Go Back
A slice of Greek yogurt cheesecake topped with strawberries and whipped cream.
Print

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

This lighter cheesecake is made with a combination of Greek yogurt and cream cheese, but it is just as rich and creamy as a traditional cheesecake. This easy recipe requires very little hands-on time and no fancy techniques.
Course Dessert, pie
Cuisine Dessert
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Servings 12
Calories 334kcal

Ingredients

Graham cracker crust:

  • 2 cups graham cracker crumbs from about 12 sheets of graham crackers
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • pinch of salt

Cheesecake filling:

  • 14 ounces 2% plain Greek yogurt
  • 16 ounces reduced fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup all purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • finely grated zest of 1 small lemon only use the yellow, no white pith
  • 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, scraping down the bottoms and sides 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 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.

Notes

TOPPINGS:
We find that this cheesecake tastes best when paired with fruit (as opposed to chocolate or caramel). These are our favorite toppings:
  • 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.
*If you use your food processor to crush the graham crackers be sure to clean it out well before adding the filling ingredients.

Nutrition

Calories: 334kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 95mg | Sodium: 303mg | Potassium: 184mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 522IU | Calcium: 114mg | Iron: 1mg