No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake

College girl spotted a no-bake matcha cheesecake recipe on a Japanese youtube channel and she asked me to make it for her. She absolutely loves matcha so I was more than happy to fulfill her request. The texture of this cheesecake is quite different than American-style cheesecake. One of my tasters commented, “it’s kind of… ‘bouncy’, but I like it!” I attribute that ‘bouncy’ texture to the addition of unflavored gelatin. It’s also not an overly sweet dessert which allows the delicate matcha flavor to shine though.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• my favorite digital scale https://amzn.to/3EHZkHL

• high quality culinary matcha powder https://amzn.to/2Kzq5oc

• 6-inch springform pan https://amzn.to/2N9tCv1

• parchment paper https://amzn.to/3I1TuTr

• unflavored gelatin https://amzn.to/2Z6O7uw

• hand mixer https://amzn.to/2Tz7Odv

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No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake

makes one 6-inch cheesecake (about 8 servings)

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 400g cream cheese, room temperature

• 80g granulated sugar

• 60g whole milk, room temperature

• 10g unflavored gelatin (powder or granules)

• 100g high quality white chocolate

• 250g heavy whipping cream, room temperature

• 15g high quality matcha powder

• 100g heavy whipping cream, room temperature

• 50/50 mix of confectioners sugar and matcha powder for dusting

Directions

1. Prepare a 6-inch springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper, then use your fingers to spread a thin layer of oil (like nonstick cooking spray) on the sides of the pan; set aside.

2. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin evenly over milk, being sure no dry clumps of gelatin remain (stir to wet all gelatin if necessary); set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to combine room temperature cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy; set aside.

4. In a medium glass or microwave-safe bowl, gently heat white chocolate until melted (10-15 second bursts), then add the reserved milk/gelatin mixture (from step 2) and stir until smooth (if gelatin granules don’t melt fully, gently warm mixture in microwave for 10 second bursts, stirring, and repeating until smooth); slowly stir in 250g heavy cream (start slowly and stir until smooth before adding more - repeat until all cream is added), place bowl in a large bowl that contains ice water and use handheld mixer to whip mixture until thickened.

5. To make the cheesecake base, fold the whipped heavy cream mixture (step 4) into the cream cheese mixture (step 3); reserve 150g of this cheesecake base to use as the top white layer.

6. In a small bowl, use a rubber or silicone spatula to combine 15g matcha with 100g heavy cream (again, start by adding a little cream at a time and stir until smooth before continuing)l stir matcha paste into cheesecake base (step 5) until fully incorporated; pour into prepared springform pan and spread into an even layer.

7. Top with the white top layer (150g reserved in step 5), spread into an even layer.

8. Cover pan with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hours or overnight.

9. To serve, wrap sides of pan with warm towel for a few minutes, then release springform (the parchment should peel off easily.

10. Dust top of cheesecake with 50/50 mixture of confectioner’s sugar and matcha powder and place on serving plate.

11. To slice, dip thin, sharp knife in hot water and wipe dry before each cut.

adapted from HidaMari Cooking

Notes

• If separating the layers is too fussy for you, feel free to combine them - we’ve enjoyed this cheesecake that was as well.

• I don’t like to wrap the sides of the springform pan with parchment because it tends to buckle after being exposed to the cheesecake mixture. You’ll get a smoother finished cheesecake if you simply spread a thin layer of oil on the sides of the pan.

Oven Baked Egg Bites

Here’s my copycat version of Starbuck’s Sous Vide Egg Bites, only instead of cooking them in a sealed hot water bath (sous vide), mine are baked in the oven so anyone can make them. In all honesty, I haven’t tried the Starbuck’s egg bites, but my kids have and they say these are equally delicious. You be the judge.

Start by lining a high quality cupcake pan - I HIGHLY recommend these 100% food-grade silicone cupcake liners because eggs are notoriously sticky and they’ll bake onto the metal pan like cement. These liners can be reused over and over and over, and you don’t even have to spray them with nonstick cooking spray. The egg bites will slip right out of them, I promise. ***Be sure read the bottom of this page to learn how to choose the right silicone liners.

