Maple-Cinnamon Yogurt Cheesecake

Yogurt is the secret in this creamy, maple-flavored cheesecake. By draining the yogurt overnight in cheesecloth, the mixture sets up for a no-bake filling that's low in fat—it's really simple.

Recipe Ingredients:

5 cups plain yogurt with no gelatin* (about 2 3/4 pounds)
Nonstick cooking spray
1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
Sliced fruit and fresh berries (optional)

Cooking Directions:

1. Reserve 3 tablespoons yogurt for crust. Cover; chill.
2. Line a large colander with a double thickness of 100 percent cotton cheesecloth and place over a large bowl. Spoon remaining yogurt into the colander. Cover and chill for at least 24 hours or up to 36 hours. Discard the liquid (whey) in the bowl. Wrap thickened yogurt (the yogurt cheese) in plastic wrap; chill up to 24 hours.
3. For Crust: Lightly coat a 9-inch pie plate with cooking spray. In bowl, mix crumbs, melted butter, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, cinnamon, and the 3 tablespoons reserved yogurt.
4. Pat crust mixture firmly and evenly into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake the crust in a 350°F (175°F) oven for 15 minutes or until golden. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. For Filling: Mix the drained yogurt and the 1/2 cup maple syrup. Spoon into cool crust. Cover and chill in refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve with sliced fruit and fresh berries, if you like.

Makes 8 servings.

Individual Cheesecakes: Prepare as above, except lightly coat 8 (6-ounce) custard cups with cooking spray. Prepare crust as directed. Set 1/4 cup of the crust mixture aside. Press remaining crust mixture into bottoms of individual cups. Bake and cool crusts as above. Divide filling mixture between individual cups. Serve with the sliced fruit and fresh berries, if you like, and sprinkle the cheesecake tops with the reserved 1/4 cup crust mixture.

*Note: We used Dannon yogurt for this recipe. To check your yogurt for gelatin, look at the ingredients list on the label. Yogurt with gelatin won't drain to make a cheeselike filling. The longer yogurt drains, the firmer the cheesecake filling will be.

Nutritional Information Per Serving (1/8 of recipe): calories: 244, total fat: 8g, cholesterol: 20mg, sodium: 217mg, carbohydrate: 36g, fiber: 0g.

Recipe provided by Better Homes and Gardens - BHG.com a member of the Home and Family Network for the best of cooking, gardening, decorating and more. © 2003 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved.