Motichoor Ladoo Cheesecake Jars (No Bake)
Individual no-bake jars with crumbled motichoor ladoo and cardamom-saffron cheesecake mousse. Party-ready in about 30 minutes using store-bought ladoos.
Ingredients
For the ladoo layers
- 8 medium motichoor ladoo store-bought; about 1 per jar
- 2 tbsp pistachios finely chopped, for garnish
- edible silver leaf (vark), optional
- 8 tiny whole motichoor ladoo optional, for topping
For the cheesecake mousse
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese 226 g; brick style, room temperature
- ½ cup powdered sugar 60 g; sifted if lumpy
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream 120 ml; cold
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- 10 to 12 strands saffron
- 1 tbsp warm milk whole or 2%
Instructions
Bloom the saffron
- Crush saffron lightly between your fingers. Stir into warm milk and let sit at least 5 minutes until the milk turns deep yellow.
Whip the cream
- In a cold bowl, beat heavy cream on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 3 to 4 minutes. Do not overbeat. Transfer to another bowl and refrigerate.
Make the cheesecake mousse
- Beat room-temperature cream cheese on medium-high until completely smooth, scraping the bowl so no lumps remain.
- Add powdered sugar, cardamom, and saffron milk. Beat until fluffy and pale, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Fold in whipped cream in three additions with a spatula, turning gently from the bottom up until no streaks remain.
Prep the ladoos
- Break motichoor ladoos apart with a fork or clean fingers into coarse crumbs. Pea-sized pieces are fine.
Layer the jars
- Spoon about 1½ to 2 tablespoons crumbled ladoo into the bottom of each cup. Press lightly with the back of a spoon.
- Add a layer of cheesecake mousse about ½ inch thick. Top with another thin layer of ladoo crumbs, then a final layer of mousse.
- Garnish with chopped pistachios, a small rolled ladoo, or silver leaf if using.
Chill and serve
- Cover jars loosely and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, preferably 1 hour, before serving.
Notes
Soften cream cheese at room temperature 20 to 30 minutes before beating. Cold bricks stay lumpy even with long mixing.
Assembled jars keep well covered in the refrigerator 1 to 2 days. Ladoo crumbs soften slightly against the mousse, similar to a trifle.
For larger mason jars, halve the ladoo per layer and plan on 4 servings instead of 8 so the sweet-to-tangy balance stays right.
Ladoo often contains ghee. Check labels if you need fully plant-based. A vegan set has not been tested in this exact format.
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