We loved the yogurt cheesecake trend in the test kitchen! But it suddenly occurred to me that we hadn’t adapted a taste favorite: the no-bake lemon cheesecake. So here is the quickest version, slightly spicier, requiring only two ingredients.
Why, as a Culinary Director, I Love the 2-Ingredient Cheesecake Trend
In my family, the debate between baked cheesecake and refrigerated cheesecake is never-ending. I’m definitely the captain of the baked side (like one of my favorites, the classic vanilla cheesecake) largely because I often find that too many refrigerated cheesecakes become too rubbery and bouncy from an overload of gelatin.
Therefore, for a refrigerated cheesecake to impress me, the standard has to be exceptionally high. That’s why the trend for simple, two-ingredient Japanese cheesecake caught me off guard. Importantly, without any gelatin, it achieves that satisfying cheesecake texture – a creamy, smooth filling with the taste of lemon yogurt that also seems a little lighter overall, plus the biscuits adding that familiar flavor and texture you’d expect from a good cheesecake base.
Why this yogurt cheesecake recipe works so well
When selecting a lemon yogurt for this recipe, I sampled several at the supermarket. The Gippsland Dairy Lemon Twist yogurt was my preference because of the generous pockets of lemon cream it contains. I chose Anzac biscuits for the ‘base’ of this cheesecake, opting for their distinct golden syrup flavor and rustic, oatmeal texture, which remind me of classic biscuit bases, like the Granita biscuit-based cheesecakes that I loved growing up.
While the cookies will have started to soften in the yogurt and are ready to eat after 8 hours, it is best to wait at least 24 hours. Letting the tub sit for a full day allows the cookies to absorb more moisture, resulting in a creamier, more authentic cheesecake texture. For an even thicker and richer result, a wait of 48 hours (2 days) is recommended.
What’s inside my favorite version of the 2-ingredient yogurt “cheesecake” trend?
- Lemon yogurt: Gippsland Dairy yogurt with a touch of lemon cream is a great choice as the large pockets of tangy lemon cream provide an extra depth of flavor that a simple lemon yogurt can’t match. However, you can easily substitute other flavors, like passion fruit, strawberry, or blueberry yogurt, as they will all be equally delicious in the recipe.
- Anzac biscuits: For added hold in the bath, packaged Anzac biscuits in the biscuit aisle are ideal. Although store-baked Anzac biscuits can be used, they are considerably larger and will need to be broken into smaller pieces to fit, and fewer biscuits should be used overall.
If you also like this concept of dessert in a jar, you will love it my cheat’s tiramisu in a bathtub!
Recipe, images, videos and notes from Food Director Michelle Southan.
