This delicious cheesecake is made with a combination of Greek yogurt and cream cheese, making it a bit lighter than a traditional cheesecake. No water bath, no tenting with foil, and no changing oven temperature – this is the easiest cheesecake ever!
All the richness and creaminess of cheesecake without a whole day’s worth of calories. Wait, does this mean we get to eat two slices?
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What makes this recipe “lighter”
First things first, this is a dessert recipe. It is not “healthy” but it is a bit lighter than a traditional cheesecake. The other good news? It’s still thick, creamy, and flavorful, AND it packs 9 grams of protein per slice.
How do I do it?
1. I swap some of the cream cheese with 2% plain Greek yogurt
2. I swap traditional full fat cream cheese for a reduced fat variety
The result is creamy cheesecake with a fraction of the calories than a traditional cheesecake.
This cheesecake is
- Thick and creamy
- Sweet and tangy
- Baked in a homemade graham cracker crust
- Super easy to assemble (we’re taking help from a food processor)
- Delicious with a wide variety of toppings (more on this below!)
Recipe overview
Crust: combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, melted butter, and a pinch of salt. Press the crust into the bottom and up the sides of a springform pan. Place the crust in the freezer while you proceed with the filling.
Filling: Place Greek yogurt, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and lemon zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the mixture is smooth and combined.
Bake: Bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes.
Cool: Cool to room temperature on a wire rack, then refrigerate until completely chilled.
Recipe tips
- Cream cheese and eggs should be at room temperature. This will ensure that the filling mixes up smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Using a food processor for the filling helps ensure that it is extra smooth.
- Be sure to stop your food processor and scrape down the sides occasionally to ensure the filling is thoroughly mixed.
- Make sure your Greek yogurt and cream cheese have some fat content. Although you might be inclined to reduce the fat/calories even further by using fat free yogurt or cream cheese, don’t do it. This is a dessert, and it needs some fat to make it taste that way.
- This cheesecake should be baked until it is almost completely set. Remove it from the oven when the very center still has a slight jiggle.
Topping options
If you’re pairing this cheesecake with fruit or eating it plain, I recommend adding the optional lemon zest in the recipe. If you’re serving it with chocolate sauce or caramel, I recommend omitting the lemon zest.
Blueberry Sauce – This easy and flavorful sauce comes together on the stovetop in minutes. It is bursting with blueberries and absolutely delicious on this cheesecake.
Strawberry Sauce – This thick and flavorful sauce is packed with the flavors of fresh strawberries.
Roasted Strawberries – These sweet and juicy strawberries make their own sauce while cooking. Made with only 2 ingredients and very little hands-on time.
Homemade Whipped Cream – Place a dollop on each slice or pipe a border of whipped cream around the perimeter of the cheesecake right before serving.
Easy Berry Topping – Stir together the fresh berry of your choice along with the same flavor of jam (about 1-2 tablespoons of jam for each cup of berries). Allow the mixture to sit at room temp for about 30 minutes so the berries can release some of their juices.
Serving and storage
Serve chilled with any of the toppings mentioned above. Store, tightly covered, in the refrigerator.
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Recipe
Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
Ingredients
Graham cracker crust:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 13 sheets of graham crackers
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- pinch of salt
Cheesecake filling:
- 15 ounces 2% plain Greek yogurt, about 1⅔ cups
- 16 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- finely grated zest of 1 small lemon , optional
- see note about toppings
Instructions
- Wrap foil around the lower exterior of a 9-inch springform pan (just to prevent any leaks). Preheat oven to 325°F.
Graham cracker crust:
- In a large bowl, thoroughly combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, melted butter, and salt. Dump the mixture into the prepared springform pan, pressing the mixture onto the bottom, and at least 1-inch up the sides. I like to use the bottom of a measuring cup to help firmly press the mixture in. Transfer the crust to the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Cheesecake filling:
- In a food processor*, combine yogurt, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, flour, vanilla, and lemon zest. Process until creamy and completely smooth. be sure to stop and crape down the sides and bottom a few times as needed.
- Pour the batter into the crust and smooth the top. Bake in the center of the oven for 45-55 minutes, until the cheesecake is just set around the edges and the center still has very slight jiggle. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool to room temp, then move it to the refrigerator until completely chilled (several hours). Serve with any of the toppings suggested. Store in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
- Blueberry Sauce
- Roasted Strawberries
- Homemade Whipped Cream
- Easy Berry Topping – Stir together the fresh berry of your choice along with the same flavor of jam (about 1-2 tablespoons of jam for each cup of berries). Allow the mixture to sit at room temp for about 30 minutes so the berries can release some of their juices.
Nutrition
Nutritional Information is an estimate based on third-party calculations and may vary based on products used and serving sizes.
Tried this recipe?Leave a comment and rating below!
Sharon Mccade says
Just made this cheesecake very easy to bake. Great way for me to use up yogurt nearly out of date. Still in the oven so taste test will come later 🌞
Allison Mattina says
Enjoy!
Menaka says
I made the cheesecake with Blueberry sauce. Everyone says it’s delicious and enjoyed it.
Thank you so much.
Allison Mattina says
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Ruth Isaac says
I was amazingly surprised how delicious this cheesecake turned out. the reason I used some of my homemade goat yogurt that I had used a nonfat yogurt starter. it was a little runny but the cheesecake turned out absolutely beautiful. thank you so much for sharing this recipe. this will be my favorite go to cheesecake recipe from now on.
Allison Mattina says
That’s great to hear! Thanks for stopping by. 🙂