Fromage Blanc Cheesecake is a French-style cheesecake that’s lighter and more delicate than traditional versions. Made with silky cultured cheese, it bakes into a creamy, custard-soft dessert that’s every bit as luxurious as it sounds.
Fromage blanc cheesecake is the super elegant cousin to your favorite American cream cheese cake and definitely worth trying. Friends, I was blown away by this delicate cheesecake! The flavor and texture are unique and really lovely. I’m smitten!
Why make fromage blanc cheesecake?
It’s silkier (with a cloud-like texture)
It’s lighter (fromage blanc s lower in fat)
It’s tangier (it’s a cultured cheese)
It’s French (they do everything better)
It’s still rich and creamy, but with a fresh, gently tangy flavor and a cloud-like texture. Made the exact same way, but upscaled with lighter leaner ingredients. This French version of cheesecake is less dense, less sweet, and super elegant (isn’t it just like the French to do everything a little bit better.)
Toppings are similarly restrained: The style is simple and seasonal with the cake as the star, not the decorations. The French way to serve a simple slice is with fresh berries or a spoonful of simple coulis like I’ve done below.
fromage blanc ingredient notes
- Fromage blanc is a fresh cultured French cheese made with live bacterial cultures, which give it its gentle tang and thick silky texture. It’s somewhere between yogurt and cream cheese ~ smoother than ricotta, milder than goat cheese, and lighter than cream cheese. It comes in tubs like ricotta or cottage cheese.
- Vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste creates a round full bodied vanilla flavor that shines in this simple cheesecake. This is the brand I use.
- Crumb crust: you’ll need some sort of cookie mixed with melted butter to make the crumb crust. It can be vanilla wafers, good old graham crackers, or spiced cookies like Biscoff. I use whole Oreos in my No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake. Virtually any cookie can be made into a crumb crust, but plain ones work best.
Everything else in this cheesecake recipe is business as usual: you’ll need eggs, sugar, a bit of lemon, and vanilla.
fromage blanc cheesecake baking notes
- WATER BATH PAN PREP: I bake this cake in a water bath for gentle baking. Wrap your springform pan carefully and completely in foil to prevent water seepage.
- LOOSEN EDGES: This is a soft cheesecake and as you can see from the photo above the sides don’t shrink away from the edges of the pan after baking like my classic Lemon Cheesecake does. You’ll need to run a thin knife around the edge to loosen it before unlatching your pan.
- NEATEN EDGES: After releasing from the pan I press in a few extra crumbs to the exposed sides of the cheesecake.
- CHILLING NOTES: I lay a paper towel across the top of the pan before wrapping in plastic for chilling. This absorbs any condensation that develops as it chills.
Serving fromage blanc cheesecake the French way
The mantra for French desserts is “just enough”. That means dessert is restrained, and nothing is done to excess. Don’t add a layer of sour cream or piles of whipped cream when it’s not necessary. The silky cheesecake itself can be just enough. Here are some simple, not too sweet ideas you might not have thought of…
- a spoonful of warmed jam or marmalade
- creme fraiche
- toasted sliced almonds
- citrus segments and a drizzle of honey
- a raspberry coulis or other dessert sauce like Rhubarb Sauce, Fresh Cherry Sauce, or Strawberry Sauce.
common questions
It has a texture similar to yogurt, and the flavor is a cross between yogurt and cream cheese. Very mild and creamy.
It’s French but some American cheesemakers also produce it, like Vermont Creamery, and you can find it sometimes at Whole Foods, through Instacart, and local gourmet or coop stores. Ask if you don’t see it.
You could but you’ll want to add a little liquid to compensate for the firmer cheese. Maybe a little milk or creme fraîche. Beat cream cheese well, then add: 3 Tbsp crème fraîche + 1 Tbsp milk to mimic the silkiness of fromage blanc.
The water bath keeps the baking nice and even and gentle. You can try without it, but you may get a slightly different texture. Your baking time will be shorter so watch for the edges to be set and the center still jiggly.
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Fromage Blanc Cheesecake
Equipment
- 9" springform cheesecake pan
- stand mixer or electric beaters
Ingredients
crust
- 1 1/2 cups Nilla Wafer cracker crumbs*, or any cracker crumb you like, chocolate, vanilla, or spiced
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
cheesecake
- 16 oz fromage blanc
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or seeds from one one vanilla bean
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
optional topping
- Fresh berries for topping (e.g., strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F and butter and flour your cheesecake pan. Wrap the bottom and edges with foil to prevent water seepage. Ready a larger pan to serve as a water bath for the cheesecake.
- Toss the 1 1/2 cups Nilla Wafer cracker crumbs* with the 1/4 cup melted unsalted butter until everything is evenly moist and crumbly. Press into the bottom of your prepared pan and tamp down firmly.
- In a stand mixer or with electric beaters beat the 16 oz fromage blanc with the 3/4 cup sugar until light and smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to get everything evenly combined.
- Crack in the 3 large eggs, one at a time, and beat well between each addition. Scrape the sides as needed.
- Blend in the 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste or seeds from one vanilla bean, and 2 tbsp lemon juice.
- Transfer the batter to the pan, it will be quite thin.
- Place the cheesecake pan in your larger pan and add hot water until it comes an inch or two up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Carefully slide it into the oven. Bake for 60 minutes or until the edges will look set but the center will still have a custard-like wobble.
- Remove the cheesecake from the pan and set on a rack to cool at room temperature. Then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for several hours, or you can leave it overnight, which is what I do.
- Run a thin offset spatula around the edges of the cheesecake to loosen it, if necessary, before removing the sides of the springform pan.
- Serve simply with berries or a fruit sauce.
Notes
Nutrition
more cheesecake!
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