Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake
Published December 6, 2023
Mark Weinberg for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini.
- Total Time
- About 6¼ hours
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 1½ hours, plus about 4½ hours’ cooling
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
FOR THE CRUST
18 graham crackers (280 grams)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Pinch fine salt
9 tablespoons/130 grams unsalted butter, melted
FOR THE FILLING
16 ounces/450 grams cream cheese, at room temperature
¾ cup/150 grams granulated sugar
2 lemons
1 ½ cups/345 grams full-fat or 2 percent Greek yogurt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Whipped cream and lemon zest (both optional), for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 to 16 servings)
33 grams carbs; 96 milligrams cholesterol; 358 calories; 6 grams monosaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 1 gram fiber; 244 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 19 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- Step 2
Prepare the crust: In a food processor or bag, crush the graham crackers into fine crumbs. Add the brown sugar and salt. Add the melted butter and pulse to combine. If using a bag, add the brown sugar and salt to the bag, reseal and mix, then add the butter and mix again.
- Step 3
Press the mixture evenly into the bottom and about 1 inch up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and bake the crust until golden brown and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Let the crust cool slightly while you make the filling.
- Step 4
Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees.
- Step 5
Prepare the filling: Add the cream cheese and granulated sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Zest the lemons directly into the bowl. Mix on medium, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally, until the mixture is smooth and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Juice the lemons while the cream cheese is mixing. You should have about ¼ cup juice.
- Step 6
Add the yogurt and ¼ cup lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and mix until smooth. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl, then add the eggs one at a time, mixing until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next. Add the flour and mix until just combined. Tap the bowl on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles.
- Step 7
Pour the filling into the prepared crust, still on the baking sheet, then tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any air bubbles.
- Step 8
Bake the cheesecake until set at the edges but still wiggly in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop the door open and let the cheesecake sit in the oven for 20 minutes before removing it and setting it on a rack to cool to room temperature.
- Step 9
Refrigerate the cheesecake until completely cool, about 4 hours or overnight. If desired, dollop the cheesecake with whipped cream and garnish with lemon zest before slicing and serving. This cheesecake keeps, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Private Notes
Comments
Prepared this exactly as written with typical supermarket ingredients and found it fantastic! I wondered if the instructions neglected to specify prepping the springform pan in some way (parchment? butter?) but did nothing and the cake away from the pan without issue. The intensity of the lemon with the silk of the cream cheese and yoghurt is a wonderful pairing. Usually, when I cook something I make notes for how I will change the recipe next time. This one? No notes.
You can use fine white rice flour in place of the wheat flour for celiac. I have very good luck cooking cheesecakes at 180 degrees overnight for 8-9 hours. No cracks and it comes out perfect. Also, used waxed unflavored dental floss to cut the cake by holding it between your hands a foot apart and pressing straight down then pulling it out the side from the bottom. Perfect cuts every time.
I think ginger snap crust is my preference as a contrast. Maybe some candied ginger to sprinkle on top?The recipe sounds lighter w/o sour cream for sure. Can’t wait to try!
Neither having a spring form pan & nor wanting to buy one, I used prepared store bought graham ready crust pie pans. Yes the "cake" was 'thinner' but tasted less sweet (I tend to find NY Times & most dessert recipes use too much sugar). I also replaced the lemon with freshly squeezed limes. A wonderful taste. I used locally (I live in NYS's Finger Lakes/Lake Ontario region.) unflavored goat milk yogurt (yummy in itself). Give the heat this summer, I baked the first in a toaster oven.
Made this today. So good! I didn’t have graham crackers so I used Biscoff cookies for the crust. And my husband used 2 oz of the cream cheese I had bought (for his bagels!), so I replaced the missing cream cheese with ricotta. Easy & delicious dessert with fresh strawberries.
I made a mistake in that I misread the sugar amt. and only used 1/4 C sugar (instead of 3/4 C) with the cream cheese). While the cake was baking, I re-read the directions and realized my mistake. So, as the cake had only baked for about 10 min., I took it out of the oven and sprinkled 1/2 C more sugar on top of the cake. Then I used a butter knife and swirled it through the batter to blend it in, without disturbing the crust. It came out just fine.