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Best German Cheesecake with Quark (Crustless Cheesecake Version)

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This Crustless German Cheesecake is quick and easy to make and SO good.

Since there are several ways to make German cheesecake, I have this recipe, as well as a few other options.

If you want a a very simple, classic German cheesecake that’s gluten and butter free, try my Classic German Cheesecake with Quark.

If you want a cheesecake with a crust, try this recipe right here.

? About This Recipe

Are you a cheesecake fan? Want to branch out beyond cream cheese cheesecake?

If so, give this super easy, super delicious authentic German cheesecake a try!

This crustless German cheesecake is a quick and easy dessert that’s full of flavor. It’s delicious on it’s own (my husband and I devoured it) but you can also serve with fresh berries and side of whipped cream.

See this recipe in action in web stories!

German Cheesecake vs. American Cheesecake

If you’ve never had German cheesecake, you might be wondering how it differs from cheesecake you typically find in the US.

Ok, so the main difference is that German cheesecake isn’t made with cream cheese. Instead, it’s made with Quark.

Um…Cate…what the heck is Quark?

It’s a German baking staple! Quark is a fresh, non-aged cheese similar in texture and thickness to Greek yogurt. You’ll find Quark in the yogurt section but it’s not yogurt. Quark is…well, Quark!

One of the benefits of Quark is that it’s high in protein, low in sugar, super creamy, and not tart like yogurt. I fell in love with Quark the first time I ate it when I lived in Germany as a teen. It’s still one of the first things I pick up at the grocery store whenever I arrive in Germany!

Where to Buy Quark Cheese?

While Quark is easy to find in Germany and other parts of Europe it’s not in the US. Until now, that is!!

For years I either made Quark at home from scratch or I’d use Greek yogurt or pureed cottage cheese in my cheesecakes because I couldn’t buy real Quark anywhere in the US.

And then I found Wünder Quark!

I bought a few tubs of Wünder Quark at my local Lowes grocery store and was super excited that it actually tasted like the Quark I ate in Germany. It’s so good.

Since making authentic international recipes is important to my International Baking Club members, and I have several recipes on the IDB that use Quark, I reached out to Wünder to see if we could work together. I’ve been a HUGE Quark fan for nearly 3 decades and am thrilled to be able to help Wünder get their Quark into more baker’s hands!

Wünder offers both flavored and plain Quark. I’ve been using Wünder’s large tubs of plain Quark for baking but you can also buy plain Quark in the smaller 5oz tubs.

A few benefits of Wünder Quark? The 24oz [680g] Wünder Quark has 24 grams of protein per serving, no added sugar, and is made with whole milk from grass fed cows. It also contains probiotics from live active cultures, less than 5% lactose, and is Non-GMO product verified, gluten-free, Kosher certified, and vegetarian friendly.

If you don’t find Wünder Quark at your local grocery store, you can now order it online and Wünder will deliver it right to your doorstep in just a couple days! They sent me a box of Quark and it arrived perfectly cold and ready to use. Wünder Quark will stay fresh in your fridge for 1.5 months so you can stock up.

Click here to order Wünder Quark for your German cheesecake! Use my special code IDB15 to get 15% off your first order.

UPDATE: unfortunately, Wünder is no longer selling Quark so I have removed links to their online store.

Can I Make Quark Cheese at Home?

Yes! You can make Quark from scratch at home. All you need is milk, buttermilk, and patience. Quark is easy to make but you do need to plan ahead so you have time to prepare it a couple days before you make your cheesecake. Click here to get my homemade Quark cheese recipe and tutorial.

What’s a Good Quark Cheese Substitute?

Don’t have Quark in your fridge? No time to make a fresh batch or order from Wünder? Here are a couple alternatives. They’re not as authentic as using Quark but they’ll work in a pinch!

First, you can use full fat Greek yogurt. If you can strain off some of the whey to thicken it up, that will help. Second, you can puree cottage cheese. Or you can use a mixture of both.

