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    Home » Recipes » Pie Recipes

    Feta Cheesecake with a Rich Chocolate Ganache

    Published: Sep 6, 2011 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    357 shares
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    • Yummly
    4.91 from 10 votes
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    pinterest image for feta cheesecake

    When life hands you feta make a Feta Cheesecake! Feta would not be my first choice for a cheesecake but it surprised me at just how flavorful the cake was. The chocolate did help temper the stronger feta flavor.

    chcocolate topped Feta Cheesecake topped with pecans with a graham cracker crust sitting on a white plate

    I love feta cheese. It is such a flavorful cheese, and I use it on almost every salad I eat, but I was thinking of other applications, what could I do a little outside the box with this wonderful cheese? I kept going back to cheesecake, something kept pulling me towards the unlikely combination of feta and cream cheese, I saw a lot of savory types of feta cheesecakes but hadn’t seen any use as a sweet cheesecake…..sigh    There must be a reason, but since I couldn’t think of one, I decided to give it a try.

    I knew the cheesecake would not be as sweet as a new york style or even ricotta, the flavor of the feta was just a little too pronounced to let that happen. I knew my cheesecake would need a complement to the tang of the feta, and chocolate seemed to be the answer…….well chocolate is the answer to a lot of questions, but that’s another story! I reached for my semi-sweet chocolate and prepared a ganache for the topping, for the crust I used my favorite digestive biscuits, and threw in a good handful of salted pistachio’s just to add another element into this flavor feast.

    slice of Feta Cheesecake topped with chocolate ganache served on a white plate with crumbled pecans

    The results were not quite as I had planned but all in all, it was a very interesting and tasty cheesecake, the feta lent an interesting element to the filling, and the chocolate complimented the cheese so very well. The crust was a little bit of a letdown but did add yet another dimension to the cake if I make this again my only change would be to sweeten the crust up a bit and instead of pistachios use an unsalted pecan.

    All in all the experiment was a success and while it got mixed reviews even the doubters were impressed with the flavors. If you do try this cake, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, especially served with a good cup of coffee or espresso!

    slice of Feta Cheesecake cut into with a fork with a piece missing

    If you love cheesecakes your going to love these recipes:

    • Authentic Ricotta Cheesecake
    • Mascarpone Strawberry Cheesecake
    • Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Bars with a toffee crust
    • Blood Orange Ricotta Cheesecake
    • Chocolate Cheesecake Bars with Pecan Shortbread Crust

    Did you make this? Please RATE THE RECIPE below!

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    Feta Cheesecake
    Print Recipe Save Saved!
    4.91 from 10 votes

    Feta Cheesecake with a Rich Chocolate Ganache

    My Feta Cheesecake is a tangy and delicious blend of cream cheese and feta bringing you a different and delightfully flavorful cheesecake
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time1 hr
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 12
    Calories: 514kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    Ingredients

    • 8 oz Feta Cheese
    • 8 oz Cream Cheese
    • ½ cup Heavy Cream
    • 2 Large Eggs
    • ¾ cup Sugar
    • 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
    • 1 Tbsp Lime Zest finely grated
    • Juice of one lime
    • 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
    • 12 Digestive Biscuits
    • ½ Cup Salted Pistachio’s (or pecans)
    • 4 oz unsalted butter (melted)
    • 8 oz semi sweet chocolate chopped
    • 4 oz heavy cream
    US Customary – Metric
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    Instructions

