Greek Yogurt Cheesecake without Sour Cream

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake is simple quick and just a bit healthier than a traditional cheesecake without giving up the creamy cheesecake taste.  The crust is made with vanilla wafers and an added lemon extract or lemon paste which pairs nicely with the black cherry topping.  I keep several varieties of St. Dalfour fruit spread in my pantry for a super quick cheesecake topping.

Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Black Cherry Topping

A lovely creamy and lighter cheesecake  made with a combination of Greek yogurt and traditional cream cheese. The butter vanilla lemon crust pairs nicely with the black cherry topping.

4 from 2 votes

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Course: Small Batch Desserts

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Chill Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 492kcal

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Ingredients

• 20-22 Vanilla Wafers crushed fine
• 2 tablespoon Butter melted
• ⅛ teaspoon Lemon Extract
• 7 ounces plain Greek Yogurt
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese room temperature
• 1 large Eggs
• ⅓ cup Sugar
• 5 ounces St. Dalfour Black Cherry fruit spread

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place the oven rack in the middle.
• Coat a 5 or 6-inch Springform pans with cooking spray and wrap the outside bottom of the Springform pan with aluminum foil, coming up halfway on the sides.
• Use a small food processor to crush the wafers into fine crumbs
• .In a medium bowl add the crushed wafers and butter. Mix until well moistened.
• Stir in the lemon extract.
• Press the crumbs into the bottom of the Springform pan, the crust will be a little less than ½ inch thick.  If you want a thicker crust increase the amount of wafers and butter used.
• Bake the crust for 5 minutes and let cool while preparing the cheesecake batter. 
• In a medium bowl mix the cream cheese and sugar, using a hand mixer cream until the sugar is dissolved.
• Add in the Greek yogurt and egg and mix until well blended.
• Pour the batter into the Springform pan and place on the baking sheet. Add around a ½ cup of water to the baking sheet and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.
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Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 492kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 344mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 34g

Ingredients Notes

• Vanilla Wafers: The wafer crust taste so yummy or you can use a classic graham cracker crust.
• Butter:
• Lemon Extract: If you have lemon paste it adds a little extra lemon flavor.
• Plain Greek Yogurt: Thick and creamy greek yogurt is perfect for making cheesecake.
• Cream Cheese: I use full-fat cream cheese however you can use reduced fat with good results. The cream cheese should also be at room temperature for easier mixing.
• Eggs: eggs should be at room temperature.
• Sugar:
• St. Dalfour Black Cherry fruit spread

Recipe Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and place the oven rack in the middle.

Coat a 5 or 6-inch Springform pans with cooking spray and wrap the outside bottom of the Springform pan with aluminum foil, coming up halfway on the sides.

Use a small food processor to crush the wafers into fine crumbs

In a medium bowl add the crushed wafers and butter. Mix until well moistened.

Stir in the lemon extract.

Press the crumbs into the bottom of the Springform pan, the crust will be a little less than ½ inch thick.  If you want a thicker crust, increase the number of wafers and amount of butter used.

Bake the crust for 5 minutes and let cool while preparing the cheesecake batter. 

In a medium bowl mix the cream cheese and sugar, using a hand mixer cream until the sugar is dissolved.

Add in the Greek yogurt and egg and mix until well blended.

Pour the batter into the Springform pan and place on the baking sheet.

Add around a ½ cup of water to the baking sheet ( water bath) and bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Tips on how to make the vanilla wafer crust

The old fashion way is to break up the wafers into small pieces and put them into a large plastic bag, then roll a rolling pin over the bag to crush the wafers.  Turn the bag over several times to get all the crumbs finely crushed.  The quick way is to use a small food processor like the 3.5 cups Kitchenaid, however, this involves a little clean-up afterward.  I'll use my processor when making a larger cheesecake crust, and the bag method when making a small 5-6 inch cheesecake.

1. Crush 20-22 vanilla wafers in a plastic bag or food processor.
2. Add the butter and lemon extract and mix until moist.
3. Press this into the bottom of a greased 6 or 7-inch Springform pan.
4. Press down gently, but firmly until the crust is evenly distributed on the bottom of the pan
5. Bake in a 325° oven for 5 minutes,  set aside while you make the cheesecake filling.

You use the same process for a graham crackers crust.

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