I have it right here for you: Greek yogurt cheesecake!
Cheesecake is usually my go-to dessert. If I could pick one last meal, cheesecake would often be it. My dessert preferences shift with my mood, but cheesecake — especially when it’s creamy and dense — ranks at the top. Texture and richness matter more to me than a typical cake; maybe because the word “cheese” is part of the name.
But Greek yogurt cheesecake? That feels like a smarter choice, right? Lighter, tangy, and still indulgent.
I’ve been chasing the perfect Greek yogurt cheesecake for years. I made a version in my first cookbook that I absolutely love, but it didn’t quite hold its shape at room temperature — delicious, yes, but soft enough to worry about melting if it sat out while people helped themselves. I wanted something that stayed put while still tasting bright and creamy.
Not long ago I found a Greek yogurt cheesecake in Epicurious that inspired me. It still uses cream cheese but much less than a traditional cheesecake — roughly half the usual amount — so the flavor is tangier and lighter. Best of all, it holds up at room temperature.
This is a no-bake cheesecake set with unflavored gelatin. I used to be skeptical of gelatin in cheesecakes, but since I keep gelatin on hand for other projects (marshmallows, anyone?), I figured I’d try it. It worked beautifully.
I wanted a simple but flavorful profile: espresso powder and vanilla bean paste give the filling depth and pair perfectly with coffee. I also chose a chocolate crust for contrast — because crusts are my weakness. I kept nibbling on the crumbs while assembling this one.
Maybe it was pregnancy cravings, but the chocolate crust had me reaching for Oreos. Normally I’m not obsessed with plain Oreo cookies, but combined with butter into a crust? Yes. It’s dangerously delicious.
So that’s what I made: a buttery Oreo crust, a Greek yogurt cheesecake flavored with espresso and vanilla, and a light dusting of instant espresso powder on top. The result is creamy, tangy, chocolatey and balanced — pure heaven.
Greek Yogurt Vanilla Espresso Cheesecake
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Ingredients
Chocolate crust
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 20 Oreo cookies
Vanilla espresso cheesecake
- 2 teaspoons 1 packet powdered gelatin
- 2 8-ounce blocks cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt (2% or full-fat)
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- cocoa or espresso powder for dusting
- chopped dark chocolate for topping
Instructions
Chocolate crust
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Place the cookies in a food processor and pulse until they become crumbs. Stream in the melted butter and process until the crumbs are evenly moistened. Press the mixture into a 9-inch springform pan. Chill the crust in the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.
Espresso cheesecake
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Put the gelatin in a heatproof bowl with 1 1/2 tablespoons cold water and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soften.
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In a food processor, blend the cream cheese, Greek yogurt, sugar, espresso powder, vanilla paste, lemon juice, and salt until smooth, scraping the sides as needed.
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Heat about 1/2 inch of water in a skillet and place the bowl with the gelatin in the warm water. Whisk until the gelatin dissolves. Carefully remove the bowl and drizzle the dissolved gelatin into the food processor while blending to incorporate fully.
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Pour the filling into the prepared Oreo crust. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 6 to 8 hours, until fully set.
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Before serving, dust the top with cocoa or espresso powder and sprinkle with chopped dark chocolate.
Notes
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I appreciate you so much!
See how creamy that is? AHHHH.