Cheesecake is a staple of Shavuot, a holiday that celebrates receiving the Torah, and that also celebrates the Spring harvest and the abundance of dairy that come from pastured animals during this time of year. While cream cheese is typically used in cheesecake, swapping it for labneh transforms traditional cheesecake into something lighter, tangier, and silkier. Labneh is easy to make at home, as it's simply yogurt that has been strained in cheesecloth. You can also find it pre-made at Middle Eastern and Kosher markets.
This cheesecake can be eaten as is, but it levels up with a fruit topping. I’ve included a recipe for strawberry sauce, but any other berry or stone fruit can be swapped for the strawberries. In lieu of a cooked sauce, you could also top this tart with fresh berries and whipped cream.
This recipe requires no special equipment, and if you don’t have a springform or tart pan, you can use any standard 9” pie dish. A pre-made graham cracker crust is another convenient time-saver; the extra filling can be baked separately in a small ramekin or baking dish. While the pie comes together quickly, it does need to spend time in the fridge to fully set; it’s best to make this the day before you intend to serve it.
Labneh Cheesecake with Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
For the crust:
1 sleeve (150 g) graham crackers (9-10 crackers depending on the brand)
2 Tbsps sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
5 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
For the labneh filling:
2 cups (16 oz) labneh*
½ cup (4 oz) sour cream
½ cup sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tsps vanilla extract
¼ tsp salt
For the strawberry sauce:
3 cups strawberries, fresh or frozen
½ cup sugar
¼ cup water
Juice of ½ a lemon
¼ tsp salt
2 tsps cornstarch + 2 tsps water, whisked together
*To make labneh: line a mesh sieve with cheesecloth, and place it over a large bowl. Add a 32 oz container of plain full-fat yogurt to the lined sieve. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. Transfer to an airtight container and discard the liquid.
Directions
Remove your labneh, sour cream, and eggs so they can come up to room temperature while you make the crust.
For the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9” springform pan, 9” pie pan, or 9½” tart pan.
Crush the graham crackers in their unopened sleeve, or if they are open, place them in a bag. This recipe will work with 9 or 10 graham crackers, as different brands carry different amounts of crackers in their sleeves. Crush until the crackers are fine crumbles. Transfer to a small bowl, and crush any pieces that are larger than a pea in size. Combine with sugar and salt.
Add the warm melted butter, and using your hands mix the butter into the crumb mixture until it resembles wet sand. Transfer the mixture into the greased pan. Press the crumbs towards the sides of the pan, making a thin even layer on the bottom. The bottom can be much thinner than you think it needs to be; the crumbs on the sides should be thicker, and should go up about ½-1”-high depending on the pan you are using. Using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs into the bottom and sides of the pan. It will seem fragile but will hold up well once baked and filled.
Bake the crust for 10 minutes, or until darker in color and firmer. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.
For the filling: In a large bowl, whisk together the labneh, sour cream, sugar, and salt until smooth.
Whisk in one egg at a time, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Whisk in the vanilla extract.
Pour the mixture into the slightly cooled crust. Bake at 350°F for 20-24 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to set but the center is still very jiggly when you move the pan. If using a tart pan, the cooking time may be quicker, check after 15 minutes. Be careful not to over-bake the tart.
Allow the tart to fully cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Once it’s fully cooled, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it set for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight. Once set, serve the tart as is, or topped with fruit, whipped cream, or strawberry sauce. The tart will keep for up to 5 days in the fridge.
For the strawberry sauce:
In a medium pot, combine the strawberries, sugar, water, lemon juice, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until sugar is fully dissolved and strawberries are beginning to soften but still hold their shape. Add in the slurry of cornstarch and water, and simmer for 1 minute more. The cornstarch will immediately thicken the sauce, which should easily coat a spoon.
Allow the sauce to fully cool, then transfer it to the refrigerator. Sauce can be made up to 2 days in advance and will keep for up to one week in the fridge.
