9 Cheesecake Hacks To Elevate The Classic Treat
Whether you love it or hate it, cheesecake is a staple of American cuisine. Though its roots go back to ancient Greek times, the food is most commonly associated with New York City — thanks to the iconic recipe that is New York-style cheesecake. Thanks to the dessert's versatility, there are many creative ways to serve and enjoy it outside of what you may expect. Between bite-sized snacks and leftover magic, this rich dessert can easily be elevated beyond the traditional form of one slice.
When you think of cheesecake, you may think of a graham cracker crust, a creamy filling, and a drizzle of sauce. But this combination is only one of many ways to go about it. By incorporating different ingredients or techniques, you can make something even more unique, and just as delicious. To help, we've gathered some fun methods and inventive hacks to try the next time you want to indulge in this decadent dessert.
1. Turn it into cake pops
You can bring your cheesecake to the next level by using simple kitchen tools and a few skewers. With an ice cream or cookie dough scoop — or even a spoon — scoop out portions from your cheesecake slices. Regular cake pops usually call for a bit of icing to create moisture and help roll the cake into balls, but cheesecake is already moist enough to easily mold into this shape.
Take care to leave out pieces of the crust, unless you want to keep that element. It would work well with a s'mores-themed cake pop. Next, put a wooden skewer or plastic lollipop stick in the ball, then dip and roll them in melted white chocolate, or any melted icing of your choosing. When you're satisfied with the look, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, and freeze them until solid.
Part of the fun of this hack is there are a lot of recipes and flavors that could be used for cheesecake pops. Not only can you try classic combinations like strawberry or blueberry, but you can also change the outer coating to whatever flavor you want. Roll it in sprinkles, dust it in cocoa, or cover it in crushed nuts — any combination you enjoy could easily be turned into a cake pop that doesn't require any baking.
2. Use the leftovers to make ice cream
There's no need for churning with this ice cream hack that uses leftover cheesecake. Using a stand mixer, combine some sweetened condensed milk with vanilla. Then, fold in the pieces of cheesecake. You might want to avoid using crust, in order to keep the texture smooth. Next, swirl in ingredients like strawberries, blueberries, or jam. To finish off the mixture, stir in some whipped cream. Finally, pour the entire thing into a loaf pan that's been frozen, cover it with plastic wrap, and pop it in the freezer for at least six hours (ideally, you would leave it in there overnight) until you get a thick, creamy consistency.
With this hack, you can take your cheesecake to a higher level with multiple ice cream flavors. Have some leftover peanut butter cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory? Turn it into ice cream! You can even take it a step further by adding swirls of jam for a PBJ ice cream. Want some cookies and cream ice cream? Crumble cookies into the mix. Have fun and get creative with it.
3. Fry up some cheesecake bites
If state fairs don't serve deep-fried cheesecake, they might want to start thinking about it. Even if you don't like cheesecake, it's hard to dislike something fried. Frying cheesecake is a delicious way to enjoy a crispy version of this dessert and it's a deep-fried food you seriously need to try. For this, you cut pieces of cheesecake to make fried balls, pieces, or squares. If you use smaller chunks, they will cook faster and more evenly.
The trick here is to use frozen cheesecake. Not only will it help hold the shape of the cheesecake, but it will be easier to coat it in the batter. Deep-fried cheesecake starts with dipping frozen cheesecake bites in a batter. The batter itself is similar to one used for other deep-frying recipes, but a simple mixture consists of a pancake mix, eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and some vanilla extract. Once the bites are coated, deep-fry them until they're golden brown and gooey.
4. Stuff a Bundt cake with it
Elevate your Bundt cake and cheesecake by baking a combination of the two. Begin by making your Bundt cake batter and your classic cheesecake filling. When you spread your cake batter in the pan, only pour part of the mixture into the bottom. Then, pipe a layer of the cheesecake filling on top of the batter, and then pour the remaining Bundt cake batter over the filling. Spread the final layer of batter around so it completely covers the cheesecake filling — that way it stays right in the middle. Bake the cake, then cover it with foil at the halfway mark to avoid the cake becoming too brown. You'll know it's ready when the cheesecake center isn't gooey.
