Sometimes I love a good cup of vanilla chai tea with a hint of milk or creamer and I can never drink just one cup.  My experience with vanilla chai tea is where the inspiration for this Vanilla Chai Cheesecake recipe came from.

You probably already know that chai is a mix of aromatic herbs and spices but did you know that Chai also means tea in Hindustani? So when we’re referring to our beverage drink as chai tea, we’re actually saying “tea tea”.

What is chai made of?

Homemade chai is made of a combination of:

• Cinnamon
• Cardamom
• Ginger
• Nutmeg
• Cloves
• Allspice
• and I like to add a little hint of black pepper

These are the spices we are going to use for this recipe.

The best part of homemade Chai is that you can adjust the amount of spices you use to your liking. I like to use less nutmeg in my spice mix for example.

I used low fat cream cheese and a sugar substitute to lighten things up as the recipe calls for 32 oz of cream cheese and also includes eggs and Graham crackers. The cheesecake is lighter but I assure you that the flavor and consistency have not been compromised at all, you won’t even be able to tell. 

There are a few things to consider before making a cheesecake and waiting-time is the first.  The preparation time is about 20 – 30 minutes and the baking time is between 1 hour to 1 hour and 12 minutes (that’s the actual time it took me). However, once the cheesecake is baked it needs to cool down in the oven for at least 30 minutes, and then, it needs to cool down on the counter completely before you refrigerate it. Please don’t let time change your mind, it is totally worth the wait!

I really enjoy a good cheesecake from the bakery or the Cheesecake Factory but I never find one that is light in fat and also lower in carbs, it’s always one or the other.  And to be honest, I love to cook or bake and while I am baking I enjoy listening to music which is a catharsis for me and takes my mind somewhere else.

Besides, nothing like that moment when you get to bite into your cake and it tastes even better than what you expected!

Tips for a perfect cheesecake

There are a lot of resources online providing tips for the perfect cheesecake  (The kitchn.com has a very thorough article). But in my personal experience, these are the no-fail tips I can share with you:

• First of all, don’t forget to grease your pan and reduce the temperature of your oven after baking the crust. 
• Ingredients should be at room temperature – eggs, cream cheese, and sour cream before you mix the batter. It will ensure a homogeneous mixture or batter.
• I add nuts to my crust since I love the Cheesecake Factory crust. You can omit them but increase the amount of crackers you use by the amount of nuts you reduce. 
• You definitely need more than cream cheese in a cheesecake, some people use more cream to break the thickness and heaviness of the cream cheese, but I use sour cream to infuse a little tanginess. I also add an extra egg yolk to all my custards to obtain a softer and creamier consistency, but it is completely optional.
• A water bath is optional for some but not for me, it ensures an extra creamy and soft cake, the baking process won’t dry the cake – or crack it. If you don’t feel up to submerge the cake in a water bath, you could place a roasting pan with water on the bottom rack in the oven to produce some steam during the baking time, not sure it will work 100%.
• Try not to overbeat the batter as it will incorporate too much air and bubbles. Beat the cream cheese before you add the other ingredients and stir and scrape the bowl to ensure it is all well mixed, then start adding the rest of the ingredients and always scrape the bowl to mix.  Once you place the batter in the pan, don’t forget to bang the pan gently against the counter a few times to reduce the air, you can bang it with a spoon as well on the sides.
• Broma Bakery recommends to strain the batter before you place it in the pan, I did it this time and it was a fantastic tip for a smoother cake.
• The slow cooldown process is important to avoid cracks and ensure creaminess.

I can’t wait for you to make it and hear what you think! Please tag me here or here so that I can see your creations!

Happy baking friends!

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Vanilla Chai Cheesecake

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 12 minutes

Additional Time: 4 hours

Total Time: 5 hours 42 minutes

Super easy and creamy low-fat and low-carb Vanilla Chai cheesecake. So good you won't even believe is lighter even though you made it yourself.

