This yogurt cheesecake is soft and creamy. It is just 3 ingredients and doesn’t require eggs, flour or butter. The cake is a lighter version of regular cheesecake. It can be baked in the oven or cooked in the air fryer. It can also be made ahead of time for an event.
This yogurt cheesecake tastes similar to regular cheesecake but it doesn’t actually contain any cream cheese or sour cream, so it has less calories and fat than regular cheesecake. It’s creamy, smooth, sweet and a little tangy. It only takes about five minutes to prepare the batter and then it’s ready to be cooked.
Ingredients
- Vanilla Nonfat Greek Yogurt
- Sweetened Condensed Milk
- Cornstarch
Vanilla Nonfat Greek Yogurt: This recipe works best with nonfat Greek yogurt. I used vanilla greek yogurt because it also has vanilla flavoring already added to it which gives the cake a little more flavor. You can use nonfat plain greek yogurt as well. For this cake, I don’t recommend a super thick Greek yogurt. There are some brands of Greek yogurt (like Fage or Kirkland) that make their Greek yogurt extra thick. This will make the cake a little too firm. I made this with Amazon Happy Belly and Chobani brand Greek yogurts.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: Make sure to use full fat sweetened condensed milk. The condensed milk sweetens the yogurt cake while also helping to make the texture smooth and creamy. It also acts as a binder since there are no eggs in this cake.
Cornstarch: Cornstarch acts as a thickener and absorbs the excess liquid from the cake. It also helps the cake firm up enough that it can stand on its own and doesn’t need any crust.
How to Make Yogurt Cheesecake
The yogurt and condensed milk are first whisked together. The cornstarch is then whisked in until smooth and no lumps remain. The batter is then ready to be poured into a round cake pan. This cake can be baked or cooked in the air fryer.
I really enjoy making this cake in the air fryer. It takes less time and the surface of the cake will have a rustic caramelized appearance. The cake in the photos is the air fryer version.
This cake can also be baked but the baked version will remain more pale, turning just slightly light brown on the surface. You can achieve a similar caramelized appearance but it requires you to bake much longer and will make the cheesecake more firm, almost like a firm flan.
Yogurt Cheesecake Texture
This yogurt cake does taste similar to a crustless cheesecake but it’s not exactly the same. The texture is creamy but a little more firm. The cake doesn’t need any crust and can stand on its own. The cake is sweet but you also do taste the tanginess from the yogurt.
More Yogurt Cake Recipes
- 3 Ingredient Healthy Yogurt Cake
- 3 Ingredient Fluffy Yogurt Cheesecake
- 3 Ingredient Chocolate Yogurt Cheesecake
3 Ingredient Creamy Yogurt Cheesecake
Ingredients
- 1 2/3 cups (400 g) nonfat vanilla greek yogurt
- 3/4 cup (177ml/228 g) full fat sweetened condensed milk
- 4 tbsp (32 g) cornstarch
Instructions
- Grease the interior of a 6-inch round cake pan with cooking oil spray and then line bottom and sides with parchment paper. You can also use a 6-inch round springform pan. If your springform pan is nonstick, you can just line the bottom and grease the sides.
- Add yogurt and condensed milk to a large mixing bowl. Whisk until smooth. Add in cornstarch. Whisk until no cornstarch lumps remain. You may need to whisk more rigorously to remove any clumps of cornstarch.
- To cook in the air fryer: Preheat air fryer to 315°F (157°C) and bake for about 23-25 minutes. Cake should be puffed up, the batter should not be jiggly or liquidy and part of the surface should have a caramelized appearance. A toothpick inserted should come out mostly clean. To cook in the oven: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until cake is puffed up and the edges of the cake turn a light brown and are starting to pull away from the sides of the pan. The rest of the surface will remain pale for the oven version. A toothpick inserted should come up mostly clean. See notes for more details on the differences of the two cooking methods.
- Let cake cool to room temperature and then place it into the fridge for at least 1 hour before serving. I usually make mine the night before and just leave the cake overnight in the fridge. Letting the cake sit in the fridge will help develop the flavors. Remove cake from the fridge about 15-30 minutes before serving so that the cake can come back to room temperature.
