CRAZY 3 INGREDIENT CHEESECAKE!!

This 3 Ingredient Cheesecake recipe is creamy, delicately sweet, and tastes like cheesecake, but believe it or not, doesn’t contain one lick of cream cheese. It’s truly amazing and delicious!

_{***This recipe was updated October 2021}

Crazy Three Ingredient Cheesecake

To say I was skeptical of this recipe is an understatement. I’ve seen it rolling around the web for a little while and I have to say it really piqued my interest.

I mean, come on.. 3 ingredients?? CHEESECAKE??

I had to try it, of course!

Why it’s called a “Cheater” Cheesecake

Well for one, it has only 3 ingredients. And second… IT HAS NO CREAM CHEESE IN IT!!
That’s correct, no cream cheese. You could also call this a yogurt cheesecake because that would be more appropriate, based on the ingredients.

Ingredients for this 3 Ingredient No Bake Cheesecake 

1.  Graham Crumbs
2.  Greek Yogurt
3.  Sweetened Condensed Milk

Making a cheesecake with yogurt wasn’t something I had thought about because well, CHEESEcake. But it makes sense because I’ve made a spreadable Lemon Dill Cheese spread using yogurt so I was really interested in seeing how this turned out.

Making this Yogurt Cheesecake the First Time

I put the graham crumbs into a microwave-safe pan and pressed them in. 
I know what you’re thinking because I thought it too.

Traditionally, a graham cracker crust recipe has butter added to them to help bind them. Not this one. 

I was skeptical, but I pushed on. 

I mixed the yogurt and the sweetened condensed milk together. Interesting combination without a doubt.  Surprisingly, no eggs or anything like that helps to bind the filling.

I poured the mixture into the pan on top of the graham crumbs.  Then…. MICROWAVED IT! 

Don’t worry my lovelies, I can hear you from here. Yes. It’s crazy, I know. 

Take it out after the cooking time and chill overnight. (I made a simple compote to serve on top of the dessert. The recipe and directions for that will be found in the recipe card below as well!)

My Initial Thoughts on this No Bake 3 Ingredient Cheesecake

 Ok, well, the crust.  Admittedly, the crust sort of came together because of the whey that comes out of the yogurt and helps bind the crumbs together.

However, there were some crumbs that didn’t get the addition of that whey, and so they stayed crumbs. 

No Beuno. 
So, I made this no-bake dessert again, with changes!

Changes I Made to this Cheesecake Recipe 

• I used flavored VANILLA greek yogurt.
• I added butter to the crumbs to make a nicer crust.

I realize this addition makes it a 4 ingredient recipe, but I feel the addition of the butter really adds more wonderful flavor, plus acts as a barrier to the whey that I mentioned earlier, however it’s optional if you don’t want to use it.

What’s Great about this Cheesecake Dessert?

I was BLOWN AWAY at how good this recipe turned out, flavor-wise. 

What I loved about this recipe

• The flavor tasted just like cheesecake
• The texture was smooth and creamy.
• I’ll say it didn’t have that really heavy, almost stodgy type of texture most cheesecakes have. It was creamy and smooth and OH so delicious. 
• No worries about the infamous cracks that sometimes happen when baking cheesecake.

I only made a half recipe this time and a smaller glass pan. After putting the crust in the pan, I chilled the crust to help it harden and set. Then I poured the filling in and cooked it in the microwave for a few minutes like the first cake. 

After the microwave, I chilled the dessert overnight.

For this smaller cheater cheesecake, I topped it with my  Homemade Pomegranate Sauce. SO delicious!! (recipe coming!!)

Important note:

I suggest using parchment paper initially, under the crust, only for ease of removal when you want to serve. 

This version of the cheesecake is so MUCH nicer!! I was happy with the crust and how it turned out!!

The crust has a nice buttery flavor, it’s firm, and it stays together much better than just simply pouring the crumbs in the bottom of the pan and relying on the whey to make it hold together. 

Ok, so there you have it my pretty lovelies! Super easy, really delicious (and maybe even made a tad bit healthier with the use of the yogurt), 3 Ingredient Cheesecake! (ok.. ok. 4 ingredient cheesecake!) 

If you’re looking for other super easy desserts to make, check out this insanely easy Cheater Fruit Cobbler, or this 2 Ingredient Pumpkin Brownies recipe that is incredibly fudgy and delicious!

I hope that you give this recipe a try and when you do, please let me know what you think by leaving a ***STAR RATING*** and comment below, or shoot me an email at Joanne@thesaltypot.com.
Thanks for stopping by The Salty Pot, and I hope you have a fantastic day!

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CRAZY 3 INGREDIENT CHEESECAKE

Yield: 1 cake

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes

This 3 Ingredient cheesecake is sweet and creamy, easy to make, and amazing how it comes together. It's SO delicious, and if no one told you it didn't contain cheese, you'd think it was authentic cheesecake!

Print

Ingredients

• 1 liter of vanilla GREEK yogurt (see notes)
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 c graham cracker crumbs
• 1/4 c butter, melted *optional
• Topping: (optional)
• 1 c frozen berries
• 1 tbsp honey
• a squeeze of lemon juice

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together the butter and the crumbs until they resemble sand. (The butter is optional but I advise using it for reasons explained in the post)
2. Press them into the bottom of a parchment-lined glass or microwave-safe pie or cake pan. Chill while you make the filling.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together the yogurt and the sweetened condensed milk. Mix until well combined.
4. Pour the filling into the crust, slowly. Smooth out the top of the cake.
5. Place in the microwave and cook on high for 5 - 6 minutes.
6. Remove and place into the fridge to cool for a few 4-5 hours or overnight.
   
   To make the topping
   In a saucepan, combine the frozen berries and lemon juice. Melt the berries over low heat until they are soft and starting to break down.
   Add the honey and stir until dissolved. Taste for sweetness preference and add more honey if desired. Let cool completely before topping the cake slices with the topping.

Notes

I purchased the greek yogurt with the highest milk fat content that I could find. The brand I used was Olympic and it had 10%MF. If this brand is available to you, I highly suggest using it.
If you don't have access to this yogurt, simply buy the best available to you.

You certainly don't have to add the butter to the crumbs, as the whey from the yogurt will seep into the crust and help it set up. It tastes delicious and works as an option. It's just not a guarantee that the whole crust will be saturated with the whey, that's why I wanted to test it again with the butter in the crust.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 225Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 2gSugar: 20gProtein: 12g

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