Goat cheese in dessert? You bet! This creamy, dreamy goat cheese cheesecake tastes like a classic cheesecake kicked up a notch with fresh goat cheese. With a velvety, fluffy texture, the goat cheese filling is just sweet enough and kissed with vanilla. It's nestled in a gluten-free almond flour cocoa crust and finished with a tangy sour cream topping.
This luscious goat cheese dessert needs no accompaniment, though it's lovely served with seasonal fruit – fresh berries in the warmer months, or topped with poached pears and pomegranate as shown here.
If you've stumbled across this post, I'm guessing that, like me, you're also a huge fan of goat cheese recipes. Mild and nutty, fresh chèvre (as the French call it) can swing sweet or savory.
I especially love goat cheese in desserts, where its tangy flavor adds a savory counterpoint, balancing desserts for refined palates. A favorite is this honey-sweetened goat cheese ice cream which has a rich, complex flavor and silky texture.
Cheesecake with a Goat Cheese Twist
If you want a more OTT goat cheese dessert, I'm sharing this silky goat cheese cheesecake. Fresh goat cheese adds velvety texture and a hint of savory flavor. The divine goat cheese cheesecake filling doesn't taste at all funky or savory; it just tastes like the best cheesecake you've ever had.
This recipe has a few components, but all are simple to make:
- The almond flour crust (adapted from my cookbook Alternative Baker) is simply made in a food processor, pressed into the pan, and baked.
- Next the goat cheese cheesecake filling is mixed in a stand mixer, poured into the pan and baked; no hot water bath required!
- Top the cheesecake with a slick of sour cream topping, bake again briefly, and chill.
Top your masterpiece with seasonal fruit if you like. The combination of buttery chocolate crust that tastes like Oreos with tangy goat cheese filling redolent with vanilla and some fresh fruit is pretty spectacular.
And if you're going for classic cheesecake vibes, make this in a gluten-free graham cracker crust instead.
Ingredients & Substitution Suggestions
This goat cheese cheesecake comes together with a handful of simple ingredients.
- A gluten-free almond flour crust surrounds the luscious filling. Use the cocoa version, shown here, for Oreo vibes.
- Or go with the vanilla crust for a more subtle flavor. For classic cheesecake vibes, use this gluten-free graham cracker crust (bonus points if you make your own GF graham crackers from scratch!) For a crustless cheesecake, try this goat cheese burnt Basque cheesecake that I developed for Vermont Creamery.
- Goat cheese and cream cheese form the base of the filling.
- I don't think this would work using all goat cheese as the cream cheese helps bind the filling together. For cow dairy sensitivities, I'd recommend using a dairy-free cream cheese such as Kite Hill.
- Sugar adds just enough sweetness to the filling.
- For refined sugar-free, sub maple sugar by weight.
- Eggs help the filling set, giving it a floofy texture.
- Vanilla and salt sharpen the flavors. I used the seeds from a vanilla bean, but vanilla paste or extract work well too.
- A little bit of flour helps the filling set and prevents it from being watery. I use sweet rice flour for gluten-free, but a GF AP blend will work too.
- Sour cream adds a bit of tanginess and richness to the filling, and, combined with a bit of sugar and vanilla, it makes a silky, tangy topping.
- If you're skipping the sour cream topping, you can use extra cream cheese in the filling in place of the sour cream.
- Seasonal fruit is optional for serving, adding more flavor and a pop of color. I love topping slices with Earl Grey tea-poached pears and pomegranate arils when they're in season. But fresh berries (especially raspberries) would be lovely too.
How to Make Goat Cheese Cheesecake
This recipe has three components, all of which come together easily and with a minimum of fuss and dishes. This makes one 9-inch cheesecake, or about 10 servings.
Make-Ahead Options
When I worked as a pastry cook and pastry chef, cheesecake were common items on restaurant menus. This is because cheesecake can be made ahead and keeps beautifully for up to several days. In fact, it's ideal to make this goat cheese cheesecake a day ahead so it has time to thoroughly chill before slicing.
Here are some make-ahead options:
- The unbaked crust can be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.
- The baked crust can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 1 month.
- The baked cheesecake can be covered and refrigerated for up to 2 days. The crust may soften up a touch the longer it's chilled.
Classic Cheesecake with a Goat Cheese Twist
I adapted this goat cheese cheesecake recipe from one that Sarah and I styled for The New York Times.
This goat cheesy version boasts a chocolate crust and an easy-peasy filling laced with vanilla bean. Its shorter size means it cooks evenly without any problems, with a good crust-to-filling ratio. It's perfectly creamy, not too sweet, a little tangy, and completely addictive.