Notes
- This cake is best made the day before you plan on serving it so it has time to cool and develop its flavors.
- The cake is sweet but not super sweet. If you prefer sweeter desserts, you can use 1 cup of condensed milk instead of 3/4 cup.
- I don't know of a substitute for condensed milk. Other liquid sweeteners like honey or maple syrup will not work because the batter will be too wet.
- The cake will look different in appearance if you bake it versus air fryer. See post for more details. The photos in the post are of the air fryer version. For the baked version, the surface will be more pale and only brown around the edges. You can achieve a caramelized appearance for the baked version if you bake about 10 minutes longer but the cake will be much firmer, more like a flan than cheesecake.
- I have only tested this cake with nonfat Greek yogurt. You can use plain instead of vanilla. If you use plain, you may want to use 1 cup of condensed milk because the yogurt doesn't have any added sugar. Please choose a Greek yogurt brand that is not extra thick. I used Chobani and Amazon happy belly brands.
- The cake can be made in a solid one piece 6 inch round cake pan or a 6 inch springform pan. If using a springform pan, make sure you have a leak-proof one because the batter is very thin. I line the inner bottom with a slightly larger parchment paper round (7-inch) to help seal any gaps. I also recommend using a nonstick one so you only have to line the bottom and just grease the sides.
- I prefer baking this cake in a one piece 6 inch round cake pan. To remove cake, you can turn the cake pan upside down and use a spatula to help loosen the sides and bottom. Then carefully slide out and then flip it back up. You can also line the cake pan with parchment paper handles before lining the pan so that you can grab the handles and lift the cake up. To do this, grease the inside of the cake pan. Then place in two strips of parchment paper that run across the cake pan from one side to the other with some overhang. The two strips should cross and form an “X’ at the bottom of the pan. Then line the bottom and sides of the cake pan with parchment paper as you would normally do.
- I use this Wilton 6-inch round pan.*
- *This product link is an affiliate link. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Can I double this and put it in an 8″ cake pan?
Is it a square pan? It might work – if it’s a round pan, it may not. Sorry, but without testing it we can’t say for sure!
This sounds easy and delicious. I’d like a lemon version, can you tell me if adding lemon juice and zest will still work? Really enjoy your minimalist recipes…
We have a Lemon Yogurt Cake you should try! It’s basically a lemon version of this recipe.
Hi im just wondering if this is a cheesecake because it dont contain cheesecake ingredients, cream cheese an heavy cream and a base , i use these for my cheesecake
That’s why we call it yogurt cheesecake – it’s made with yogurt but it has the texture of cheesecake. Hope that helps!
Hi! Your recipe was spot on! Great directions and exact info what to expect, taste and see!
I thank you so very much for your caring hand holding instructions! I served this on Easter with strawberries everyone loved it and I will definitely make again
We’re so glad you loved it!
I made a chocolate version with cocoa powder, and chocolate chips and swirled it in with Chocolate syrup!
That sounds amazing!
I never thought this would work and taste good but it did! I baked mine and it was perfect. The taste is not sweet, so I did also add just a dash of vanilla. I made mine with Chobani nonfat greek yogurt and it was perfect, texture and firm. Add a fruit topping for serving and you can’t beat this low-calorie, low-fat sweet treat. I will be making this again and playing with this recipe for some other flavor options. Yummy!!
I’m so glad it worked out for you!
I wanna learn more about this recipes
All of the recipe info is in the recipe card at the end of the post (before the comment section) – also, the post has lots of helpful info, too!
Your recipes look delicious and so easy to make. I am looking forward to try them out. I like the idea of low calories too.
Thank you very much.
We hope you love them!
How about making it in a insta pot?
Sorry I haven’t tried making it in an Instant Pot
One can of sweetened condensed milk has 220 g of sugar. If you thought it was 22. You were looking at a 2 tablespoon portion as a serving. I can has 10 servings.