I’ve made this cheesecake both ways and while the texture was a little different (a little softer), it still turned out fine. It might look a little different, too, but that’s ok! The cheesecake on the left is one I made with Wünder Quark (it’s supposed to sink in the middle). The one on the right was made with Greek yogurt. The texture of the cheesecake made with real Quark was more like what I ate in Germany but the Greek yogurt cheesecake was delicious, too.

How Do You Cut Your Cheesecake in Such Even Slices?

Great question! I love how bakery cakes in Germany have perfectly even slices, so I started using a simple cake marker that I got on Amazon. The one I bought looks like this:

All you do is press the marker lightly on the cake. And then you have nice clean lines for cutting even slices!

I couldn’t find the cake marker I bought on Amazon (I think it was an add-on item) but I found one that’s even better! This cake marker is double-sided so you can slice your cake in either 14 or 18 portions. This one gives you 10 or 12 portions. There are a bunch of cake markers on Amazon – from plastic to metal, for cakes, brownies, and pies.

What You Need to Make Crustless German Cheesecake with Quark

Here are the ingredients you need:

  • Butter
  • Sugar
  • Vanilla sugar (or extract)
  • Eggs
  • Quark
  • Cream of wheat (optional)
  • Lemon juice

Here’s the equipment you need:

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Spatula
  • Stand or hand mixer
  • Scale or measuring cups/spoons
  • Springform pan
  • Parchment (optional)
  • Cooking spray (optional)
  • Plastic wrap
  • Cake slice marker (optional)
  • Cake plate

How to Make German Quark Cheesecake

The first step is to pre-heat your oven to 325F/162C.

Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer beat the room temperature butter, sugar, and vanilla sugar (or extract) until light and fluffy. I recommend using a large mixing bowl for this recipe.

Add the eggs, 2 at a time, and beat on low until incorporated.

Then add the Quark. I recommend using Wünder Quark, of course! Beat on low until the Quark is well combined.

Add the cream of wheat and continue mixing on low.

Finally, add the lemon juice and mix on low once more until everything is throughly combined.

Don’t forget to scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl several times!

Take the ring off your springform pan, spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray and then lay a piece of parchment on it. (Or use a round Silpat mat!)

Secure the springform pan ring and then pour the cheesecake batter into the pan.

Bake for about 70 minutes or until golden brown. Check your cheesecake at 60 minutes and continue baking in 5 or 10 minute increments.

Let the cheesecake cook in the springform pan for a few minutes, then carefully run a knife around the edge to loosen it from the pan. Remove the springform pan and place the cheesecake on a plate.

Cover with plastic wrap and chill the cheesecake in the fridge for several hours or overnight. It will firm up as it chills.

When you’re ready to serve the cheesecake, let it warm to room temperature. Serve with fresh whipped cream on the side. Enjoy!

Yield: 12 servings

Best German Cheesecake with Quark (Crustless Cheesecake Version)

Best German Cheesecake with Quark (Crustless Cheesecake Version)

A delicious light German cheesecake made with Quark cheese (or cottage cheese or Greek yogurt). 

Prep Time 10 minutes
Bake Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 cup [198g] sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract)
  • 14 TBSP [200g] butter (room temperature)
  • 6 eggs
  • 3 3/4 cups [850g] Quark (or Greek yogurt or pureed cottage cheese)
  • 1/2 cup [95g] cream of wheat
  • juice of half of one lemon (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325F/162C.
  2. Beat sugar, vanilla sugar (or vanilla extract), and butter until light and fluffy.
  3. Add 6 eggs, two at a time. Mix on low.
  4. Add Quark (or Greek yogurt or pureed cottage cheese). Mix on low until well combined.
  5. Add cream of wheat and continue mixing on low.
  6. Add lemon juice and mix on low one more time. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir a few times with a spatula to ensure everything is well blended.
  7. Pour cheesecake batter into the prepared springform pan.
  8. Bake for about 70 minutes or until the top of the cheesecake should be golden brown. Check the cheesecake after 60 minutes and bake in 5-10 minute increments until done.
  9. Let the cheesecake cool in the springform pan for a few minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edge of the pan and then slowly release the springform pan. Let the cheesecake cool for several hours or overnight in the fridge. The cheesecake will firm up as it cools.
  10. Serve plain, with fresh fruit, fruit sauce or a side of freshly whipped cream.

