Let’s make a savory cheesecake today, shall we? I developed this appetizer recipe using pickled peppers, cream cheese and goat cheese.
Once you bake your goat cheese cheesecake, top it with pepper jelly, and you have one delicious holiday appetizer that feels pretty retro and is elevated a bit from sauce you pour over a block of cream cheese. And for goat cheese lovers, you must try these tangy goat cheese stuffed pickled peppers. Make the peppers and then use them in this appetizer cheesecake if you’d like!
And for a more straightforward goat cheese appetizer, give my broiled goat cheese with crostini a try!
For ease of browsing, you can fine all of my appetizer recipes in one place. Thanks for being here!
I love love love your goat cheese cake and bought the jelly and made it… Being a cheese lover I tell you it’s 5 thumbs up or more… LOOOOL.. Thank you for this wonderful recipe..
Reader Imane, lover of cheese
Cheesecake Doesn’t Have to Be Sweet
I know most folks think of dessert when they think of cheesecake. I generally do, too, so I get it.
But think of how often we use cream cheese in savory foods and love it. Here are some examples:
- spreading cream cheese on savory asiago bagels
- mixing cream cheese into tomato sauce for a shortcut creamy vodka sauce
- mashing into your potatoes for super creamy mashed potatoes
- blended into a not too sweet filling for blintzes with cottage cheese and farmer cheese
- using cream cheese as a base for dips and spreads as in these avocado tomatillo rolls
So the next time you pick up some cream cheese at the store, grab a log of goat cheese as well and get in the kitchen to make a savory cheesecake. You won’t be sorry!
Pastry Chef Online Participates in Affiliate Programs. If you make a purchase through one of my links, I may earn a small commission. For more information click to read my disclosure policy
How to Make a Savory Cheesecake
It is not as hard as you might think to make a savory cheesecake, friends.
It’s pretty much a matter of leaving out the sugar and adding savory ingredients instead.
I know that sounds like an oversimplification, but nope. It really is that easy.
Here’s how it goes so you can make any kind of savory cheesecake you can think of.
- Blend cream cheese and goat cheese together until smooth
- Mix in egg, sour cream and any mix-ins or spices you want
- Pour into a prepared pan and bake in a water bath until just slightly wobbly in the center.
- Cool and chill until cold before unmolding and topping however you want
Proportion of Cheese to Egg in Savory Cheesecakes
Technically, you don’t need the egg at all. You can just blend all the ingredients together, mold it and chill until firm.
I like to use egg and then bake because I like the additional richness the yolk brings plus the insurance that the cheesecake will set up properly.
In this recipe, I have used 12 ounces of cheese (8 oz cream cheese and 4 ounces goat cheese) along with another 2 ounces of sour cream and 1 egg.
Would you like to save this post?
Enter your email address below, and don't forget to check the box!
This is a good ratio that yields a fairly firm cheesecake. You could use 2 eggs if you would like, and the end result would be a bit more custardy.
Ingredients in This Goat Cheese Cheesecake
The ingredient list for this savory cheesecake is pretty short. You can always add more/different spices and savory mix-ins to your own version, but sometimes I like to keep things simple:
- cream cheese
- herbed garlic goat cheese
- sour cream
- egg
- finely chopped pickled peppers
- fine sea salt
- ground white pepper
Once the cheesecake is baked, chilled and unmolded for serving, spread it with a generous layer of your favorite pepper jelly.
How Big Is This Cheesecake?
The recipe as written makes a 6″ cheesecake, which is a nice size for an appetizer spread.
You can double or even triple the recipe, but I suggest baking it in 2-3 6″ pans instead of trying to bake it in a large springform pan. I like these 6″ cake pans from Fat Daddio.
Your appetizer cheesecake will bake more quickly and you can replace them easily as people gobble it up rather than having a huge cheesecake that gets mauled by grazers throughout the evening.
A Note About Measurements
Don't let its small price and small size fool you. The Escali Primo is an accurate and easy-to-use food scale that I have used for years. It's easy to store, easy to use, has a tare function, and easily switches between grams and ounces/pounds for accurate measurements.
I really hope you love this spicy goat cheese cheesecake, you guys!
If you make one or more for the holidays (or whenever), please share a photo with me, either in the PCO Facebook Group or on instagram by tagging @onlinepastrychef and using hashtag #pcorecipe.
And if you make your own version using your favorite savory ingredients, I’d love to see those guys too.
Thanks, and enjoy!
Savory Goat Cheese Cheesecake
Would you like to save this post?
Enter your email address below, and don’t forget to check the box!
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cheesecake
- 8 oz package cream cheese
- 4 oz herbed garlic goat cheese
- 2 oz sour cream
- 1 large egg
- 3 ½ ounces pickled peppers finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- several grindings of white pepper
For the Topping
- 1/3-1/2 cup your favorite pepper jelly well stirred
Instructions
For the Cheesecake
- Preheat the oven to 325F.