The nutrition estimate is for 3/4 cup of condensed milk which is what the recipe uses. It does not use a full can. 1 can is about 1 1/4 cups.
Can you substitute the Greek yogurt for dairy free yogurt?
We haven’t tried dairy-free yogurt. We’re not sure if it will work, but if you try it, you should use a fat-free one that is not super thick.
Looks delicious and definitely healthier than traditional cheesecake.
Easy as pie. Cooking in air fryer now. Hope it is good.
We hope you enjoy it!
Fantastic yummy
I’m glad you enjoyed it!
What about a topping?
A topping you like on cheesecake should work fine! Fruit sauce, chocolate sauce… let us know if you try one!
A “Healthier” Cheesecake? Sweetened condensed milk, corn starch and sweetened yogurt is far worse for A1-C blood sugar aka diabetes than sour cream, cream cheese, that you can flavor with stevia or monk fruit and lemon with a dash of vanilla on a nut crust. ?
I never said it was a “healthier” cheesecake. Not sure where you got that from. I said it is lighter because it has lower calories and fat.
I don’t know why people are trying to attack you with word games!! Thank you for sharing this awesome easy delicious recipe!! God Bless
Thank you!
I really want to try this, it looks so good, but all I have is plain whole fat Greek yogurt. Will the whole fat cook properly?
Sorry, we’re not sure because we’ve only tested the recipe with fat-free.
Excellent recepe Thanku
You’re welcome!
Hey,
Could we use plain yoghurt and add a splash of vanilla extract for the same effect?
You can use plain greek yogurt. Not plain regular yogurt
Actually, you *could* use plain, regular yogurt, IF you strain it.
Line a sieve with some cheesecloth or a clean, thin tea towel. Place this over a bowl which is larger & deeper than your sieve.
Dump your yogurt into the lined sieve & allow to drain overnight in your fridge.
The next day, use the drained yogurt in any recipe you want to.
Keep in mind however, that low fat or ‘fat free’ yogurt is mostly water. When you strain it, you won’t end up with much yogurt curd.
Personally, I myself would use full-fat regular yogurt if you’re going to strain your yogurt.
Good luck 🙂
Thanks for sharing your tips – just keep in mind we’ve only tested this recipe with nonfat yogurt and if you strain regular yogurt, as you point out, you most like will need more for the recipe.
Can you use a low fat cherry yoghurt (or other flavours) instead? Does it have to be low fat Greek?
It needs to be fat-free Greek yogurt for the recipe to work right.
Can you use flax meal- instead of cornstarch to thicken the cheesecake?
Sorry I don’t know
For the cheesecake, could I substitute coconut milk for the sweetened condensed milk? I’m trying to stay away from sugar. Thanks.
It will not work with regular coconut milk.
Hi there,
I’m looking for a no bake pineapple cheesecake. The recipe I used previously called for unflavored gelatin to make the cheesecake firm. Unfortunately, I have lost the recipe and would love to see if you have a recipe comparable to it within the parameters you use for your recipes. My husband is diabetic and I try to limit ingredients anyway I can. I truly do love your recipes because they all are perfect for me to make dishes (cookies, bread, cake, etc.) that are perfect for him, and I like them too. Keep up the good work. I look forward to every e-mail I receive. Thank you so much.
We don’t have a no bake pineapple cheesecake, but we do have a 2 Ingredient No Bake Cheesecake you might like, but it might not work with the dietary issues you mentioned. Thank you for subscribing to our recipes – we’re glad you’re enjoying them!
Chobani is a poor choice for yogurt. I’d recommend FAGE or any other “Greek” style strained yogurt… best is make or strain your own- very easy to do.
My question about sweetened condensed milk. We find the sweetened type WAY TOO sweet!
Is there an alternative to this?
Thanks much!
I specifically state why Fage is not a good choice for this recipe– it’s too thick. Normally I prefer eating very thick Greek yogurt like Fage but it doesn’t work well for this recipe. Chobani produces a much better texture. This recipe only uses 3/4 cup of condensed milk across the entire cake so it shouldn’t be too sweet.