    • In a food processor add the digestive biscuits and pistachios and process into crumbs for crust
    • add melted butter to crust mixture and form into crust in a tart pan, or cheesecake pan.
    • Bake crust for 10 minutes at 350 degrees
    • In the bowl of the food processor, add the feta and heavy cream and process, until it begins to get smooth.
    • Add in Cream cheese and continue to process
    • Add eggs, lime juice, vanilla and lime zest and process until blended.
    • Add in flour and sugar and process until all is incorporated and mixture is smooth and creamy*
    • Pour mixture into cooled tart shell and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, keep an eye on the cheesecake, do not let it get too dark or crack.
    • While cheesecake is baking prepare the ganache.
    • Over a pot of boiling water in a metal bowl add your chopped chocolate and heavy cream, stirring until all the chocolate is melted and is smooth.
    • Allow chocolate to cool while cheesecake is cooling down.
    • Pour ganache over the cheesecake, using an offset spatula to smooth it into place.
    • Use a nice layer of chocolate, it should be about ¼ of an inch thick at the center.
    • Place finished cake in refrigerator and allow to set for at least 4 hours or overnight.*

    Notes

    * taste the mixture and if it’s not sweet enough add more sugar to your liking. Once baked it will not be as sweet as the raw batter. * If you have time allow cheesecake to set overnight and add the chocolate to the cake the next day, then allow the chocolate to set up in the refrigerator.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 514kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 116mg | Sodium: 361mg | Potassium: 241mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 920IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 152mg | Iron: 2.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis Littley is a classically trained chef with over 40 years of experience working in the food service industry. In his second career as a food blogger he has made it his mission to demistify cooking by sharing his time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen. Let Chef Dennis help you bring the joy of cooking into your home. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

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    1. Beverly

      May 30, 2022 at 2:07 pm

      5 stars
      Hi, I have made this cheesecake many times as a treat at work, I get asked by my colleagues to make it, rich and decadent and we love it! I never liked feta but this is fabulous! I add more lime to the mix and it really works a treat! Thank you, forever fan!

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        May 30, 2022 at 3:02 pm

        hi Beverly
        thanks for leaving the great review and I’m thrilled that you’ve been making my feta cheesecake! It’s not one of my more popular posts but I do think it’s an awesome cheesecake!

        Reply
    2. Linda

      August 30, 2020 at 6:56 am

      5 stars
      I made this, and it was to die for. Where do the pistachios go?

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        August 30, 2020 at 10:48 am

        the pistachios were in the crust. Not a biggie to leave them out, just trying to make it different

        Reply
    3. Johanna

      October 03, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      I made this for a luncheon and it was a big hit. I saved a piece for my boyfriend. He even liked it. He went on and on about how good it was. He dislikes feta cheese very much. He never guessed.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        October 03, 2015 at 9:39 pm

        thanks for letting me know Johanna and happy to hear that you enjoyed the cheesecake!

        Reply
    4. thoma

      October 28, 2011 at 3:10 pm

      Hi

      A hiatus of four-five months and instead of disappearing am back. I had to trawl you in google…your site has a complete revamp! cool and so neat.
      I haven’t logged in to foodbuzz in tha past six months and I dont know if they’ve whisked me away! Am scared to look up. The option of not having a delete all button after filtering the friends request quite bogs me down.
      So how you been and your four ams? Read the post from top to bottom. Houz your health and houz your lady?
      Can you believe it, I haven’t tasted feta! So can’t really say how much you’ve pushed the bar on this…

      Reply
    5. Tiffany

      September 22, 2011 at 8:08 am

      Chef, this cheesecake left me speechless! And as always, thanks for the help!

      Reply
    6. Kelly Senyei

      September 14, 2011 at 8:46 am

      I absolutely love the idea of swapping in a variety of cheeses in classic cheesecake. Ricotta used to be my go-to favorite, but I think this one just might oust it from the top spot. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    7. Nicole @ Bake Me Blush

      September 11, 2011 at 7:38 am

      A feta cheesecake definitely sounds interesting and it’s something I’ve never seen before. It looks amazing and I love your gorgeous presentation. Also, thank you very much for the helpful tips on the social media and food porn sites. They were extremely helpful to me.

      Reply
    8. Julia @ DimpleArts

      September 10, 2011 at 1:04 am

      Great Social Media advice. Knapkins is a great site. Christine is very nice and contacted me herself (made me feel kinda special) 🙂 I’ll check out some of the other ones you mentioned.

