Cheesecake

Michael Eisenwasser

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A classic New York style cheesecake made with lactose-free cream cheese and a gluten-free graham crust, with an optional berry topping portioned per slice.

Prep 20 min

Cook 1 hr

Serves 12

Gluten-free

Ingredients

Crust

• 1 1/2 cups (180 g) gluten-free graham crumbs (Kinnikinnick S'moreables or Schar Honeygrams, crushed)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, melted
• Pinch of fine salt

Filling

• 32 oz (900 g) lactose-free cream cheese, softened (Green Valley Creamery)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (120 g) lactose-free sour cream or lactose-free plain Greek yogurt, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 4 large eggs, room temperature

Optional berry topping (per serving)

• Up to 65 g strawberries (about 5 medium, halved), or 28 g blueberries (about 20), or 30 g raspberries (about 30) — weigh for accuracy
• 1 to 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, if needed

Makes one 9-inch cheesecake. Serves 12.

Instructions

Make the Crust

1. Heat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Wrap the outside of a 9-inch springform pan in two layers of heavy-duty foil to protect against a water bath.
2. Stir the graham crumbs, sugar, salt, and melted butter in a bowl until the mixture looks like wet sand.
3. Press firmly into the bottom of the springform pan and about 1/2 inch up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, then cool on a rack while you mix the filling.

Mix the Filling

1. Beat the softened cream cheese in a large bowl with a hand or stand mixer on medium-low speed for 2 minutes, until completely smooth with no lumps. Scrape the bowl often.
2. Add the sugar and cornstarch and beat on low for another minute.
3. Mix in the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
4. Add the eggs one at a time on low speed, beating just until each is incorporated. Do not overmix once the eggs are in, or the top will crack.

Bake in a Water Bath

1. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and smooth the top.
2. Place the foil-wrapped springform into a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the springform.
3. Bake at 325°F (160°C) for 55 to 70 minutes, until the edges are set and the center still jiggles slightly when the pan is nudged. The internal temperature should read about 150°F (65°C).
4. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let the cheesecake sit inside for 1 hour. This slow cooldown prevents cracks.
5. Remove from the water bath, unwrap the foil, and run a thin knife around the edge. Chill uncovered for 1 hour, then cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight before slicing.

Top and Serve

1. Release the springform and transfer the cheesecake to a plate.
2. Slice into 12 wedges with a hot, dry knife (dip in hot water and wipe between cuts).
3. Top each slice individually with the berry amount listed above so everyone gets the same low-FODMAP portion.

Tips & Substitutions

• Use lactose-free cream cheese. Green Valley Creamery lactose-free cream cheese is the closest swap to Philadelphia — same texture, lactose-free. Regular full-fat cream cheese is low-lactose only at small serves per Monash, so a full slice with 32 oz split 12 ways can be too much lactose for some people.
• Sour cream swap. Green Valley lactose-free sour cream or Green Valley lactose-free plain Greek yogurt both work. Regular sour cream at 1/2 cup across 12 slices can be a lot — lactose-free is the simpler pick.
• Crust options. Kinnikinnick S'moreables and Schar Honeygrams are easy gluten-free graham options. Check the ingredient list on any gluten-free cookie for inulin, chicory root fiber, honey, or apple/pear concentrate, since gluten-free doesn't automatically mean low-FODMAP. If you can't find them, crush any plain gluten-free cookie (like a Schar shortbread) or blend 1 1/2 cups gluten-free oat flour with 3 tablespoons maple syrup plus the butter and salt, then pre-bake for 12 minutes.
• No springform? Use a 9-inch deep pie dish. Skip the water bath, bake at 325°F (160°C) for 50 to 60 minutes, and expect a slightly denser texture.
• Dairy-free version. Kite Hill plain almond cream cheese (8 oz tubs) plus a coconut-based plain yogurt (like Cocojune) works best — the texture is softer and the flavor is less tangy, so increase the lemon juice to 2 tablespoons. Avoid cashew-based yogurts here, since cashews are high-FODMAP in modest amounts.
• Skip the berry topping if you've already had enough fruit for the day, or use a thin drizzle of maple syrup instead.
• High-fat dessert caution. Cheesecake is rich. If you're sensitive to high-fat foods, start with half a slice and see how it sits before going bigger.

Why This Works

Lactose-free cream cheese is the main thing that makes this work. Monash lists regular cream cheese as low-lactose only at small serves, but this recipe needs nearly 3 tablespoons of cream cheese per slice. Swapping in Green Valley lactose-free cream cheese keeps the lactose out, so a full slice is low-lactose without having to do the math. The texture and flavor match standard cream cheese closely.

Gluten-free graham crust keeps it celiac-safe. Wheat graham crackers are off-limits on a gluten-free diet and also contain fructans. Kinnikinnick and Schar both make certified gluten-free graham-style cookies that crush to the same crumb texture, so the crust bakes and slices identically to a traditional one. Butter is low-FODMAP at 1 tablespoon per serve, and 6 tablespoons across 12 slices is half that.

Berries are portioned per slice, not per cake. Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries all have different Monash low-FODMAP serve weights, and berry size varies a lot. Plating berries on each slice at serving time — using a kitchen scale for accuracy — keeps every slice in a low-FODMAP portion. Pouring a full berry topping over the whole cake makes it hard to know who got how much.

Sugar, eggs, vanilla, and lemon are low-FODMAP at baking amounts. None of the flavor-carrying ingredients in this filling have meaningful portion limits at normal recipe serves. The only ingredients with real caps are the dairy and the optional fruit, which is why those are the places this recipe deviates from a conventional cheesecake.

Storage

Cover leftover cheesecake tightly with plastic wrap or transfer slices to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days. To freeze, slice the fully chilled cheesecake, wrap each slice in plastic, and freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving. Add fresh berry toppings only at serving time, not before freezing.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.