Cheesecake Bars

5 from 3 votes

These Greek-yogurt-based German Cheesecake Bars are lighter and fluffier than traditional cheesecake and so much easier to make!

Prep Time15

Cook Time45

Total Time1

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: German

Servings:

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!

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.