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    Ask Chef Dennis » Recipes » Dessert Recipes » Pie Recipes » Feta Cheesecake with a Rich Chocolate Ganache

    Feta Cheesecake with a Rich Chocolate Ganache

    Published: Sep 6, 2011 · Modified: Jun 19, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley · 61 Comments·This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    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!

    Please SUBSCRIBE and FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST!

    Feta Cheesecake
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    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 is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Mike@The Culinary Lens

      September 08, 2011 at 4:02 am

      4 stars
      A recipe worth trying for sure.

      Now you have me curious about Stumble Upon. I am a bit dumb when it comes to Twitter protocols an I am usually fairly tech savvy I have to make more of an effort to learn #FF etc.

      Reply
    2. GARLUTTI

      September 08, 2011 at 3:12 am

      Hi… after a long vacation I’m back visiting your blog .. beautiful cake that you’ve done … I love … I invite you to see my paella … bssMARIMI

      Reply
    3. Anne@frommysweetheart

      September 07, 2011 at 10:47 pm

      I’m a huge fan of cheesecake, but have never attempted to make it with feta! I bet the saltiness of that cheese pairs really well with the chocolate! And thanks for the many wonderful tips about all the social media available to food bloggers. It’s really very helpful, especially for new bloggers like me! And I don’t mean this the way it’s going to sound…..but I’m glad I’m not the only one suffering the rejections of the major food porn sites! It can be so frustrating at times! Great post, Chef….thanks so much!

      Reply
    4. Colette @ justforfoodies

      September 07, 2011 at 8:39 pm

      Feta & chocolate…oh, the salty with the sweet. Sounds crazy good.

      Reply
    5. Meghan

      September 07, 2011 at 8:34 pm

      Love that you used feta, so different & daring! I bet it’s great with the chocolate ganache! I’m going to have to try it out in my next cheesecake 🙂

      Reply
    6. Sandra

      September 07, 2011 at 7:54 pm

      5 stars
      I imagined that it would be very interesting and daring using feta in cheesecake, but I guess sweet and salty would work together. It sure looks very appealing and tempting..love the photos.

      Also I am so happy that ‘bloggers without borders’ raised money for Jennie..it is such a great and supportive community around us.

      Reply
    7. Tobias @ T and Tea Cake

      September 07, 2011 at 6:59 pm

      Ok. I am stil not so sure about the feta cheesecake to be honest because I just cannot imagine how it would taste in a sweet recipe. But Kudos for pulling something like this off, very daring and it takes some courage! Maybe I just need to try it myself. 😉

      And the ask dennis section is great! I really appreciate your suggestions. 🙂

      Cheers,
      Tobias

      Reply
    8. Joan Nova

      September 07, 2011 at 6:10 pm

      I can’t believe you get rejections from the top food porn sites…your photos are so good. For example, that cheesecake makes me want to dive in and I don’t even like cheesecake!

      As usual, I agree and appreciate the comments under “Ask Chef Dennis”. Keep ’em coming!

      Reply
    9. Charlie

      September 07, 2011 at 5:46 pm

      It’s been so long since I’ve had a good cheesecake! Must be soooo good with the feta!!!

      Reply
    10. Elyse @The Cultural Dish

      September 07, 2011 at 5:35 pm

      Feta in cheesecake!? Who would have thought!! I like that you went through the different social media sites. I have been hearing about stumble upon lately but am still confused as to what it is, so I’ll have to do some research. Also, how exactly does google+ work?

      Thanks!

      Reply
    11. Kate @ Kate from Scratch

      September 07, 2011 at 5:36 pm

      This sounds down right ridiculous, how good…tangy..rich…like fudgy goat cheese brownies but more complex. I’m definitely making this.

      Reply
    12. Erin @ Dinners, Dishes and Desserts

      September 07, 2011 at 4:30 pm

      I am new to liking cheesecake at all, so I am not sure I am up to feta cheesecake yet (I am not a fan of cheese pretty much across the board). But it looks gorgeous, and I love the risk! I need to spend time on Stumble Upon. I put the button on my site, but that is IT! I need to figure out more!

      Reply
    13. Cucina49

      September 07, 2011 at 3:06 pm

      The recipe looks gorgeous, but I really appreciate your sense of trying to enhance the food blogger community. It’s great advice and much appreciated!

      Reply
    14. Sprigs of Rosemary

      September 07, 2011 at 12:14 pm

      Your crativity never ceases to amaze me . . . never would have thought of this. Great experiment.

      Reply
    15. The Elegant Eggplant

      September 07, 2011 at 12:54 pm

      5 stars
      I would never have thought to use feta this way, but I an intrigued! I too love feta in every salad.. but once I went to Greece I was spoiled and now I am more picky with my feta. Maybe thats a good thing though!!

      Great post.

      Reply
    16. Mari @ Mari's Cakes

      September 07, 2011 at 11:10 am

      I love the ganache on the cheesecake! Great post on social media. Thanks

      Reply
    17. Adora's Box

      September 07, 2011 at 11:55 am

      I love feta and all I get to do with it is marinade it and add it to salads. Being a lover of cheesecake, too, this caught my interest. The chocolate topping is to die for.
      Rejection sucks but these sites know they bring traffic. Glad there’s new ones. Once again, thanks for all the info, Chef.

      Reply
    18. Julia

      September 07, 2011 at 10:24 am

      I love creative cheesecakes like this. I’ve made a savory feta, but never a sweet feta. I appreciate the rich sweetness of a classic New York style, or ricotta, but I also really appreciate the creativity and diverse flavor with the feta and chocolate. Good work, looks lovely!

      Reply
    19. Megan @ Pip and Ebby

      September 07, 2011 at 10:23 am

      I subscribed to your old site via Google Reader and kept wondering where a new post was from you. So now I see this awesome new site! Wow! It looks amazing! Very nicely done. The cheesecake looks sooo interesting. I love your use of different cheeses. Great photos and info, as always..

      Reply
    20. Emily Malloy @Cleanliness

      September 07, 2011 at 9:36 am

      I have died and gone to heaven, Dennis! This is beautiful!

      Reply
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