This lighter lemon yogurt cheesecake is creamy and soft. It only needs 4 ingredients and doesn’t require any flour, butter or oil. It takes only a few minutes to prepare and can be made ahead of time.

This lemon yogurt cheesecake is a lighter version of cheesecake. It is full of lemon flavor and lightly sweetened.

Ingredients

  • Lemon Icelandic yogurt
  • Honey
  • Eggs
  • Cornstarch

Lemon Icelandic Skyr Yogurt: Lemon flavored Icelandic skyr yogurt is used to make this cheesecake instead of cream cheese. It gives this cheesecake a nice lemon flavor and gives it a taste and texture like cheesecake. Skyr is a fresh cheese but is often sold as a yogurt because the texture resembles a very thick yogurt. It is a great, lighter substitute for cream cheese.

Honey: A little honey is added to help sweeten the cake.

Eggs: Eggs help create structure for the cake.

Cornstarch: Cornstarch is added to absorb the excess moisture from the yogurt. Without the cornstarch, the cake will weep when it sits out.

How to Make Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake

  • The yogurt, honey and eggs are added to a blender and blended until smooth. Sift in the cornstarch and blend a few seconds until the cornstarch is evenly combined.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan.
  • This cake is baked in a water bath. Place the cake in a slightly larger pan and fill the outer pan with 1 inch of water,
  • Bake the cake for about 50 minutes or until the center is set.
  • Allow the cake to cool fully. You can also place it into the fridge for a few hours before serving to help the flavors develop better.
  • If desired, you can also decorate the cake before serving. You can lightly dust the surface with powdered sugar and add fresh fruit or you can make a whipped cream frosting.

Expert Tips

  • This is meant to be a healthier version of lemon yogurt cheesecake so the cake is only lightly sweetened. You can add a little more honey if you prefer sweeter or drizzle honey over your cake before serving.
  • You can add some lemon zest if you want more lemon flavor. I don’t recommend adding additional lemon juice because it may cause the cake to be too wet.
  • Baking the cake in a water bath helps the cake have a smoother texture.

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4 Ingredient Lemon Yogurt Cheesecake

This lighter and healthier version of lemon yogurt cheesecake needs just 4 ingredients. No flour, butter or oil. The cake is easy to prepare and comes out soft and creamy.
Servings: 8 slices
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
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Ingredients

  • 1 2/3 cups (371g) lemon Icelandic skyr yogurt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 3 Tbsp (45ml) honey
  • 4 Tbsp (32g) cornstarch

Instructions
 

  • Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease the interior of a 6 inch round cake pan. Try to use one that is 3 inches tall. Line the bottom with a parchment round. You don’t need to line the sides but make sure they are well greased. Make sure to use a one-piece cake pan and not a springform pan. The batter will leak through a springform pan.
  • Add the yogurt, eggs and honey to a blender and blend until smooth. Sift in the cornstarch with a fine mesh sieve. Blend a few seconds until the cornstarch is evenly mixed in. Scrape sides of blender as needed to help everything blend evenly.
  • Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan. Place the cake in a slightly bigger pan, like a 9 inch square pan, and fill the outer pan with 1 inch of cold tap water (1 inch measured while cake is sitting inside the pan). Bake the cake for about 50-60 minutes or until cake is no longer wobbly or jiggly in the center. The edges and surface of the cake may get lightly browned.
  • Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely. Once cooled, you can also place the cake in the fridge for a few hours. This allows the flavors to develop better. As the cake cools, it will shrink a little and should pull away from the sides of the pan. It will also be slightly wrinkly on the surface, so I like to cover the top with fresh fruit, or powdered sugar or a light layer of whipped cream frosting. The cake in the photos includes whipped cream frosting (recipe in the notes section).
  • To remove cake from the pan, gently loosen the sides with a thin spatula. Then carefully flip the cake pan upside down onto a plate and the cake should slide out. Then flip the cake onto another plate to make it right side up again. If desired, frost and decorate the cake before serving. Cut the cake with a sharp knife. Store uneaten cake in an airtight container in the fridge.

Notes

  • Yogurt note: I used Icelandic skyr yogurt because it has a very thick texture that mimics cream cheese better. I tested this cake with Icelandic Provisions lemon skyr yogurt.*
  • I used this 6 x 3 inch round cake pan.*
  • *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
  • Decoration note: I usually decorate the cake with fresh berries or a light dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries. For the cake in the photos, I did use a whipped cream frosting but this is optional.
  • Optional whipped cream frosting:
    • 1 cup heavy cream
    • 2-3 tbsp sugar or sugar substitute
    • Add heavy cream and sugar to a mixer and mixer on high speed until soft peaks form. Spread frosting over surface of the cake.
  • Estimated nutrition does not include optional frosting.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 116kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 4g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Sodium: 58mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 8g, NET CARBS: 12
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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