Back to the recipe - to ensure an even distribution of ingredients, I like to divide the bacon and half of the scallions evenly among the 12 silicone liners…

Then place the eggs, cottage cheese, heavy cream, 3/4 cup shredded cheese, and sriracha (or ketchup if you don’t like spicy heat) in a bowl. I used a wide bowl so I could get photos, but you should choose a bowl that is more deep than wide to minimize splashing (even better, use a quart size deli container).

Use an immersion blender to combine the egg mixture. The cheese does not need to be completely blended - it’s fine if small bits remain.

Alternatively, a blender may also be used to combine the ingredients, but blenders tend to incorporate a lot of air so be sure to mix on low speed and allow the mixture to rest for about an hour before using, to allow the air bubbles to dissipate.

Pour the egg mixture evenly into the silicone liners.

Top with the remaining cheddar cheese and scallions.

Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• silicone cupcake liners https://amzn.to/3sWp52E

• commercial cupcake pan https://amzn.to/3U2jMe8

• immersion blender https://amzn.to/3WsCMEk

• quart deli containers https://amzn.to/3NtsZcV

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Oven-Baked Egg Bites

makes 12 egg bites

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

Filling:

• 6 ounces bacon, cooked and crumbled

• 2 scallions, sliced

Egg Mixture:

• 4 large eggs

• 3 ounces shredded cheddar cheese

• 1/2 cup 4% cottage cheese

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon sriracha (or ketchup)

Garnish

• 1 ounce shredded cheddar cheese

• 2 scallions, sliced

Directions

• Preheat oven to 400F and place rack in center position.

• Line a high quality cupcake pan with 12 silicone liners (see note below on choosing the right silicone).

• Divide bacon and 2 scallions among the liners.

• In a deep mixing bowl of quart-size deli container, use an immersion blender to combine the eggs, cottage cheese, heavy cream, 3 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese, and sriracha.

• Pour the egg mixture evenly into the silicone cupcake liners,

• Top each with the remaining cheddar cheese and scallions.

• Bake for 15-20 minutes; remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Macros: each egg bite contains 126 calories, 8g protein, 10g fat, and 1g net carb.

Variations

Salmon and Capers - For the filling, use 1/2 ounce of cooked salmon and 1/2 teaspoon drained capers. For the egg mixture, omit the sriracha, and add 2 tablespoons onion and chive cream cheese and 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Garnish with sliced scallions before baking (no cheese). Smoked salmon can be used, but reduce to 1/4 ounce per cup (it’s very salty).

Spinach and Mushroom - For the filling, use 6 ounces of cooked, chopped, and squeezed dry spinach, and 3 ounces of finely chopped and sautéed mushrooms. For the egg mixture, replace the sriracha with 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt and replace the cheddar cheese with shredded mozzarella. Garnish with cheese and sliced scallions before baking.

Ham and Broccoli - For the filling, use 6 ounces of finely chopped cooked ham and 3 ounces cooked and chopped broccoli (be sure it’s not too wet). For the egg mixture, replace the sriracha with prepared mustard. Garnish with cheese and sliced scallions before baking.

Sausage and Kale - For the filling, use 6 ounces cooked breakfast sausage and 3 ounces finely chopped kale. For the egg mixture, omit the sriracha and replace the cheddar cheese with shredded pepper jack. Garnish with more pepper jack and sliced scallions before baking.

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How to Choose the Right Silicone

Have you ever heard of the pinch test? It’s an easy way to find out if silicone utensils or bakeware are made of 100% pure silicone or a cheaper version which contain plasticizers (aka fillers). Stay away from the cheap versions - they’re not very nonstick and they often give off strong chemical odors/flavors, especially when heated. Pure silicone is extremely nonstick and doesn’t have the same issues with odors/flavors. Manufacturers don’t always tell you if their products are pure silicone so here’s a quick way to tell the difference. Pinch the silicone between your thumb and forefinger - cheap silicone that contains plasticizers will develop a white stress mark where pinched (similar to bending plastic). If you see that white stress mark, move on to another brand.