Tips for making better cheesecake
- Have the ingredients at room temperature before you start. This ensures smooth cheesecake batter with no lumps.
- Take care not to overbake the cheesecake to make sure it stays smooth and luscious.
- Make the cheesecake ahead of time so it has plenty of time to cool and then chill. It's a good one to make a day in advance, easing prep on the day of serving.
- Be sure to use a springform pan, which helps this goat cheese cheesecake pop out easily with the help of the sturdy crust.
- For clean slices, use a large chef's knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut.
Goat Cheese Cheesecake for Everyone
This cheesecake is easy and foolproof to make, with a gluten-free crust that's easy on allergies for everyone to enjoy.
Serve it on its own, or dress up slices with poached pears, pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of the reduced poaching syrup from the pears. Or go with fresh berries (especially raspberries).
The cocoa crust crunches in your mouth as the fluffy cheesecake dissolves into a puddle of creamy lusciousness, vanilla and tangy dairy playing off the fruit. The whole thing is well-balanced, sophisticated, and completely addictive.
I fact, I think I'll have another slice.
*Bojon appétit! For more Bojon Gourmet in your life, follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest, purchase my gluten-free cookbook Alternative Baker, or subscribe to receive new posts via email. And if you make this gluten-free goat cheese cheesecake recipe, I’d love to know. Leave a comment and rating below, and tag your Instagram snaps @The_Bojon_Gourmet and #bojongourmet.*
Velvety Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Gluten-Free Crust
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
Crust:
- 1 recipe almond flour crust (cocoa, shown here, or vanilla)
Filling:
- 8 ounces (230 g) fresh soft goat cheese, at room temperature
- 8 ounces (230 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (165 g) organic granulated cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) sweet white rice flour
- Seeds from 1-2 vanilla beans (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract)
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sour cream
Sour Cream Topping:
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) sour cream
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) organic granulated cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For serving
- 1 recipe tea-poached pears (optional)
- arils from 1 pomegranate, or fresh berries such as raspberries (optional)
Instructions
Make the crust:
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375ºF.
- Make the crust dough as directed.
- Dump the crust crumbled into a 9-inch springform pan and press the dough evenly into the bottom and 1 ¼ inches up the sides, starting with the sides and then moving to the bottom, keeping the edges square. (It usually takes me about 5 minutes to make it look pretty.)
- Freeze until firm, 15–30 minutes.
- Place the pan on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch any drips) and bake until slightly puffed and firm to the touch, 18–22 minutes.
- Remove the crust from the oven and, while it’s still hot, press the sides and bottom with the back of a spoon. This will help it hold together when cool.
Make the filling:
- Decrease the oven to 325ºF.
- Place the softened goat cheese, cream cheese, sugar, sweet rice flour, vanilla seeds (if using), and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix on medium low until smooth and creamy, 2-3 minutes, scraping the bowl and paddle a few times.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing on medium-low until combined and scraping the bowl and paddle well between each egg, then stir in the the ¼ cup sour cream.
- Pour the filling into the cooled crust and bake at 325ºF until gently puffed and mostly set when you give it a wiggle, 40-45 minutes. Remove from the oven.
Make the topping:
- While the cheesecake bakes, whisk together the 1 ½ cups sour cream, sugar, and vanilla. Gently spoon the sour cream mixture over the cheesecake, spread smooth, and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
- Remove the cheesecake and allow it to cool completely at room temperature, 1-2 hours, then chill until cold, 4 hours and up to 1 or 2 days.
To serve:
- To serve the cheesecake, release the edge of the springform pan and slide the cheesecake onto a platter or cutting board.
- Cut the cheesecake into slices with a large chef’s knife dipped in hot water and wiped clean between each cut.
- Serve slices topped with the poached pears, pomegranate arils, and a drizzle of poaching syrup if desired.
- Extra cheesecake keeps well, refrigerated airtight, for up to several days (if you can make it last that long).
Notes
- Be sure to make this cheesecake several hours ahead so that it chills through before serving; or better yet, make it the day before - it keeps beautifully refrigerated airtight. The crust and pears can also be made ahead.
- The chèvre adds a bit of tang without tasting overly funky, but feel free to trade it out for more cream cheese if you prefer. I use a mild chèvre from Sierra Nevada Cheese Company, but other good brands include Laura Chenel and Cypress Grove.
- In the summer months, try this cheesecake topped with fresh berries and honey in place of the fall fruits.
- Nutritional values are based on one of ten servings.
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