This matcha cheesecake features a luxuriously thick, creamy matcha (green tea) cheesecake baked inside a buttery, crisp graham cracker crust. The matcha white chocolate glaze on top is easy to make and gives the cheesecake a flawless, smooth finish!
WHAT IS MATCHA?
Matcha is a Japanese green tea powder that's made from high-quality, specially grown tea leaves that are ground into a very fine, vibrant green powder. It comes in either culinary or ceremonial grade. Ceremonial grade is the highest quality of matcha and is best for drinking on its own. Culinary grade matcha is slightly more bitter, it doesn't taste as good on its own but is delicious when paired with sweet, creamy flavors in lattes or desserts like cookies and brownies.
INGREDIENTS FOR MATCHA CHEESECAKE
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- Graham cracker crumbs: For 1 and ½ cups you will need about 10 full sheets of graham crackers.
- Brown sugar: Granulated sugar can also be used, but I love slight nutty caramel flavor brown sugar adds!
- Butter: Melted. Salted or unsalted is fine.
- Salt: Optional, leave it out if your butter is salted.
MATCHA CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Cream cheese: Brick-style, full-fat, and softened to room temperature. It's important the cream cheese is completely soft or you'll have lumps in the filling. To speed up softening place the foil-wrapped cream cheese package in a plastic bag and submerge the bag in room temperature water for a few minutes.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps thicken the filling and makes it stronger against cracking. If you don't have cornstarch all-purpose flour can be used in its place.
- Granulated sugar
- Sour cream: Full-fat and room temperature.
- Heavy cream: For a richer, creamier filling that balances out the slight bitter flavor of matcha. Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream can be used.
- Lemon juice: The acidity in fresh-squeezed lemon juice helps thicken the filling!
- Vanilla extract
- Matcha powder: You can find matcha powder at some specialty grocery stores or order it online. Make sure the ingredients are 100% matcha for the best flavor!
- Salt: Just a pinch to bring out flavor.
- Eggs: Room temperature is key! Leave the eggs out on your counter for at least an hour, or place them in a bowl of lukewarm water for a few minutes to bring them to room temperature.
MATCHA WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE
- White chocolate: The sweet, creamy flavor of white chocolate goes so well with matcha and is mild enough that it won't overpower it. You can use bar style white chocolate or white chocolate chips.
- Heavy cream: Heavy cream or heavy whipping cream.
- Matcha powder
WATER BATH FOR CHEESECAKE
A water bath (bain-marie) is a French method of baking something surrounded by boiling water. It allows for slow, gentle, even cooking, which is perfect for delicate desserts like cheesecake. Basically, no matter how hot your oven is, the temperature of the water won't get any higher than 212°F (100°C). Without a water bath, the outside of the cheesecake would be over baked and cracked before the center could finish baking.
- To keep water from seeping into the pan from the water bath, make sure you wrap it well with several layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil. *Note: No matter how well you wrap your springform pan with foil, there's still a chance of water leaking in and ruining your otherwise perfectly good cheesecake. This happened to me several times, so now I always tie a slow cooker liner around the pan after wrapping it with foil. My cheesecakes have come out perfectly dry ever since!
HOW TO MAKE MATCHA CHEESECAKE
Arrange your oven rack to the lower position. Preheat your oven to 325°F. Begin boiling water for the water bath.
Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with nonstick spray.
MAKE THE GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
Add the graham crackers to a food processor and pulse into fine crumbs. Mix 1 and ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs with brown sugar and melted butter in the food processor and pulse until the mixture comes together. It should have a texture similar to wet sand. If the crust mixture is too crumbly you can add a tablespoon more melted butter.
Press the crust evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the springform pan.
Wrap the pan well with at least 4 layers of heavy-duty aluminum foil to keep water leaking in from the water bath.
Tie a slow cooker oven liner around the pan.
If you don't have a slow cooker liner make sure the pan is wrapped very well with several layers of heavy-duty foil. Without a liner you can expect water to leak through the first few layers of foil.
Place the pan on a baking sheet and prebake the crust for 10 minutes while you make the cheesecake filling.
MAKE THE CHEESECAKE FILLING
- Use a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Wipe any lumps of cream cheese off of the mixers.
- Mix in the cornstarch and granulated sugar until smooth. Wipe any lumps off of the mixer and sides of the bowl. Add the room temperature sour cream, heavy cream, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, vanilla extract, matcha powder, and salt. Mix until combined and the batter is smooth.
- Switch to a whisk and mix in the room temperature eggs, one at a time, until just combined after each. Don't overmix.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the springform pan over the prebaked crust. Bang the pan on your counter a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles in the filling.
BAKE THE CHEESECAKE
- Place a large roasting pan on the lower rack in your oven and add about an inch of boiling water. Carefully set the cheesecake inside the roasting pan. Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour without opening the oven door.
- After 1 hour, check if the cheesecake is done by gently shaking the pan. If the cheesecake is set around the edges and there is a slightly wobbly center, then it's done. If it's still really wobbly all over, keep baking and check again in 5-minute intervals until it's done. Don't wait until it's completely set or it will be overbaked, when in doubt it's better to under-bake the cheesecake than it is to over-bake it.
- Once the cheesecake is set around the edges with a slightly wobbly center, turn your oven off and crack the door. It will continue to bake and set as it cools. Leave the cheesecake in the oven for 1 hour to slowly cool to room temperature.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let it cool for at least another hour at room temperature before refrigerating. Once the cheesecake is completely cooled to room temperature, refrigerate it (still in the springform pan) overnight so it can set.
Do not remove the sides of the springform pan until the cheesecake has cooled completely in the fridge for at least 12 hours. The cheesecake is very delicate while its cooling and if you remove the sides too soon it may fall apart!
MATCHA WHITE CHOCOLATE GLAZE
Add the white chocolate and heavy cream to a glass measuring cup and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until melted. Stir in the matcha powder and pour the glaze over the cooled cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
Top with whipped cream before serving, if desired!
HOW TO PREVENT CRACKS IN CHEESECAKE
Don't overmix: Overmixing creates pockets of air in the batter that can rise up during baking and turn into cracks. This is especially true once the eggs are added. So add them last and mix the batter as little as possible once they're added.
Don't open the oven door: At least not for the first hour, which is when the cheesecake is the most delicate. Opening the door causes a sudden change in temperature which can lead to cracks.
Don't over-bake: The cheesecake is done when there is a slight wobbly center and the edges are set. It will continue to bake and become set as it cools. If you're unsure, it's better to slightly under bake a cheesecake than it is to overbake one.
Cool the cheesecake slowly: Sudden changes in temperature is one of the main reasons cheesecakes crack. Cooling the cheesecake as slowly as possible is the best way to avoid any drastic changes in temperature. When you turn the oven off, leave the cheesecake in with the door open for about an hour. Then take the cheesecake out of the oven and let it cool completely at room temperature for another 1-2 hours before refrigerating. It shouldn't feel warm at all when you put it in the fridge.
HOW TO STORE MATCHA CHEESECAKE
Wrap the cheesecake with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze the cheesecake for 3 months. Wrap it well with plastic wrap and place in a container that will protect it from getting damaged. When ready to serve, thaw the frozen cheesecake in the fridge for a few hours, or thaw at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
MORE CHEESECAKE RECIPES
- Marble Cheesecake
- Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes
- Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
- Strawberry Crunch Cheesecake
- White Chocolate Cheesecake
📖 RECIPE
Matcha Cheesecake
Equipment
- 8 or 9" springform pan
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Crust:
- 1 and ½ cups graham cracker crumbs, from about 10 full sheets
- ½ cup brown sugar, packed
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Cheesecake Filling:
- 24 ounces cream cheese, full-fat, softened to room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ cup sour cream, full-fat, room temperature
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons matcha powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
Matcha White Chocolate Glaze:
- ½ cup white chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon matcha powder
Instructions
- Line the bottom of an 8" springform pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray the sides of the pan with nonstick spray.
- Wrap the pan with several layers of heavy duty aluminum foil, then tie a slow-cooker oven liner around it (recommended) to keep water leaking into the pan from the water bath.
- Arrange your oven rack to the lower position. Preheat your oven to 325°F and start boiling water for the water bath.
Make the Graham Cracker Crust:
- In a food processor mix 1 and ½ cups of graham cracker crumbs with the brown sugar. Add the melted butter and pulse until the mixture is well combined and clumps together easily. It should have a texture similar to wet sand.
- Spread the crust mixture out in the prepared springform pan. Use the bottom of a glass or measuring cup to pack it tightly and evenly into the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pan. Prebake the crust for 10 minutes while you make the filling.
Cheesecake Filling:
- In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the softened cream cheese until smooth with no lumps. Wipe any lumps off of the mixer and sides of the bowl. Add the granulated sugar and cornstarch and mix until well combined.
- Mix in the room temperature sour cream, heavy cream, fresh-squeezed lemon juice, vanilla extract, matcha powder, and salt. Wipe the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Make sure the filling is completely smooth and there aren't any lumps at this point.
- Switch to a whisk and mix in the room temperature eggs, one at a time, until just combined after each. Don't overmix.
- Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan over the prebaked crust. Tap the pan on your counter a few times to get rid of any trapped air bubbles.
Bake:
- Place a large roasting pan on the rack in your oven. Add about an inch of boiling water to the pan, then gently place the cheesecake inside the pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for 1 hour. Gently shake the pan to check on it, if it looks set around the edges and there's a 2-3" wobbly center, then it's done. If it looks really wobbly all over, keep baking and check again in 5-minute intervals. Mine needed 1 hour + 10 minutes total, but the time can vary. When in doubt, it's better to slightly under-bake the cheesecake than it is to over-bake it.
- When the cheesecake looks done, turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake inside with the door open for 1 hour. It will continue to bake and set as it cools in the oven.
- Remove the cheesecake from the oven and the water bath and let it cool completely at room temperature. About 1-3 hours, it shouldn't feel warm at all when you put it in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight, uncovered and still in the springform pan.
Matcha White Chocolate Glaze:
- Add the white chocolate and heavy cream to a glass measuring cup and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until melted. Stir in the matcha powder and pour the glaze over the cooled cheesecake. Use an offset spatula to spread the glaze evenly over the top of the cheesecake.
- When ready to serve, use a large, sharp knife to slice the cheesecake. Wipe the knife clean between each slice.
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