High-Protein Skyr Cheesecake
Serves 8 · Prep 15 min · Bake 55 min · Chill 4h+
Skyr is the reason this works. It's an Icelandic strained yogurt with roughly 11g of protein per 100g and next to no fat, but it's thick enough — closer to quark than to a drinking yogurt — that it holds a cheesecake's structure without needing a block of cream cheese to do the work. Swap most of the fat for skyr, keep a few eggs for set and richness, and you get a cheesecake that eats like the real thing at a fraction of the calories and about triple the protein of a normal slice.
Ingredients
Base
- 80g rolled oats, blitzed to a coarse flour
- 20g butter, melted
Filling
- 750g plain skyr (0% fat)
- 4 whole eggs
- 60g vanilla whey protein powder
- 80g honey
- 30g cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch of salt
Method
1. Prep — 5 min Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Line the base of a 20cm springform tin with parchment.
2. Base — 3 min Blitz the oats to a rough flour, mix with the melted butter, and press into the bottom of the tin. Bake for 8 minutes while you make the filling, then set aside.
3. Filling — 5 min Whisk the skyr, eggs, protein powder, honey, cornstarch, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt together until completely smooth. Don't overwhip — you want it combined, not aerated. Air bubbles are what crack the top later.
4. Water bath (optional but recommended) — 2 min Wrap the outside of the springform tin in two layers of foil and set it in a larger roasting tray. Pour the filling over the base, then add hot water to the tray until it comes about 2cm up the sides of the tin. The water bath keeps the heat gentle and even, which is most of the cracking prevention right there.
5. Bake — 50–55 min Bake at 150°C until the edges are set and the center still has a gentle wobble, like set jelly, when you nudge the tin. It will firm up completely as it cools — pulling it early is safer than pulling it late.
6. Cool slowly — 1h Turn the oven off, crack the door open, and leave the cheesecake inside for an hour. This gradual temperature drop is the other half of crack prevention — a cold fridge straight out of a hot oven is what splits the top.
7. Chill — 4h minimum Move to the fridge, still in the tin, for at least 4 hours or overnight. It slices cleanly once fully cold.
Macros per serving
Based on 750g skyr (0% fat), 4 eggs, 60g whey, 80g honey, 30g cornstarch, 80g oats and 20g butter, split across 8 slices.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Yes, full-fat or 0% Greek yogurt works, though it's slightly looser and less protein-dense than skyr — expect a marginally softer set and about 1–2g less protein per slice. Strain it through a cheesecloth for an hour first if it looks watery.
Maple syrup works gram for gram. For a lower-carb version, use a granulated sweetener like erythritol or allulose (about 70g) — the texture stays the same since honey isn't doing any structural work here, only sweetness.
Almost always one of three things: the oven was too hot, you skipped the water bath, or it cooled too fast. Overwhipping the batter and trapping air is the fourth culprit. Fix all four and cracking stops being a coin flip.
You can — it will still set and taste the same — but you're trading convenience for a higher chance of a cracked top and a slightly drier edge. If you skip it, drop the oven to 140°C and check it 10 minutes earlier.
Notes
Don't skip the water bath if you've cracked a cheesecake before. It's the single biggest lever — gentle, even heat all the way around instead of just from the bottom.
Let it come fully to room temperature before slicing if you pulled it straight from the fridge — cold cheesecake fights the knife.
Keeps 4 days in the fridge, covered. It also freezes in individual slices, wrapped tight, for up to a month.
Craving a second slice an hour later? Skip it — have a banana and a protein drink instead. It does more for you than the cheesecake would, and there's still a slice left for tomorrow.