Making this Italian Style Cheesecake in the Slow Cooker creates an incredibly moist, tender cheesecake. This is incredibly flavorful & rich!
Skip the stress of making a cheesecake the traditional way, and make it in the slow cooker. It makes it so easy and it is a sure fire way to avoid the troublesome crack you can get on top. This Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake is a must make!
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I love making recipes that are mind me of growing up, and this Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake recipe does just that.
Italian origin or inspired recipes remind me of the holidays I would enjoy with my father’s side of the family. We would feast on antipasto, bowls of spaghetti and meatballs, platters of brasciole, and piles of cookies and pies.
One of my favorites is Pastiera de Grano which is a rich Ricotta pie that we would enjoy at Easter. This cheesecake reminds me of that because of the ricotta filling in this cheesecake.
Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake
If you are a fan of cheesecake, then you will love this Italian Style Cheesecake. It is not the traditional one that you are used to with lots of cream cheese, but it is just as good. It’s different as it is prepared with a ricotta based filling.
The preparation is another cool thing about the recipe. Instead of baking the cheesecake in the oven, you bake it in a slow cooker. How cool?!?!
It might seem different, but it makes sense because you bake a cheesecake using a water bath in the oven. You are also creating a water bath by using a slow cooker.
The first step is to prepare the crust. It just takes 2 ingredients- almond flour and butter- that you mix together. Then you press that into a 6″ spring form pan.
The springform pan needs to be wrapped with 1 piece of foil so there is no way that water can leak into the pan via a seam. I suggest using a piece that is larger than you think you will need, and wrapping the pan, and then trimming it directly along the pan.
To begin making the filling, you will need to strain the ricotta cheese for 30 minutes.
Once the liquid is strained away, you will add the extracts and cinnamon.
Then you will incorporate the sugar, cornstarch, and salt, and eggs.
Roll up 3 pieces of aluminum foil so they are 1″ balls. Press the filled pan onto the foil balls, so it is level and not wobblily. Add 1 Cup of water to the slow cooker.
Cook for 2 hours on low heat. Then turn off and let cool, with the id on, for an additional 80-190 minutes. The center should be set prior to removing to cool on a cooling rack.
This little cheesecake is perfect for when you want to enjoy a little something sweet without making a large, rich complicated dessert. This is prefect for a family dinner or a date night
Does the cheesecake use cream cheese?
Nope! It recipe does not use any cream cheese. The filling is made with ricotta.
How many servings is this cheesecake?
The cheesecake is small with just 4-6 servings. Great for a dinner party or for family Sunday Dinner.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Slow Cooker Italian Style Cheesecake
Making this Italian Style Cheesecake in the Slow Cooker creates an incredibly moist, tender cheesecake. This is incredibly flavorful & rich!
Ingredients
For the Crust
- 6 oz almonds, ground (approx. 1 cup)
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 Cup sugar
For the FIlling
- 1- 15 oz. container of ricotta cheese, room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
For the Garnish
- 1/4 cup toasted sliced almonds
- Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- Place the ricotta in a colander lined with several layers of paper towels over a bowl or in your sink. Cover with another paper towel and weigh down with a bowl. Let drain for 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the ground almonds and butter in a small bowl.
- Spray a 6 inch spring-form pan with nonstick cooking spray. Wrap the bottom of the pan with 1 large sheet of aluminum foil to make the pan watertight.
- Press the almond mixture onto the bottom and up the sides. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix the drained ricotta, sugar, honey, eggs, vanilla, corn starch, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt until completely smooth. Pour into the prepared pan.
- Pour the cup of water into the bottom of a 4 or 6-quart slow cooker. Place a heat-safe trivet or 3 wadded-up balls of aluminum foil in the bottom of the slow cooker. Place the pan onto the trivet or balls of aluminum. If using the foil balls, press the pan down to help with leveling balls and pan.
- Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Turn off the slow cooker and let the cheesecake at and steam for an additional 80-90 minutes with the lid on, or until the center is firm.
- Remove the cheesecake from the slow cooker. Let cool on a cooling rack. Run a knife around the cheesecake prior to removing the spring form from the cheesecake.
- Garnish with the sliced almonds and a sprinkling of powdered sugar prior to serving.
Notes
Sourced from Oh, You Cook!
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 495Total Fat: 27gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 92mgSodium: 279mgCarbohydrates: 49gFiber: 4gSugar: 38gProtein: 17g
Interesting experiment that was forced upon you — slow cooker vs. oven. I would not have guessed the results. Nicely done for SRC!
… or slow cooker meals that just *happen* to be kosher!
Glad you made the cheesecake both ways, because no one ever believes me when I tell them cheesecake is better in the slow cooker.
I really didn’t think there would be such a big difference but there was!!! I am a cheesecake slow cooker convert. So easy to do and so good! Loved getting your blog this month!
That is fascinating – I’ve never seen a crock pot cheesecake before – I must give it a try!! 🙂 Great SRC pick!
Happy Reveal Day! I have always wanted to try making a cheesecake in my slow cooker but…never thought it would work…definitely need to try this! Lynn @ Turnips 2 Tangerines
What an interesting recipe! My sister in Brazil used to make a ricotta “cake” and your post brought me nice memories. Had no idea it would work in a slow cooker, learn something new every day
(agree with you on Mondays arriving way too fast…. sigh)
Cheesecake in the slow cooker… huh! Who would have thought! What a fun SRC pick & experiment! 🙂
I don’t use my crock pot nearly enough, and I would definitely never have thought of using it for a cheesecake. What a delicious looking dessert! Great pick this month!! (And thanks for the delicious PB Pie recipe. My family LOVED it!) 🙂
How interesting! I also have never thought to use the slow cooker. Will definitely have to try this.
Thank you for making the “sacrifice” for all of us and experimenting with the slow cooker vs the oven! =) I will have to give it a try for sure!
Seriously this is a mind-blowing amazing concept! I would never imagine making cheesecake in a crockpot. THIS i need to try!
oh wowsa! Sounds amazing!
A publisher just sent me a cookbook to review that’s all about the slow cooker. And now I totally want to do this cheesecake! And this is my kind of cheesecake with ricotta cheese. I just love this!!!
you totally need to try this. Just make sure you have a 6″ pan!
I love my slow cooker but have never made a cheesecake in it – or any other kind of dessert. This is definitely something I want to try now. I just need to get a 6″ pan!
the mini loaf pans I used worked out well but would just take 2x as long to do the 2 batches. I’d just hit up amazon for the mini pan. Seriously such a good Italian Style Cheesecake!