      Reply
      • Chef D

        September 10, 2011 at 6:49 am

        Isn’t it great when someone who runs a site personally reaches out to you! Christine is a gem!

        Reply
    9. Cinna B.

      September 10, 2011 at 1:48 am

      I have so much feta in the fridge that’s been there for days, and I finally know what to do with it now!

      I’ve thought about pursuing a culinary career. I think the thought lasted… a few seconds. Number one reason?

      I’m a night owl – 4 am? Definitely can’t do it! Much respect for you.

      Reply
      • Chef D

        September 10, 2011 at 6:48 am

        Thank you, let me know if you make it!

        Reply
    10. Apron Appeal

      September 09, 2011 at 3:43 am

      I have a stumbled upon account and have no IDEA how to use it. I’ve been asking around and no one’s been able to tell me. Thanks for the jumping off point.

      Reply
    11. Gera@Sweets Foods Blog

      September 08, 2011 at 8:24 pm

      Dennis my stomach is growling, immediately after seeing this scrumptious cheesecake!

      You know I’m dessert-crazy 🙂 Kudos for that recipe!

      Totally with you about social media presence – everywhere if it is possible but managing the time wisely.

      Klout is more a ranking automatic system that allow persons to see how influencer are over others, depending of the social sites that they interact.

      Sorry to hear about the rejections on those photo-sites (usual in my case too), so I stopped and started using other social sites (really social) because the other food-pic-sites are just places to put photos, not social.

      Foodies enjoy a lot Stumbleupon, so the traffic and persons you can contact there, is much better 🙂

      Talking about SU, stumbled!

      Cheers,

      Gera

      Reply
    12. Julie M.

      September 08, 2011 at 1:26 pm

      I love your take on cheesecake here Dennis! That chocolate ganache topping seals the deal for me. And I had no idea they had raised that much for Jennie! What an amazing group of bloggers this community has.

      Reply
    13. Kim - Liv Life

      September 08, 2011 at 11:52 am

      Dennis… another wonderful post. I’ve been so out of touch lately, I really need to catch up and return to the blog world. Vacations are over for a few weeks (my husband just surprised me with a trip to Rome in late Oct!!) and I need to focus on the blog a bit. You alway shave so much information. I’ve just past your series on to a friend who is working to grow her blog. Thank you for all you have done for our community!!
      We finally have the heat that I’ve been jealous of you having all summer… now I kind of wish it would cool off!! 😉

      Reply
    14. Kath

      September 08, 2011 at 10:26 am

      I don’t know how your photos could possibly be rejected, Dennis! I think you could start a new career as a food photographer! Your feta cheesecake is drop-dead gorgeous! 😉

      Reply
    15. Suzi

      September 08, 2011 at 8:23 am

      Your blogs are always so helpful and informative and of course the cheesecake looks delicous! Thanks.
      Suzi

      Reply
    16. Elin

      September 08, 2011 at 8:05 am

      Chef.. that is a lovely feta cheesecake you have there !. I want a slice…can? I have never tried cheesecake using feta cheese 🙂 thanks for sharing the recipe . Whoa…BWB have collected $63K for Jennifer and her gals…thanks all the generous ppl out there for donating generously…yea…food bloggers are great people. We should help one another in times of need 🙂

      I got rejected so many times by foodgawker that I have not submitted any to them for the last one year. Shall look into knapkins and kitchen artistry 🙂 Thanks Chef for the social media tips and have a nice day !,

      Elin

      Reply
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    My name is Dennis Littley or "Chef Dennis" as I'm known both at work and across the blogosphere. As a classically trained chef with 40+ years of experience in the kitchen, I share my time-tested recipes, knowledge, and chef tips to help you create easy-to-make restaurant-quality meals in your home kitchen.

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