Who doesn't love a big, satisfying slice of cheesecake? The combination of textures and rich yet tangy flavours is hard to beat, in our opinion. Whether you prefer a classic New York cheesecake or something more fruity, are looking for a chocolate fix (Kit Kat cheesecake, anyone?) or want to try something new, there's a recipe here for you.
This particular version of a New York cheesecake just has the crust on the base, not the sides. It's served with a zingy berry compote, which you can happily make from frozen berries of your choice, although raspberries should be high on the list as their acidity provides a perfect partner to the rich filling. Remember to plan ahead as it needs overnight chilling for it to firm up.
Get the recipe for New York cheesecake with berry compote here
A rich, dark chocolate filling is poured on to a base of chocolate chip cookies, topped with raspberries, then baked. You take it out of the oven while the centre is still not quite set, to prevent a grainy texture. Once baked, running a knife around the edge will help prevent cracking. But if it does, just dust liberally with cocoa powder and your guests will never know! It's a perfect prep-ahead dessert as it'll keep for up to a week in the fridge.
No baking required, this easy dish is ready in 25 minutes. It has a biscuit base which is topped with a mixture of cream, cream cheese, crème fraîche and melted chocolate. The recipe tells you to semi-whip the cream, so just so it holds its shape, but not stiff at all. Don't go any further or it will be tricky to fold it into the chocolate mixture. We love that you can spoon it out of the dish, rather than slice it, and serve family-style.
Here's a simple blueberry cheesecake with a ginger nut base, although you can use any of your favourite biscuits, if you prefer. Remember to use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream in all cheesecake recipes, unless specified otherwise, or the filling won't set. Again, remove from the oven when the centre has a slight wobble, as it continues to cook as it cools.
Use frozen sour cherries for this cheesecake – all the hard work of pitting has been done for you, plus fresh ones can be tricky to track down. The filling is based on cream cheese and Greek yogurt, flavoured with lemon, so it has a lovely tang. You'll need to chill it for at least four hours in the fridge before serving so allow yourself plenty of time.
An American-style cheesecake gets a Caribbean twist. The creamy filling contains a secret ingredient – mashed banana – then it's baked and topped with whipped cream and berries. Cinnamon-spiced banana fritters add a final flourish. It's baked at a very low temperature to prevent the mixture curdling, then cooled in the switched-off oven for a few hours. The fritters on their own would make a great brunch dish.
Get the recipe for American cheesecake with banana fritters here
This easy no-bake cheesecake would be a great choice for a kid's birthday. There's a nutty, oat and syrup shell, which is filled with a cheat's ice cream made from frozen bananas, cocoa, cinnamon and golden syrup. It's all put together in 45 minutes. Freeze the cheesecake until you need it, then top with a compote of cooked blueberries to serve. It just happens to be vegan too.
If you like the fragrance of Middle Eastern desserts, you'll love this cheesecake. There's no baking involved either. The crust is ground pistachio nuts mixed with butter, digestive biscuits and rosewater. It also asks for mahlab, a spice made from the ground stones of a wild cherry, but leave it out or add a little kirsch or cherry brandy if you like. The filling is based on clotted cream and cream cheese – wonderfully rich.
Imagine all the flavours of the famous gâteau made into a cheesecake – chocolate and cherry heaven. When cherries are out of season, just use frozen or cherries from a jar. It's slow-baked, but it does need a few hours chilling time. The final touch is a layer of soured cream spread over the surface. Decorate with chocolate curls if you don't have fresh cherries.
Get the recipe for Black Forest chocolate cherry cheesecake here
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Don't panic at the burnt description of this creamy cheesecake from Spain! It's cooked at a high temperature in the oven, unlike most cheesecakes, and towards the end of cooking, the sugar caramelises to give a burnished effect. There's no crust to prepare and the mixture is similar to a New York cheesecake, with sour cream, cream cheese, eggs and sugar. It's imperative that your ingredients are at room temperature before making it.
A cheesecake for the grown-ups, laced with cream liqueur. There's no baking involved – it's set with gelatine and chilled overnight. It has a light, rather than cloying texture. You can serve it with an extra drizzle of Baileys, fresh berries or decorate it with chocolate curls.
No need for vegans to miss out on cheesecake. The "cream cheese" is made with soaked cashew nuts. You could also use macadamia nuts which will give a slightly sweeter flavour and creamier texture. The base is fantastic – nuts, pumpkin seeds, dates and coconut whizzed up in a food processor – and it's topped with blueberry sauce. Note you'll need to freeze it for three hours before serving.
Fancy a dessert which is ready in just 10 minutes? Try this one. There's a biscuit base with ground pistachio nuts, then it's covered with a creamy lemon filling and lemon curd. No cooking required, just a little butter to melt in the microwave. If you don't have pistachios in the cupboard, it would work just as well with almonds or hazelnuts.
