This straightforward cheesecake pie is ideal for cheesecake lovers who need a faster, simpler different to creating a traditional cheesecake. The graceful and creamy filling is fabricated from simply 6 easy elements, and there’s no springform pan or water tub step required. It’s scrumptious by itself, or you may prime it with raspberry sauce, whipped cream, lemon curd, recent berries, or salted caramel.
This pie recipe wasn’t really in my unique plan for posting on the web site, but it surely simply sort of… occurred. I used to be engaged on perfecting the recipe and approach for graham cracker crust, and wanted one thing straightforward and dependable to make use of on repeat for a filling… roughly 75 cheesecake pies later, I assumed: Properly, I ought to most likely share this recipe, too!
Right here’s Why You’ll Love This Simple Cheesecake Pie
- It’s cheesecake… with out the fuss
- Batter & crust come collectively shortly
- Identical velvety, creamy texture and tangy-sweet style as my traditional cheesecake
- 6 easy elements, plus a 3-ingredient graham cracker crust
- Bakes and cools a lot quicker than an everyday cheesecake
- It’s very adaptable to style and season, relying on toppings
What Is the Distinction Between Cheesecake and Cheesecake Pie?
Right this moment’s cheesecake pie is sort of a common cheesecake, solely (1) the filling layer isn’t as thick and tall and (2) you bake it in a pie dish as a substitute of a springform pan. Mainly, the style and texture are the identical, however you don’t have as a lot filling in every chew.
If you happen to’re within the temper for actual, traditional cheesecake… positively put within the effort and time to make an actual, traditional cheesecake. Nevertheless, for those who love cheesecake and don’t have the power (whether or not that’s bodily or emotionally!) for a water tub, by accident over-baking or under-baking it, exceptionally lengthy cooling and chilling instances, plus the potential of giant cracks on the floor, simply make a cheesecake pie!
(As a result of common cheesecake could be finicky, proper?!)
I’ve made not less than 12 of those prior to now few weeks and each single style tester, neighbor, member of the family, and buddy has mentioned it tastes precisely like common cheesecake. (And that’s as a result of it’s! Solely thinner!) You’re going to like this dessert.
Can I Skip the Water Tub?
Sure! As if there wasn’t sufficient to steer you to make this cheesecake pie! You see, water baths are used to assist an egg-heavy dessert like conventional cheesecake bake in a moist atmosphere. The humidity evenly bakes the wealthy and creamy filling so it doesn’t burn, sink, and/or crack. Since at present’s filling isn’t as tall, we don’t have these issues. So, skip the water tub at present!
Success Suggestions for a Excellent Graham Cracker Crust
We’re utilizing my perfected graham cracker crust recipe. You want 3 elements together with graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. The ratio of elements is crucial and what you’ll discover under (and likewise on the graham cracker crust web page) yields a crisp, crumbly crust that holds form fantastically. However what’s extra necessary than the elements is the approach you utilize to press the crust into the pan.
Through the years, I’ve realized precisely what makes and (actually) breaks an important graham cracker crust:
- Use your palms first: Press the underside and across the sides with medium-firm stress till the crumbs aren’t shifting round anymore—you don’t need any unfastened crumbs. You may even use a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to assist easy out the floor.
- Don’t pack too tightly: The crust must be compact, so it doesn’t crumble aside, however not so tight that it bakes into a tough, dense crust. You actually simply wish to pack it till the form has set and it’s not crumbly.
- Maintain it rounded: This sounds a bit odd, however you don’t need a proper angle on the backside edges the place the edges and the underside meet. As an alternative, you need it a bit of bit rounded so it stays related once you slice into it—so the facet crust doesn’t instantly separate from the underside crust. Slide a spoon across the inside the crust the place the edges and backside meet, to get that rounded form.
Right here is a photograph of the rounded crust. Remember to pre-bake this for 10 minutes earlier than including the filling.
Seize These 6 Components for the Filling:
- Blocks of Cream Cheese: Philadelphia cream cheese isn’t affiliated with this put up, but it surely IS my favourite cream cheese model. Whichever model you utilize, be sure to’re utilizing blocks of full-fat cream cheese and never the cream cheese in a bathtub you’ll use for spreading on bagels. Identical rule applies when making cream cheese frosting and strawberry cream cheese pie.
- Granulated Sugar: You’ll love that this cheesecake isn’t overly candy. Vanilla sugar can be nice right here.
- Bitter Cream: My staff and I examined this cheesecake pie a number of (a number of!!!!) instances and there was a significant distinction between the pies with bitter cream and the pies with out bitter cream. You want 1/4 cup of bitter cream to assist bind the elements collectively and easy out the filling so it tastes creamy. With out it, the filling tasted like cream cheese, not cheesecake.
- Vanilla Extract: Be at liberty to make use of selfmade vanilla extract on this pie!
- Lemon Juice: A splash of lemon juice provides freshness and depth of taste—I like to recommend you don’t depart it out. This cheesecake pie doesn’t style like lemon.
- Eggs: A predominant ingredient in any baked cheesecake! Cautious to not over-mix these, and you’ll want to add them proper on the finish.
Pour the filling into the nice and cozy pre-baked crust, after which bake:
Can I Add Chocolate Chips to the Filling?
I do not know if anybody would even ask this query, however I like chocolate chips in cheesecakes and the reply is YES! Be at liberty so as to add 3/4 cups mini or common semi-sweet chocolate chips to the batter. (What we do when making amaretto cheesecake.) This model can be tasty served with salted caramel on prime.
