No-Bake Matcha (Green Tea) Cheesecake

No-Bake Matcha (Green Tea) Cheesecake is not only fluffy, creamy and rich, but fool-proof! No baking, eggs or sour cream needed, and the earthiness of the Matcha balances out perfectly the tanginess of the cream cheese.

Craving for More Matcha? Check out our other recipes!

• White Chocolate Matcha Brownies
• White Chocolate Matcha Cookies
• Green Tea Cake with White Chocolate Icing

No-Bake vs Baked Cheesecake

One of our favourite things about this recipe is that there is not any baking involved. No pre-heating, no cooling after baking. Just combine the ingredients together and refrigerate for a few hours, and you are basically done. The result? A creamy, smooth, velvety cheesecake that is not overly heavy! Plus, the matcha adds another dimension of flavor that balances out perfectly the sweetness and tanginess of the cake.

No-Bake cheesecakes are so much easier to make since it doesn't involve eggs or baking! Traditional versions run the risk to over-beat your eggs, or over/under bake. The main difference between the two is the texture. The no-bake cheesecake has a mousse-like texture, whereas baked cheesecakes are heavier and more consistent.

What is Matcha?

Matcha is a finely ground powder of green tea, that comes from tencha leaves, and are specially grown and go through a strict growing process. During the process, they are covered from the sunlight, which gives Matcha it's distinct nutty and vegetal taste. The powder is so fine that it is easily dissolved in warm water, with the help of a Chasen (a whisk especially made for Matcha). It's important to note that matcha is a green tea, but not all green teas are matcha!

Best Matcha to use

There is 3 general categories, which are referred to as ceremonial, premium or culinary grade. The Ceremonial grade is made of the highest quality Matcha and is good enough to be used in tea ceremonies. Although our cake is not to be served in a tea ceremony, we would highly suggest to use the best quality of matcha that you can find. It will give your cheesecake a richer and smoother flavor. However, we know it is a very expensive ingredient, and culinary grade can also do the trick. If you're on the market for a high quality matcha, this one seems to be a popular choice on Amazon.

How to Make the Crust

The Graham crust is very easy to make and fool-proof. You only need 3 ingredients: Graham cracker, butter and brown sugar. It is important to use brown sugar, because it's moisture will help solidify the crust. With only these ingredients, you will have a delicious buttery thick crust.

Crust Variations

You can technically use any biscuit to make your crust, but we would stick to digestive crackers. We heard that Oreos make a real good crust though!

Tips for the Best No-Bake Matcha (Green Tea) Cheesecake

Here are the very few things that need a bit more attention for you to get the perfect, No-Bake Matcha Cheesecake:

• Dilute your matcha powder in hot water before adding it into the cream cheese. Remember, this recipe is no-bake, so it’s important that you dilute it in hot water to get rid of the raw bitter flavour of the matcha.
• Don’t over whip it your whipping cream. You don’t want watery whipped cream by under whipping it, but you also don't want it to be stiff and grainy by over whipping it. We beat it with a kitchen mixer for about 6 minutes at medium speed. But you might have to judge the consistency of the whipped cream since time might vary. You want to see stiff peaks form and the texture to be light but creamy.
• Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature. This will avoid lump in your cake and make it easier to mix.
• Use full fat cream cheese. Other low-fat or cream cheese spread won't give a texture that is as rich and creamy.
• Adjust the quantity of the Matcha. The intensity of the matcha flavor in this recipe depends on the matcha powder you use. Some brands and grades have stronger taste and be more bitter than others. We like it a bit on the stronger side, but you can definitely adjust by adding a bit less or more matcha powder according to your own preferences!
• Refrigerate for 6-8 hours. Patience is key! You don't want all your hard work to be ruined by a runny cheesecake. You want your knife to cut through this cake smoothly and come out with a perfectly sliced cake.
• Use a springform cake pan. It will make the removal of the cheesecake much easier! Don't forget to line the bottom too.

Toppings

This no-bake matcha cheesecake is delicious as it is, but adding some fruits can add some freshness and cut through the creaminess of the cake. Top it off with whipped cream, and you got yourself a winner!

FAQ's

Ingredients

For the Cream Cheese Filling

• Cream cheese: softened to room temperature,
• whipping cream: can be replaced by heavy cream,
• confectioner's sugar: it will help thicken your cheesecake,
• matcha powder: the highest quality you can find,
• vanilla extract,
• hot water.

For the Graham Crust

• Graham crackers: or any other biscuit,
• butter,
• brown sugar: do not replace by other type of sugar, this will add the needed moisture.

Instruction

1. Line the pan. Line the interior bottom and sides of a round baking pan with parchment paper (we used a 6 1/2 inch diameter and 3 inch deep round baking pan with removable bottom). You can use 2 tbsp of melted unsalted butter to stick the parchment paper onto the baking pan.
2. Make the crust. Grind enough graham crackers into fine crumbs using a food processor to get 1 cup of crumbs. In a bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, 4 tbsp of melted unsalted butter, and 2 tbsp of brown sugar.
3. Press the crumb mixture evenly onto the bottom of the baking pan until it is well-compacted and pressed evenly (you can use the back of a large spoon or the bottom of a glass to do this). Set aside in the refrigerator
4. Whip the whipping cream. Using a mixer, beat the 2 1/4 cups of whipping cream for about 6 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Set aside in the refrigerator.
5. Make the matcha cheesecake layer. To make the matcha cheesecake layer, combine 2 1/2 tbsp of matcha powder and 4 1/2 tbsp of water in a small bowl to form a paste. Beat 8 oz of the softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar, and the matcha paste together for about 1 1/2 minute until the mixture is soft and easily easy to spread. Set aside.
6. Make the vanilla cheesecake layer. To make the vanilla cheesecake layer, beat 8 oz of the softened cream cheese, 3/4 cup of the powdered sugar, and the 1 tsp of vanilla extract together for about 1 1/2 minute until the mixture is soft and easily easy to spread. Set aside.
7. Assemble whipped cream and cheesecake layers. Fold half of the whipped cream into the matcha-cream cheese mixture until well combined. Then, fold the other half of the whipped cream into the vanilla-cream cheese mixture until well-mixed.
8. Assemble and let refrigerate. Spread the vanilla cheesecake mixture evenly into the pan (on top of the graham cookie crust layer). Then, spread the matcha cheesecake mixture evenly on top of the vanilla cheesecake layer. Top with grated white chocolate and some more matcha powder (optional). Refrigerate for at least 6-8 hours before serving.