Cheesecake has become a quintessential Shavuot dish. During the Spring holiday of Shavuot, Jewish people celebrate when the Israelites received the Torah, and it is customary to eat loads of dishes made with dairy. There are many interpretations for why dairy is central to the holiday, including the abundance of milk that comes from pastured animals during this time of year.
Typically, cream cheese is used in cheesecake, but in this recipe I swap it for labneh, which transforms traditional cheesecake into something lighter, tangier, and silkier. This cheesecake can be eaten as is, but it levels up with a fruit topping. I’ve included a recipe for strawberry sauce to celebrate the berries’ arrival in late spring in the Pacific Northwest. Any other berry or stone fruit can be used in place of strawberries in this recipe.
Ingredients
Servings 9
Crust:
- 1 sleeve 150 grams graham crackers (9-10 whole crackers depending on the brand)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Labneh filling:
- 2 cups 16 ounces labneh
- ½ cup 4 ounces sour cream
- ½ cup sugar
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Strawberry Sauce:
- 3 cups strawberries fresh or frozen
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup water
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch + 2 teaspoons water whisked together
Nutritional Facts
Nutrition Facts
Labneh Cheesecake With Strawberry Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
315
% Daily Value*
Fat
12
g
18
%
Saturated Fat
6
g
38
%
Trans Fat
0.3
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
3
g
Cholesterol
81
mg
27
%
Sodium
346
mg
15
%
Potassium
206
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
44
g
15
%
Fiber
2
g
8
%
Sugar
33
g
37
%
Protein
8
g
16
%
Vitamin A
361
IU
7
%
Vitamin C
28
mg
34
%
Calcium
94
mg
9
%
Iron
1
mg
6
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Instructions
- Remove the labneh, sour cream, and eggs from the fridge so they can come up to room temperature while you make the crust.
Make the crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9” springform pan, 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 whole 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.
Make 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 overbake the filling.
- Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Once fully cooled, transfer it to the refrigerator and let it set for a minimum of 6 hours, but it is best to chill it 12-24 hours prior to serving. Serve plain or topped with fruit, whipped cream, or strawberry sauce. Keeps for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Make 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.
Recipe courtesy of Braids by Sonya Sanford.
What is labneh and where can it be purchased?