- Prepare a 6" cake pan by lining the bottom with a circle cut from parchment or non-stick aluminum foil. Spray the sides of the pan with pan spray. Set aside.
- Have a 9" or 10" pan ready for a water bath. Bring a kettle of water to the boil and keep hot.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and goat cheese together until completely smooth. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
- Mix in the sour cream, egg, chopped peppers, salt and white pepper until well combined. Scrape the bowl as necessary.
- Pour the batter into your prepared pan and smooth the top.
- Put your filled pan in the larger pan and set them both on the middle rack of your oven.
- Quickly pour in the hot water to come about halfway up the side of your baking pan.
- Center the 6" pan in the water bath if necessary and bake for 35-40 min or until the cake is firm.
- Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool. When cool, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until completely chilled.
To Top and Serve
- Run a thin knife around the sides of the cheesecake pan and unmold on the serving platter of your choice.
- Pull the pan away–you may have to do a bit of jiggling–and peel off the parchment or non-stick foil.
- Spread an even layer of pepper jelly on top of the cheesecake and serve with crackers or crusty bread.
- Stand back.
Did You Make Any Changes?
Notes
Nutrition
And there you have it, friends. Enjoy the spicy cheesecake!
Thank you for spending some time with me today, Take care, and have a lovely day.
Join in Today!
This would not last long at a Bee gathering.
I can assure you that it didn’t last long here, either! lol
Hi Chef Jenni
What’s the sub for Gourmet Pepper? Simply marinated capsicum? Or, pickled jalapeno? I found a jar of pepper jam (not quite pepper jelly) And, step #5, did you mean mixing in with the machine or just folding in with a spatula (concerned that the pepper will be totally crushed). Thank you and Happy New Year, Chef.
Hi, Sianli! I think you can use your favorite marinated/pickled peppers. You may want to play with the amounts, so add a bit and taste before adding more. The peppers I used are sweet and hot, so it may be hard to find an exact match, but that’s the fun of it–yours in Tomorrowland will taste different but just as good as mine in Yesterdayland!
As to mixing in, I did mince the peppers up pretty well first, so I just tossed them in the stand mixer. I think the pepper jam will probably work out Just Fine, too. Let me know what you think when you make it, and I hope you had a great Christmas! 🙂
It’s in the oven!! I’m so excited! I licked the paddle and it was nom nom : ))
I put basil a lot of basil (dried, even though have heaps of fresh in garden) and garlic as I could only find plain chevre.
Oh, it sounds Very Promising! Please report when you can! 🙂 @399a9825de1e9fa4d7e5ca149d789e10:disqus
This is one of my favorite flavor combos, and such a great holiday twist! I’m wondering, what difference does turning it into a cheesecake make, vs simply blending the cheeses & flavorings, then molding that blend? Is it textural or something else? I’d love to do this in my small (6″ x 3″) holiday tree cake pans but they’re pretty shallow so they may not be great for a water bath. Knowing the difference would help me decide whether its better to go all the way with the water bath or do the molding.
Anyway, thanks for the great recipe!
That’s a great question, @facebook-1681236378:disqus . Honestly, I think you could probably just mix everything together, mold and chill. the lecithin in the egg will help to bind up some of the liquids, but short-term it shouldn’t be a problem.
Texturally, once it’s baked, it seems a bit lighter and is pretty easy to spread straight from the fridge. W/o baking, you will probably want to let it sit out for at least a half hour before serving.
Baked or “raw” (ha!) I think you’ll really like it. Enjoy, and have a very Merry Christmas!
That’s what I figured. I might
Please let me know how it turns out for you! Happy New Year:)
I love love love your goat cheese cake and bought the jelly and made it… Being a cheese lover I tell you it’s 5 thumbs up or more… LOOOOL.. Thank you for this wonderful recipe..
OH wow, @google-6c63325a3898c5ebe174f647c3e9aec2:disqus ! I am so glad that you love it (I thought it was great, too, but I’m biased)! Thanks for taking the time to stop in and let me know; I really love to hear from folks who’ve tried recipes. Hooray for 5 thumbs up!
Oh wow, this sure is a fire up the holidays kinda cheesecake. It’s spectacular! You already had me at ‘goat cheese’, but after seeing the rest of the recipe, well, this is definitely getting on our holiday table. My family will devour this. Thanks for sharing this recipe, your kindness, support, friendship and the sweet blog visit, today. May you and your Beloved have a wonderful Holiday season, Jenni!
Hey, thanks, BA! And I hope you and your family have a wonderful, wonderful Christmas. Enjoy the cheesecake, @2f47cf20944759bec2f5c79ae8ee733f:disqus !
I heart this combination so much, and savory cheesecakes and anything sweet and spicy! It´s something Nigella would make on tv and then eat at night directly with her fingers, no crackers.
I can attest to the fact that that is a Highly Likely Scenario @paula_vintage_kitchen:disqus ! lol Thank you for stopping in and for your comment! 🙂