Cheesecake known as a decadent rich dessert packed with creamy cheese, eggs, sour cream, heavy cream, and sugar supported by a buttery sweet graham cracker crust. My all time favorite dessert if you have not noticed the 5+ cheesecake recipes on the blog. I wanted to create an easier lighter version to my traditional cheesecake that could be made in under an hour with minimal ingredients and easy clean up (let the food processor do all the work). The idea came to me to use my base maple cheesecake recipe but lighten it up to bar form and swapping part of the cream cheese for yogurt.
Naturally sweetened maple cheesecake is just as delicious as the classic with half baking time. The filling uses 4 main ingredients: yogurt, cream cheese, maple syrup, and cornstarch. Vegan dairy alternatives like kitehill yogurt and cream cheese can be subbed for the dairy options with no issues. I personally prefer the almond cream cheese.
The crust is a simple graham cracker crust that is parked before adding the filling. Baking the filling couldn’t be easier just pour and do a few tabs to get the air bubbles out and bake. No water bath required and the cake baked in half the time of a standard 9 inch round cheesecake. Let the cheesecake cool 2 hours before placing in fridge to chill for another 2 hours before serving. I prefer to serve it the next day after baking.
Leftover cheesecake can last in the fridge for 3-5 days. Alternatively you can also freeze the cheesecake for up to 6 months wrapped in plastics wrap and aluminum foil. Simply defrost the cake in fridge overnight.
Hope you enjoy this light yet decadent maple cheesecake! Be sure to comment below and provide a rating.