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Vanilla Yogurt Cheesecake

Vanilla Yogurt Cheesecake

I recently had an interesting discussion about how many types of cheesecake there are. My friend seemed to feel that there were an almost uncountable number of cheesecake flavors – cookie dough, mocha, raspberry, marble, etc. – that all these were types of cheesecake. I disagreed. While there are lots of different cheesecake recipes, a basic cheesecake with different types of add-ins does not make it a new type of cheesecake. Changing the base ingredients, like the cheese cheese, sour cream, milk and other primary elements, does. For me, different types of cheesecakes give you different textures and consistencies, not just different flavors.

This cheesecake, for instance, is a yogurt cheesecake. It uses some cream cheese, quite a bit of thick, Greek-style yogurt, and uses eggs to bind everything together (making it gluten free). Unlike some cheesecakes that use two or three times as much cream cheese, this one has a slightly lighter texture and tastes a bit less rich, although it is still creamy and delivers a wonderfully familiar cheesecake flavor. It’s definitely less filling than some of its counterparts, and I appreciate the fact that I can eat more than tiny slice in one sitting. You can use low fat or full fat greek yogurt. I’m not sure how nonfat will be, but it might be worth experimenting with!

It’s pretty important to have all your ingredients at room temperature when you’re going to make a cheesecake because cream cheese likes to firm up fast when it gets cold. Keeping everything at room temperature will help to ensure that you have a very smooth finished product. A lump or two won’t effect the flavor, but ideally you’d like the cake to be as smooth as possible. I’d definitely recommend making the cheesecake mixture in a food processor, although an electric mixer is the next best thing.

Vanilla Yogurt Cheesecake, from above

Yogurt Cheesecake
8-oz cream cheese, room temperature
16-oz Greek-style yogurt, room temperature
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract
pinch salt

Prebake a graham cracker base into a 9-inch springform pan (see recipe below); a 9-inch graham cracker pie crust should work fairly well, too. This cheesecake can also be baked without a crust.
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a food processor, blend cream cheese, yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt until mixture is very, very smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, until the cake is set and jiggles only slightly when gently tapped.
Cool to room temperature before refrigerating.

Serves 10

Springform Graham Cracker Base
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F.
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until well combined. Press into a 9-inch springform pan, pressing the crust slightly up the sides if you don’t wish to have a thick crust on the bottom.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. Cool completely before filling.

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35 Comments
  • Niki
    April 8, 2009

    This looks great! I love trying new cheesecake recipes! This is definite next on the list…

  • Rob
    April 8, 2009

    That’s an interesting twist on cheesecake. I’ve never had it with yogurt before. Yogurt is a great substitute for sour cream or heavy cream.

    It doesn’t always come out exactly the same, but it sure cuts down on those dreaded calories.

  • Eliana
    April 8, 2009

    I’m still experimenting with cheesecake as it is a tricky dessert to make. I’m going to give it another try soon with this recipe.

  • Brit
    April 8, 2009

    I have made this style of cheesecake before, it turned out really well. I added lemon zest and topped it with a boiled and cooled honey/butter mixture.

  • Elyse
    April 8, 2009

    This yogurt cheesecake sounds fantastic! I’ve tried a lot of cheesecake varieties, but I’ve never actually tried one with yogurt. I can’t wait to try this out! It looks creamy, smooth, and even somewhat light!! How delightful!

  • Sandra :)
    April 8, 2009

    This sounds delicious … is vanilla yogurt (as in the title) the same as Greek yogurt (from the ingredients list)? I don’t recall having seen Greek yogurt in the grocery store (although I haven’t been looking for it) – I’ve definitely seen vanilla yogurt. I want to make sure I get the right thing – cheesecake is a terrible thing to waste, lol!

  • Nicole
    April 8, 2009

    Sandra – No, greek yogurt is a type of thick yogurt: http://bakingbites.com/2008/09/what-is-greek-yogurt/

  • Sandra :)
    April 8, 2009

    Oh GREAT! Thanks for the link and the information – now I can make Greek style yogurt if I can’t find it in the store – I can’t wait to try this recipe!!

  • Kevin
    April 9, 2009

    I like the sound of using yogurt in a cheesecake!

  • Anna Alfafara
    April 10, 2009

    I’ve been wanting to make my own cheesecake because they are really expensive in pastry shops.

    Oh, I love the creamy goodness complemented by the tamed taste of the graham biscuit base. Yum yum yum. Well, I guess I’d frequent the treadmill after this sinful indulgence. 🙂

    Anna

  • Maria
    April 18, 2009

    I used fat free greek yogurt, and reduced fat cream cheese and it was delicious! I even used a little less vanilla, and 1/4 cup less sugar and it was perfect!

  • Hi, nice post. I have been pondering this topic,so thanks for writing. I will definitely be subscribing to your blog.

