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These Greek-yogurt-based German Cheesecake Bars are lighter and fluffier than traditional cheesecake and so much easier to make!
This no-fuss Cheesecake Bar recipe is perfect for parties or as a delicious snack on the go because it makes a lot and can be eaten without a fork! It’s a great no-fuss recipe that doesn’t require a water bath and can be whipped up in minutes.
With its slightly fluffy crust that is similar to shortbread and the heavenly light and moist cheesecake layer, this recipe has always been a hit in our house. Everyone loves my mother-in-law’s recipe and can’t get enough of it!
German Cheesecake is not as dense as American cheesecake because it is quark instead of cream-cheese-based. But quark is expensive and hard to get in North America, that’s why I use Greek yogurt instead and the result is the same – light and fluffy but still creamy!
Looking for a traditional German cheesecake made in a springform pan? Check out my German cheesecake recipe!
Why you should try this recipe
- Easier to make than traditional cheesecake
- Lighter and fluffier than cream-cheese-based cheesecake
- Very easy to make from scratch
- Delicious cake-like base instead of hard crust
- Simple ingredients that you probably have in your pantry
Ingredient Notes
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need for this recipe.
For the crust:
- Flour – Use all-purpose flour and make sure to measure the flour correctly using the spoon and level method.
- Sugar – Granulated white sugar.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter. The butter needs to be soft. Let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
For the cheesecake layer:
- Greek yogurt – Use plain Greek yogurt with 2% or 5% fat.
- Eggs – Use large eggs. The eggs help thicken the filling.
- Vegetable oil – Use a flavor-neutral vegetable oil like canola or avocado oil, don’t use olive oil.
- Vanilla pudding mix– Use “cook and serve” vanilla pudding mix, not instant pudding. You can also use 1 package of German vanilla pudding mix (Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding affiliate link), which doesn’t include sugar, instead of the vanilla pudding mix.
- Mandarin oranges – drained
How to make this recipe
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found at the bottom of the page on the printable recipe card.
- Prep: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a half-sheet pan (18-by-13 inches).
- Make the crust: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, and soft butter. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Roll out the dough: Empty the dough out onto a clingfilm-covered workspace and press into a ball (Image 2). Roll out between plastic wrap. Transfer to a baking sheet and press into edges (Image 3).
- Make cheesecake layer: In the same bowl, mix together Greek yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla pudding, cornstarch, and milk until smooth. Pour over the crust and smooth out. Evenly distribute mandarin oranges over the mixture (Image 4).
- Bake: Bake for 45-55 minutes until edges are lightly browned.
Expert Tips
- Like many German cakes, my cheesecake bars taste best on the second day which makes this recipe perfect to make ahead.
- In Germany, cheesecake is made with quark, but Greek yogurt is a great substitute in my experience and gives the same texture and consistency without having to strain it. But you could also use Quark if you don’t mind the price.
- Some people also recommend ricotta as a substitute but I prefer Greek yogurt because it is less expensive and easier to get.
- Don’t use instant pudding for this recipe, you need a “cook and serve” pudding mix!
- If you can get your hands on German Pudding mix (Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding) which doesn’t contain sugar, use one package instead of the 1/2 cup pudding mix the recipe calls for.
- Instead of mandarin oranges, you can also use fresh berries, swirl jam into the cheesecake layer, or just leave them out and make a plain cheesecake.
- Homemade whipped cream tastes delicious with this cake.
Recipe FAQs
Here are some common questions that might come up while making this recipe:
American cheesecake is cream-cheese-based, usually has a crushed graham-cracker crust, and is dense and creamy. German cheesecake is quark-based, has a shortbread-like crust, and is light and fluffy.
Quark can be found at Whole Foods and at some other stores, but it is often expensive. I recommend Greek Yogurt with 2% fat as a substitute because it is easy to get and the texture of the cheesecake is nearly identical to quark even without straining the Greek yogurt. Ricotta also makes a good substitute but makes the cheesecake denser.
If you don’t want to use mandarin oranges, you can just leave them out and make plain cheesecake bars. You can also use fresh berries instead or swirl some jam into the filling before baking.
Leftovers
My German Cheesecake Bars can be at room temperature for a few hours, after that I recommend refrigerating them in an airtight container. They will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
Freezing
To freeze, wrap Cheesecake Bars tightly with plastic wrap, place in an airtight container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight then leave at room temperature for 30 minutes to serve.
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Cheesecake Bars
Equipment
- Half Sheet Pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, soft
Cheesecake Filling
- 2 pounds greek yogurt
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup vanilla pudding mix, cook-and-serve-type (see notes)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 11 oz cans mandarin oranges, drained
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a half sheet.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flour, baking powder, eggs, sugar, and soft butter. Mix until a crumbly dough forms.
- Empty dough out onto a clingfilm-covered workspace and press into a ball. Roll out between cling film. Transfer to baking sheet press into edges.
- In the same bowl, mix together greek yogurt, sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla pudding, corn starch, and milk until smooth. Pour over crust and smooth out.
- Evenly distribute mandarin oranges over the mixture.
- Bake for 45-55 minutes until edges are lightly browned. Let cool before slicing and serving!
Notes
- Like many German cakes, my cheesecake bars taste best on the second day which makes this recipe perfect to make ahead.
- In Germany, cheesecake is made with quark, but greek yogurt is a great substitute in my experience and gives the same texture and consistency without having to strain it. But you could also use quark if you don’t mind the price.
- Some people also recommend ricotta as a substitute but I prefer greek yogurt because it is less expensive and easier to get.
- Don’t use instant pudding for this recipe, you need a “cook and serve” pudding mix!
- If you can get your hands on German Pudding mix (Dr. Oetker Vanilla Pudding) which doesn’t contain sugar, use one package instead of the 1/2 cup pudding mix the recipe calls for.
- Instead of mandarin oranges, you can also use fresh berries, swirl jam into the cheesecake layer or just leave them out and make a plain cheesecake.
- Homemade whipped cream tastes delicious with this cake.
Wonderful cake. It tastes delicious. I used 1/2 cup of sugar for the crust instead of 3/4, and I used only 3/4 of a cup in the filling, and it is plenty sweet in my opinion. Thanks for the recipe. I will make it again.
Hi Julia, I made this cheesecake with the peaches instead of the mandarin oranges and used quark instead of yogurt. My family loved it and I think it turned out great too, but for my taste it was a little too plain, hmm. The crust was perfect, only the cheesecake layer could have had a little more taste. I don’t know if it is because I used low-fat quark (0.25 %) or because of the sugar content. I also used 1/2 Doctor Oetker Vanilla Pudding because I made only half of the recipe.
Can you give advice here?
LG
The fat percentage of the quark is fine but you could add more sugar if you have a sweeter tooth.
Hi Julia, this looks delicious and easy to make. I want to try it. Can I use jarred peaches, canned apricots, or canned pineapple instead of the mandarin oranges (cant find them in my home country) for this recipe?
Best regards,
Florentina
Yes, you definitely can, just drain them well and cut them into smaller pieces.