Cooling & Chilling Is a Breeze
You understand how it’s a must to wait a number of hours for an everyday cheesecake to chill after which it’s a must to wait some extra for it to relax within the fridge? You’re doing the identical factor right here, solely in a fraction of the time. The cheesecake cools for about 1 hour at room temperature (no have to let it cool within the oven like some cheesecake recipes!) and then you definately chill it for about 2–3 hours earlier than serving.
Low-maintenance cheesecake!
What to Serve With Cheesecake Pie
You may, in fact, serve the cheesecake pie plain, however I like so as to add raspberry sauce, whipped cream, and recent raspberries. Or you may spruce it up with:
Description
That is common cheesecake… made simpler! Get pleasure from a creamy, velvety easy filling with a crispy, crunchy graham cracker crust. Skip the water tub and use a pie dish as a substitute of a springform pan. Be at liberty to serve with non-compulsory toppings listed in recipe Notice.
Graham Cracker Crust
Filling
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Make the crust: If you happen to’re beginning out with full graham crackers, use a meals processor or blender to grind them into positive crumbs. Stir the graham cracker crumbs and granulated sugar collectively in a medium bowl, after which stir within the melted butter. The combination will likely be thick, coarse, and sandy. Attempt to smash/break up any giant chunks. Pour the combination into an ungreased 9-inch pie dish. With medium stress utilizing your hand, pat the crumbs down into the underside and up the edges to make a compact crust. Don’t pack down with heavy power as a result of that makes the crust too laborious. Merely pat down till the combination is not crumby/crumbly. Suggestions: You should utilize a small flat-bottomed measuring cup to assist press down the underside crust and easy out the floor, however don’t pack down too laborious. And run a spoon across the backside “nook” the place the sting and backside meet to assist make a rounded crust—this helps forestall the crust from falling aside. For extra shaping approach suggestions, see the graham cracker crust recipe web page.
- Bake the crust for 10 minutes. Make the filling within the subsequent step because the crust bakes.
- Make the filling: Utilizing a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and granulated sugar collectively on medium-high pace in a big bowl till the combination is easy and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the edges and up the underside of the bowl with a rubber spatula as wanted. Add the bitter cream, vanilla extract, and lemon juice, after which beat till totally mixed and really easy. Scrape down the edges and up the underside of the bowl with a rubber spatula as wanted to mix—you don’t need any lumps. Then on medium pace, add the eggs one after the other, beating after every addition till simply blended. After the second egg is included into the batter, cease mixing. If you happen to nonetheless see some lumps at this level, change to a whisk and whisk by hand simply till you break up the massive lumps. Some small lumps are OK.
- Decrease the oven temperature to 325°F (163°C) and unfold the cheesecake filling into the nice and cozy crust.
- Bake the pie for 35 minutes or till the middle is nearly set. Test it on the 25-minute mark, and if it’s browning too shortly on prime and across the edges, tent it with aluminum foil for the final 10 minutes of baking.
- Set the pie on a wire rack and funky for 1 hour at room temperature. Then place it within the fridge and chill for not less than 2 hours and as much as 2 days earlier than serving. (Cowl if chilling it for longer than a number of hours.)
- Be at liberty to garnish the pie with any of the non-compulsory toppings listed within the notes proper earlier than or a pair hours earlier than serving. (Maintain pie refrigerated for those who enhance it and plan to serve later.) I take advantage of a squeeze bottle to drizzle raspberry sauce on prime and a piping bag fitted with Wilton 1M piping tip to zigzag whipped cream on prime. For neat slices, use a clear sharp knife, and wipe the knife clear between every slice. Tip: The primary slice isn’t fairly! A lot simpler to slice after that first piece is out.
- Cowl and retailer leftover pie within the fridge or freezer for as much as 5 days.
Notes
- Make Forward Directions: This cheesecake pie could be made as much as 2 days upfront. See step 7. It’s greatest if the crust continues to be a bit heat once you pour within the filling, so I don’t advocate pre-baking the crust upfront.
- Particular Instruments (affiliate hyperlinks): Meals Processor for graham crackers, Pie Dish, Electrical Mixer (Stand Mixer or Handheld)
- Toppings: My favourite toppings for this pie are raspberry sauce, recent raspberries, and whipped cream, that are pictured within the put up. You can too prime the baked and cooled cheesecake with salted caramel, lemon curd, strawberry topping, chocolate ganache, or purple wine chocolate ganache.
- Room Temperature Components: Convey all chilly elements to room temperature earlier than starting. Room temperature elements mix shortly and evenly, so that you received’t threat over-mixing. Additionally, beating chilly elements collectively will end in a chunky cheesecake filling, hardly the best way you wish to start!
- Non-US Readers: If graham crackers usually are not out there the place you reside, we have now additionally examined this pie with a crust comprised of digestive biscuits, and it turned out nice. Use 200g floor digestive biscuit crumbs (about 2 cups; 13–14 biscuits), 1/3 cup (67g) granulated sugar, and 6 Tablespoons (85g) melted butter. Pre-bake the crust for a bit longer, about 12–14 minutes. And from what I perceive, spreadable cream cheese offered in a bathtub in nations exterior of the US is a bit of totally different from the spreadable cream cheese within the US. It’s thicker, sturdier, and extra strong and ought to be OK to make this pie. I’ve no expertise with it, however that is what I’ve heard from different non-US readers. If you happen to strive it, tell us the way it seems!
Subscribe
Baking Made Simple
Are you new to this web site? This e mail collection is a superb place to start out. I’ll stroll you thru a number of of my hottest recipes and present you precisely why they work.