When fresh blackcurrants are in season, this is a must-try, but equally you can use frozen blackcurrants at any time of year. The filling is a simple baked cream cheese, eggs, sugar and vanilla mixture. You need to use full-fat cream cheese though, or it won't set correctly and may be watery. The topping is a blackcurrant compote and the biscuit base is flavoured with rosemary.
Get the recipe for blackcurrant and rosemary cheesecake here
Goats' cheese in the filling adds a touch of fresh acidity to this cheesecake and a blackberry compote is added halfway through baking. Once out of the oven – take note, it needs two and a half hours – it's covered with a granola-style streusel topping, which adds a lovely crunch.
Indulge yourself with this rich chocolate cheesecake with flavours of the Middle East. The creamy no-bake filling is comprised of dark chocolate, tahini paste, orange and honey, on a pistachio and biscuit base. It needs around four hours to set in the fridge, so you can make it the day before serving. It's very rich so just a small slice will hit the spot.
Get the recipe for tahina, chocolate and pistachio cheesecake here
Definitely one for the peanut butter lovers, this decadent cheesecake is also vegan. The base is made with cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, icing sugar and olive oil, to give a lovely hint of chocolate. And the filling uses plant-based cream cheese, soy milk and crunchy peanut butter. Serving a slice of this with a drizzle of melted dark (vegan) chocolate, would be just perfect.
Here's your classic Big Apple recipe! A few tips to note – ensure your ingredients are at room temperature and pour off any liquid from the cream cheese, so it's as dry as possible. Once it's baked, cool it in the switched-off oven, but run a knife around the edge to help prevent cracking as it cools. The sour cream topping will hide any imperfections.
Yuzu is a citrus fruit, halfway between a lemon and a lime, which is grown in Japan, Korea and China. You can buy the bottled juice in most Asian stores. It gives these mini cheesecakes a tangy freshness. Simple and quick to make, the addition of marmalade adds a sweet and sour touch.
This is such a cute idea with Mini Eggs. They are chopped and scattered over the ginger nut biscuit base, and scattered over the cheesecake when it's set. It uses reduced-fat cream cheese and yogurt, so is a slightly healthier recipe. You could make without the Mini Eggs and serve with fresh fruit. It's quick to assemble, with no baking, but does need setting in the fridge overnight.
These little cheesecakes are ready in just 30 minutes. If you don't have a silicone mould for the heart shapes, you could use any silicone muffin mould, or serve them straight from ramekins or small glass dishes. There's a lovely hint of lemon in the filling and the blueberry topping. You can easily use frozen blueberries too. They need to be chilled overnight.
If you're looking for something a little different, which would make a great cheese course and dessert at the same time, this recipe could fit the bill. It's lighter than most cheesecakes as the filling is made from soft goats' cheese and Greek yogurt. There's no biscuit base to prepare and it's baked in the oven, then topped with baked fresh figs drizzled with honey.
Here's the cheesecake for the chocolate lovers in your life! The base is crunchy crumbled Kit Kat fingers with digestive biscuit crumbs and butter. Then you make an easy chocolate filling with dark chocolate, cream cheese and thick yogurt. Pour it over the base, then leave to set overnight in the fridge. Decorate it with more chopped Kit Kat fingers, if you like.
With an elegant swirl of raspberry purée in a creamy white chocolate filling, this is a baked cheesecake which is pretty to look at and very easy to make. Bake it in an ovenproof dish or square tin lined with foil, so once it's set, you can use the foil to help you remove it from the dish to slice into bars. It's especially good served with a scoop of lemon sorbet.
Get the recipe for raspberry ripple and white chocolate bars here
Not strictly a cheesecake, but if you love brownies and love cheesecake, why not combine the two? A layer of rich chocolate brownie is topped with chopped nuts and salted caramel, then baked again with a cheesecake mixture flavoured with orange. It's a taste sensation to serve with vanilla ice cream for added indulgence.
Get the recipe for triple chocolate cheesecake brownies here
This is called a British cheesecake because it uses Wensleydale or Cheshire cheese in the filling, but any mild white semi-hard cheese will do the job. The cheese gives it a refreshing acidity, and it's also made with Greek yogurt and low-fat cream cheese so it's not too rich. The base is made from sponge fingers, rather than biscuits. The cooked, warm blueberry topping can be made ahead of time, then reheated to serve.
Get the recipe for British cheesecake with warm blueberries here
For a cheesecake with a twist, try this one – the base is made with crushed Oreo biscuits. It's vegan but the filling still has a smooth, creamy texture, as it's made with plant-based cream cheese, tofu, melted white chocolate and chocolate chips. A swirl of raspberry jam and fresh raspberries are the icing on top, so to speak!
Get the recipe for vegan white chocolate and raspberry cheesecake here