Jan 6, 20192 min read

Cheesecake in a Jar - New York Style

Updated: Apr 1

Cooking cheesecakes has a few challenges - cooking the cake evenly and moreover keeping it from cracking.

These challenges are easy to overcome in sous vide cooking, using mason jars.

I’ve been cooking a lot in sous vide, but this recipe was the most enjoyable because my daughters helped with the entire process, including the eating part 😊

If you’re looking for a fun culinary activity with your kids – this recipe is for you!

Ingredients for the batter (equivalent to 10 4oz/125ml jars)

8 ounces (235 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup (180 grams) sugar
1/3 cup whole milk (3%)
2 eggs
1/2 cup (200 grams) sour cream
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp lemon zest (optional)

Ingredient for the crust

10 Lotus biscoff cookies
40 grams melted butter

Ingredients for the topping

I used berries which added a twist of sourness to the sweetness of the cheesecake, but this is the place where you can use your imagination and your favorite flavors.

Mixing

Before starting the mixing process, make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature (about 30 minutes outside the fridge).

First, place the cream cheese and the sugar in a large mixing bowl (mixer preferred) and start mixing on low speed.

After reaching a smooth texture, add the milk, eggs (one at a time), sour cream, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, and lemon zest to the bowl and continue mixing until the texture is smooth with no lumps.

In order to take this to the next level and reach an even smoother texture, you can strain the mixture with a fine-mesh sieve.

Make sure to stop occasionally the mixing process in order to scrape down the sides with a silicone spatula.

Preparing the crust

In a food processor, mix the lotus cookies with the melted butter until you reach a crumbly result.

Assembling the cake

First, add into a jar the crust and tighten it down with your fingers.

Pour the cheesecake batter on top of the crust layer, filling it up almost to the top to prevent the jar from floating inside the water bath.

Place the lid on top and twist the band to seal the jar, but not too tight - once you submerge the jars into the preheated water, the water will create enough pressure to vacuum the jar.

Cooking

Carefully, submerge the mason jars one at a time into the preheated water at 85°C/185°F and cook for 90 minutes.

Chilling time

Remove the mason jars from the water bath and let them cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate the mason jars overnight for best results - I know it's going to be tempting to eat them right away, but the difference in taste and texture is well worth the wait.