No-Bake Israeli Crumb Cheesecake
A light, creamy, no-bake cheesecake sits on a tender, buttery shortbread crust, then gets topped with cookies crumbs for its signature look and the perfect contrast of silky, buttery and crunchy in every bite.
Servings 10 people
Ingredients
For the crust and crumbs
- 1/2 Cup (113g) Unsalted butter at room temperature.
- 1/4 Cup (50g) Sugar
- 1 Large Egg yolk at room temperarure
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 Cup (150g) All-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking powder
For the cheese filling
- 1 Cup (225g) Cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 Cup (240g) Plain Greek yogurt at room temperature
- 2 Cups (480g) Heavy cream, very cold
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla bean paste
- 2/3 Cup (80g) Powdered sugar
- 1/4 Cup (40g) Vanilla instant pudding
Instructions
Making the crust
- Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
- Beat the butter (113g) and sugar (50g) using the paddle attachment or electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Mix in the egg yolk and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon).
- Add the baking powder (1/4 teaspoon) to the flour (150g) then gradually mix it into the butter mixture.
- Mix until you have a smooth dough.
- Divide the dough into 2/3 and 1/3 parts. Spread the large part over the bottom of your pan, and use a fork to prick the top. Flatten the smaller part into 1/4 inch disk.
- Bake for 15-18 minutes, until the crust is lightly golden.
Make the filling
- Whip the cream cheese (225g) and Geek yogurt (240g) until fully incorporated.
- Pour in the heavy cream (480ml) and vanilla bean (1 Tablespoon), then sift over the powdered sugar (80g) and instant pudding (40g).
- Whip the mixture until it rices stiff peaks, and you have a smooth mixture.
Assembling
- Once the dough has cooled, top it with the cream filling and use an offset spatula to smooth it.
- Using your fingers or a fork, break the shortbread disk into crumbs.
- Sprinkle it over the top of the cake and refrigerate for 6-8 hours before serving.