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Ingredients

CHAI SPICE MIXTURE

• 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp of ground ginger
• 1/2 tsp of ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp of ground cardamom
• 1/2 tsp of ground allspice
• 1/4 tsp of ground nutmeg - I used fresh
• Pinch of ground black pepper

CRUST

• 1 and 1/2 cup (12 oz) of Graham Crackers crumbs
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) of almonds, crushed
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) of walnuts, crushed
• 1/4 cup (2 oz) of brown Truvia - or brown sugar
• 1/4 (2 oz) of white granulated Truvia - or granulated sugar
• 6 tbs of melted butter
• 1/2 tsp of the chai spice mixture

cheesecake filling

• 32 oz (4 packages of 8 oz) of 1/3 less fat cream cheese at room temperature
• 1 cup (8 oz) of low-fat sour cream
• 1 and 1/4 cup (10 oz) of white granulated Truvia or sugar
• 4 eggs and 1 egg yolk at room temperature (additional egg yolk optional)
• 3 tbs of flour or cornstarch
• 1 tbs of pure vanilla extract
• 2 tbs of the chai spice mixture
• Butter or Non-Stick Baking Spray to coat or spray the Springform pan - I used a 9-inch pan

Instructions

1. Spray the sides and the bottom of the springform pan with non-stick baking spray or coat the sides and bottom with butter - I used a 9 in springform pan
2. Wrap the pan (bottom and sides) with heavy-duty aluminum foil and set aside.
3. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.
4. Place the cinnamon, ginger, cloves, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg, and a pinch of black pepper in a small bowl and stir to mix. Set aside.
5. Place the Graham crackers, brown sugar, white sugar, almonds, and walnuts in the bowl of the food processor or blender and pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl, add the spice mix, and the melted butter. Mix well until it holds together - like wet sand, add a tbs of water if needed. Pat the mixture firmly into the bottom of the springform pan. I use the bottom of a measuring cup to press and make it as even as possible and push the excess up to the sides.
6. Bake the crust at 375° F for 10 minutes, until fragrant and it starts browning around the sides. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
7. Set the temperature of the oven to 325° F.
8. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix and cream the cheese at medium-low speed until completely smooth, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl. Add the sugar, sour cream and vanilla, beating for a couple of minutes. Add eggs and egg yolk, one by one, and keep mixing slowly until fully incorporated. Add cornstarch or flour, and the spice mixture keeping the medium-low speed in the mixer for another minute. Scrape the bottom of the bowl and stir by hand until all ingredients are incorporated.
9. Pour the filling over the cooled crust through a strainer - the use of the strainer is optional but it will remove any lumps the could alter the texture of your cheesecake. Bang the pan against the counter or bang the sides of the pan with a woodland spoon to release the air from the pan and smooth the top with a wooden spoon or spatula.
10. If using a water bath, place the cheesecake in the roasting pan and slowly add water until the sides are covered up to 2 inches. Place the roasting pan with the cake slowly and carefully in the oven and bake at 325° F for 1 hour and 10 minutes until slightly golden and jiggly in the center. It will keep cooking as it cools down. Let the cake sit in the oven with a cracked door for about 40 minutes to an hour.
11. Remove cake from the oven and water bath and remove the aluminium wrap. Set on top of a cooling rack. Slowly run a thin-bladed knife around the cake to ensure the cake won't stick to the sides of the pan and prevent cracks as it cools.
12. Let the cake cool completely in the rack before placing it covered loosely with saran wrap or tin foil in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

Serve with whipped cream and crushed graham crackers over the top!

Notes

Baking time depends on each oven - check on the cake after one hour, without opening the door, and see if the cake is getting golden. After an hour and 10 minutes check on the color and texture, the cake should be jiggy. It took me 1 hour and 12 minutes to bake the cake.

You can use a slow cooker bag to wrap the cake over the aluminum foil as an additional layer of protection in the water bath.

Nutrition Information

Yield 12 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 182Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 102mgSodium 96mgCarbohydrates 16gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 4g

Did you make this recipe?

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