New York Style Low FODMAP Cheesecake
Our super smooth and creamy New York style cheesecake features real dairy – lactose-free cream cheese and sour cream. The gluten-free, low FODMAP crisp graham-cracker crust makes this a new IBS-friendly classic! We give you options for various toppings, too. Like Strawberry Glazed!
Low FODMAP Serving Size Info: Makes 1, 9-inch (23 cm) cheesecake; 24 slices; serving size 1 slice
Ingredients:
Crust:
- 1¼ cups (about 6-ounces/170 g) very fine low FODMAP cookie crumbs, such as shortbread or graham crackers like Nairn's; use gluten-free, if following a gluten-free diet
- 1 to 6 tablespoons (1 tablespoon to 85 g) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
- 4 -8- ounce (227 g each) containers lactose-free cream cheese, such as Green Valley Creamery, at room temperature
- ¾ cup (149 g) sugar
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature, well beaten
- 1 cup (227 g) lactose-free sour cream, such as Green Valley Creamery, at room temperature
Optional Toppings:
- 1 ½ cups (360 ml) Lemon Curd, prepared but not yet refrigerated
- Or
- 2- pounds (910 g) strawberries, preferably small to medium sized and deep red in color; you might not need them all
- ¼ cup (50 g) sugar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon cold water
- 1½ teaspoons cornstarch
Preparation:
-
For the Crust: Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Coat the inside of a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with nonstick spray. If you have the silicone wrap, place the metal springform pan inside it now. If you do not, then proceed as follows: double wrap the outside of the pan with 18-inch (46 cm)-wide aluminum foil, bringing the foil up and around the sides of the pan all the way to the top edge. Make sure the bottom edge of the pan is completely sealed off to protect it from the water-bath it will be placed in; set pan aside.
-
Place the cookie crumbs in a medium-size mixing bowl and stir in just enough melted butter to moisten the crumbs so that they stick together when pressed against the sides of the bowl. The amount of butter will vary hugely, depending on the type of cookie used. Press the crust mixture firmly into an even layer in the prepared pan.
-
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until light golden brown. You want the crust to dry out a bit; you can touch it to assess. Remove the crust from the oven and set aside on a wire rack. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F (165°C).
-
For the Cheesecake: Place one 8-ounce (225 g) container’s worth of the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and blend, with an electric mixer on low speed, until creamy and smooth, which will happen very quickly. Do not overbeat or let it get too liquidy. Add the sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla and blend very briefly on low speed. Pour in the beaten eggs a little bit at a time, mixing just enough to incorporate. Do not whip on high speed; you do not want to incorporate air. The mixture might be very thin at this point; that’s okay. Add the remaining three containers’ worth of cream cheese and sour cream and beat just until combined and smooth, maybe 30 seconds to 1 minute. If the mixture is not blending, use a large balloon whisk to whisk by hand to bring the cheesecake batter together. Scrape the filling into the crust and smooth the top with a small offset spatula. Place the silicone wrapped or foil-wrapped pan in a large roasting pan. Add very hot tap water to the roasting pan to come up the sides of the wrapped pan by about 1-inch (2.5 cm).
-
Bake for 1 hour. The cake should be set along the edges and slightly jiggly in the center. Turn off the oven and leave the cake in the oven for 20 minutes more. While the cake is still on its oven rack, dip the tip of a small paring knife in warm water and use it to run around the top edge of the cake (going down about ½ inch/12 mm) to loosen it from the pan; this will prevent the sides from pulling away from the pan as it cools, which can create cracks, then remove the cake from the oven. Remove the springform pan from the roasting pan and carefully remove the silicone wrap or foil. (If you are going to use the Lemon Curd option, pause at this point and read the directions further below). Cool to room temperature, then cover the top of the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake in the springform pan overnight or up to 48 hours. Dip a small icing spatula in warm water, shake dry, and run all the way around the outer edge of the cake, going all the way down to the bottom. Release the springform rim, remove it, and place the cake on a display plate. Your NY-Style Low FODMAP Cheesecake is ready to serve and is best served cold and sliced with a very thin-bladed knife, wiped cream between cuts. Dip the knife in warm water to facilitate the process.
-
Optional Toppings:
-
Lemon Curd Cheesecake: Simply pour the fluid lemon curd on top of the cheesecake very gently. Take care not to disturb the cheesecake surface. Use a small offset spatula to smooth it out into an even layer, then refrigerate cheesecake as described, at least overnight.
-
Glazed Strawberry Version: Wash and dry the berries, then hull them. Arrange the best-looking berries, cut side down, all over the top of the cake. Measure out ½-pound (225 g; reserve the rest for another use), finely chop and place them, along with the sugar and lemon juice, in a non-reactive saucepan and stir to combine.
-
Cook over medium heat, crushing the berries with a potato masher or fork, until they become juicy and break down into a thick sauce, for about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cold water and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir into the sauce. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens, for about 1 minute. Scrape into a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl and press the sauce through the strainer, using a silicone spatula. Use a pastry brush and/or small spoon to coat the berries on the cake with the strained sauce. If the sauce thickens too much simply thin with a little bit of warm water. The cake is ready to serve, or may be refrigerated until serving time, preferably within the day. The cheesecake is best served cold the day it is assembled with the topping.
Notes:
Tips
- NY Style Cheesecake, by its very definition, is rich. And filled with dairy. The Low FODMAP diet is not a dairy-free diet, but it is lower in lactose and this recipe features lactose-free cream cheese and sour cream. That said, if you are sensitive to lactose, be prudent and follow your tolerances.
FODMAP Information
Our recipes are based on Monash University and FODMAP Friendly science.
- Strawberries: This popular berry has been lab tested by both Monash University and FODMAP Friendly. Monash lab testing reports that no FODMAPs were detected in strawberries. They suggest 10 medium berries (150 g) as a serving. FODMAP Friendly gives strawberries a “pass” and pegs 10 medium berries at (140 g).
- Sugar: Monash University and FODMAP Friendly have both lab tested white, granulated sugar. Monash states that a Green Light low FODMAP serving size of white sugar is 1/4 cup (50 g). FODMAP Friendly simply states that they have tested 1 tablespoon and that it is low FODMAP. Regular granulated white sugar is sucrose, which is a disaccharide made up of equal parts glucose and fructose. Sucrose is broken down and absorbed efficiently in the small intestine.
Please always refer to the Monash University & FODMAP Friendly smartphone apps for the most up-to-date lab tested information. As always, your tolerance is what counts; please eat accordingly. The ultimate goal of the low FODMAP diet is to eat as broadly as possible, without triggering symptoms, for the healthiest microbiome.