
Ingredients
Cake
- Vanilla Box Mix + Ingredients oil, eggs
Strawberries & Glaze
- 4 cups strawberries sliced
- ½ cup strawberry Glaze
- ½ cup white granulated sugar
Cream
- 6 ounces cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces whipped topping
Instructions
Make the cake
- Mix any vanilla box mix and its specified ingredients in a bowl. Bake for the designated time in a square 9×11-inch pan.
- Once removed from the oven, let it cool for 20 minutes.
Prepare the cream
- While the cake is baking, make the cream cheese and cream mixture.
- Beat the cream cheese for a couple of minutes until it has slightly lightened in color. Add the 1 ½ cups of powdered sugar and blend with a hand mixer.
- Mix the cold whipped topping with the cream cheese mixture until combined. Set aside in the refrigerator.
Mix the strawberry glaze
- Next, slice the strawberries into thin pieces.
- Add the white sugar to the strawberries and stir together. Let it sit to create a bit of syrup for 4 minutes.
- Then add the strawberry glaze and coat the strawberries thoroughly. Set aside.
- Once the cake has cooled, cut the vanilla cake into small cubes.
Assemble in the jars
- Now it’s time to assemble the strawberry shortcakes in the mason jars.
- Fill the bottom of each mason jar with a large spoonful of the whipped cream cheese.
- Top that with some of the strawberries and glaze.
- Continue the next layer with several cake cubes.
- Repeat this process until your mason jars are full.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
The longer these strawberry shortcake jars are assembled, the more the cake cubes will absorb the strawberry syrup and soften. So for best texture, they’re best enjoyed freshly assembled or up to 2 hours after. To prep ahead, make the cake, prep the berries and mix up the cheesecake cream and refrigerate each separately. Then assemble a few hours before serving. The fresh strawberries and whipped topping don’t freeze well and may become watery or grainy after thawing.