There are different ways to implement this technique. Generally, Bundt cakes are made with chocolate and left plain, with a thin glaze or partial icing as decoration. In this variation, you can keep it traditional with a thin layer of cream cheese icing. You could also go for a red velvet or carrot Bundt cake with a cheesecake center.
5. Make a cheesecake sundae
Usually, sundaes stick to the same ingredients: brownies, bananas, scoops of ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Truly, this recipe is a masterpiece in itself. Now imagine it with a sundae with cheesecake. To get creative with your next ice cream sundae, substitute your base layer with cheesecake. You could even use it as a topping, instead.
To incorporate cheesecake, line the bottom of your bowl with pieces of cheesecake (crust or no crust) and then layer on your favorite sundae ingredients. You can use whatever ice cream flavors you like — good ol' Neapolitan, vanilla, or even rocky road would suffice. Add fruit (such as bananas or strawberries), caramel sauce, sprinkles, or nuts. Whatever you like in a sundae or with cheesecake can come together for the ultimate ice cream dessert. Don't forget to finish it with whipped cream and a cherry.
6. Put some into a panini
Most paninis are savory dishes made with crusty Italian bread and filled with meats, vegetables, and melted cheese. Another easy and delicious way to elevate cheesecake is to make it into a sweet panini. Instead of using Italian bread or something similar, choose any thick, soft bread such as brioche or challah. Add a layer of cheesecake filling — or leftover cheesecake pieces, if that's what you have. Using a panini press, heat the cheesecake sandwich until it's warm and melted. A waffle maker would also work in a pinch if you don't have a panini press, but make sure not to overstuff your sandwich or you'll likely end up with a gooey mess.
Since meats and vegetables won't work with this sweeter variation, you can always incorporate berries, jam, or other simple ingredients that complement the flavors of cheesecake. Add blueberries for a juicy pop, or even thinly sliced apples for a nice crunch.
7. Create a mason jar dessert
Visually appealing and quick to make, mason jar desserts are worth the raving reviews. To make this super simple dessert with cheesecake, just layer cheesecake along with your favorite mix-ins, like chopped strawberries, raspberries, peaches, crumbled graham crackers, chocolate, caramel sauce, and whipped cream in a mason jar. Alternate layers among the ingredients so each bite has a little bit of everything.
Because mason jars are so easy to transport and the dessert can be prepared beforehand, this cheesecake trick is perfect for gatherings, parties, or picnics. Not only is it a fun way to serve the dish, but it's also meant to be a perfect portion, so you don't have to worry about slicing smaller pieces of cake or throwing away extra food. Plus, you don't need to forgo leftovers — the lid will seal tight so you can store it away in the fridge.
8. Blend the leftovers into a milkshake
At first, enjoying your store-bought cheesecake is superb. There is always a variety of flavors and bakeries to try, all offering a unique take on the staple recipe. But eventually, having the same cake every day, or multiple times in a row, can become tiring. To repurpose your leftover cheesecake, try blending a slice with a couple of scoops of vanilla ice cream, plus about a half-cup of milk. This will create a milkshake.
Between cookies and cream milkshakes, strawberry banana shakes, and chocolate shakes, there are several directions to go with this recipe. You can get creative with your mix-ins or toppings as well. You could top your dessert with the classics like whipped cream and a cherry. On the other hand, you could use some mix-ins in your milkshake, such as chocolate chips, cookie pieces, nuts, candy bar bits, brownie bites, berry jam, or fruit. Whatever you do, it's going to be decadent.
9. Make a new type of ice cream sandwich
This combination of an ice cream and cheesecake sandwich is a quick way to take the dessert to another level. First, cut squares of cheesecake — avoiding most of the crust so it isn't too crumbly. Then, sandwich a square between two graham crackers. This may seem redundant since you just got rid of the graham cracker crust, but trust us it's a treat all its own. After that, cover the cheesecake edges in chocolate sprinkles, or whatever kind you like best. You could also use crushed nuts or toasted coconut. It helps to assemble the sandwich on parchment paper so nothing sticks.
If you're craving a little more sweetness, coat the sandwiches in melted chocolate or give them a little drizzle of caramel across the top. Most importantly, when you're done, make sure to freeze the treats until solid. It may not actually be ice cream, but each bite will be a cold, sweet delight.