  • Esther
    May 9, 2009

    This tasted amazing! I was in charge of dessert for a family get together, so I wanted to make a rich tasting dessert that wouldn’t weigh everyone down (since everyone goes overboard with my brother’s famous ribs!). I only used 150 grams of sugar (about 3/4 cup) and added 1 whole vanilla bean (this was worth the extra cost as it added a perfect, well-rounded vanilla flavor). My cake finished baking in 37 minutes, but I’ve made this cake before and baking times have always varied. The smooth vanilla taste (definitely from the vanilla bean) reminded me of creme brule, but the texture was like an extra silky and creamy cheesecake…almost a cross between a thick custard and a regular cheesecake. It is thick enough so that it sets up perfectly and slices cleanly. I pre-sliced (for easy serving) the cheesecake before topping with a thin layer of strawberry preserves and lots of fresh strawberries and raspberries. Everyone loved the flavor and texture of this cheesecake! So rich and creamy tasting, but light enough to eat after a big BBQ meal! Thanks for the great recipe!

  • Bromacleanse
    August 21, 2009

    I love cheesecake so much, it’s my daily dish for breakfast

  • Zero Friction Marketing
    August 24, 2009

    Wow! This is the first time I’ve heard about vanilla yogurt cheesecake. I like vanila, yogurt and cheesecake but never thought of combining them.

  • chinese food recipes
    August 26, 2009

    Arrrhh…. it looks so delicious in the picture, because i love cheese cake so much!!!!

  • atkins diat
    October 10, 2009

    Hi…
    Thank you for sharing such a nice recipe. I would love this item. I am giving a party to my friends this weekend at my farmhouse. I was wondering about some new item to treat my friends with. I will surely try this and let you know.

  • Hy
    December 10, 2009

    Hi I really love the sound of your cheesecake! I am going to make it for my husband’s birthday in 2 weeks. Just wondering if this needs to be baked bain-marie style (in water bath)? Thanks!

  • therese
    February 28, 2010

    This was delicious, I accidentally made it with light regular yogurt. though after a night in the fridge it still turned out creamy, not too thick, and delicious! thanks for the recipe!

  • cheap wholesale clothing
    April 25, 2010

    I was in charge of dessert for a family get together, so I wanted to make a rich tasting dessert that wouldn’t weigh everyone down (since everyone goes overboard with my brother’s famous ribs!).

  • discount p90x dvds
    April 25, 2010

    I love the creamy goodness complemented by the tamed taste of the graham biscuit base. Yum yum yum. Well, I guess I’d frequent the treadmill

  • Jen
    April 30, 2010

    Thank you! I Am not a big cheesecake fan because it’s so heavy. I made this recipe a few days ago with the thin- mint crust from another bite (using homemade thin mints) and it was wonderful, particularly on day 2.

  • alessia
    May 29, 2011

    I just made this recipe, and its awesome!!, I added vanilla beans and 3 TBS of CORNSTARCH and its the same texture as the regular cheesecake.. I also made a strawberry sauce and pour it on the top with whip cream!
    DELICIOUS!!!!!!!!!

  • Lani
    June 11, 2011

    I made this last night and it was divine. So easy and quick and delicious. Thank you so much. I am blogging about it at SleeplessinSamoa.blogspot.com and have linked back to your site so my readers can find your wonderful recipes firsthand. I hope thats okay.

  • Leigh
    October 2, 2011

    I am thinking Liberte’s mediterrane yogurt (thick greek yogurt style) …like lemon or coconut , black berry , strawberry or any of their flavors would taste favulous in a cheese cake. YUM YUM>.

  • Sandra
    January 14, 2012

    I made this today and it was FABulous!:) So creamy and yummy! I used Chobani non-fat peach yogurt with reduced-fat cream cheese. I mixed it in a bowl first then transferred it to the blender for smoothness. I think next time I’ll experiment by using non-fat lemon yogurt, fat-free cream cheese, egg beaters and splenda – I’ll let you know how it turns out:)

  • My five year old requested this for his birthday and it was delish! I added some lemon zest, 2 TB cornstarch and half the sugar (we had sweetened strawberries on top). Will make it again!

  • MHT
    June 19, 2012

    This cheesecake was delicious and so easy to make! I’ve never made a cheesecake before and wasn’t expecting much from my first try. I made this one because I had a whole 16 oz tub of fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt to use up (I bought it by accident thinking it was the plain one, and I don’t like to just snack on vanilla yogurt). I made it exactly as per the recipe, so it had a little extra vanilla oomph from the flavored yogurt and extract. It came out great, and I didn’t even make a crust for it. No cracks, no drying out, and it was so much lighter and nicer than the usual, dense cheesecake. Perfect for summer because it’s not so heavy! A tip: I placed a cookie sheet with water on the rack below to keep the oven a bit humid and prevent the cheesecake from cracking.

  • Amber
    March 15, 2013

    Mine is baking in the oven as we speak. I added a packet of cheesecake flavored pudding to keep it cheesecakey 🙂

  • eg
    May 2, 2013

    Do you use plain or vanilla flavored greek yogury?

  • @sassy_sami
    September 10, 2014

    I have just used this recipe. I used double cream greek yoghurt and vanilla sugar. Its cooling I type this!

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