Nutrition Information

Yield

16

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 213Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 7gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 99mgSodium 138mgCarbohydrates 18gFiber 0gSugar 17gProtein 9g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

Big thanks to Wünder Creamery for sponsoring the update I made to this recipe to make it even more authentic.

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65 Comments

  1. Mmm…it looks so rich & creamy! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for linking up to the Creative K Kids’ Tasty Tuesday, I look forward to seeing what you come up with next week!

  2. I have heard of quark, but have yet to try it. But I am always up for a good cheesecake.

    Thanks for sharing on #TastyTuesdays

    1. Hi Audrey! Quark is delicious and so easy to make! I eat it plain or with fresh fruit for breakfast, if I have any left over after making a cheesecake. You can also add jam (or pureed fruit) and whipping cream to quark to make a delicious and healthier dessert. Thanks for stopping by!

  3. Cate, I have to tell you that a friend of mine brought a German Cheesecake that she made to a potluck at work once and when she said NO cream cheese was in there, I was shocked. SO good. I had never heard of Quark before she told me. Cheesecake is one thing I rarely make as we would devour it all in seconds haha…YUM. Thanks for linking up on Happiness is Homemade!

    1. I’ve heard that ground millet or cream of rice can be used — or you just make the cheesecake without it! The texture will be a bit different (smoother) but the cheesecake will still taste great!

  4. Why don’t you put the ingredient amounts in oz. in stead of tablespoons or cups for those of us who have to convert to european measurements of grams or ml.

    1. Yes! Now that my audience has expanded well beyond the US I’m looking at upgrading my recipe plug-in so you can easily choose the unit of measurement you want to use. 🙂

  5. Hi,
    I understand that you can use Greek yoghurt instead but can you also substitute the quark with sour cream?

    1. I haven’t tried it but sour cream might work…the flavor and texture are a bit different so it might turn out differently than if you were to use quark or Greek yogurt but that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t taste good. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!

    1. It might work. I don’t think they have the same taste and I’m not sure about texture but it might work as a replacement. You can also leave it out of the cheesecake. The texture will be a bit different without it but the cheesecake will still work.

  6. Delicious. Thank you for a very well behaved recipe. We have just enjoyed this light cake after a fairly heavy meal. (The butter in your recipe had to be replaced with olive oil and the sugar with xylitol to suit the diet. I added a bit of cinnamon to balance the olive oil. The result was still great.) Will make again. With best wishes to you, Ruth Whetsel

  7. Cate, I am making this for my ex because we are still friends and he had to give up on high carb desserts and I always made him a cheesecake for his birthday. I appreciate very much seeing a recipe that I can make that has all of the richness and fewer calories and no crust. You are a gem. Wish me luck. (I am an old baker but not professional, so new recipes can still be daunting even after 55 years of baking l)

  8. I was wondering I know a pretty special older German couple that are my neighbors and they have had a sad year with the loss of a child and really want to make them something special for Christmas. The husband is diabetic and I don’t believe they are real big “sweets” kind of people. Last year I tried making sugar free cookies and they were a disaster and I’m left with a kitchen full of swerve and other sugar substitute.. I was wondering if u had any advice on something I could make for them that really kinda “fool” proof.. I was considering ur cheesecake but rembering he a diabetic probably not the best thing..
    Any advice would be great

    1. That’s a great question, and how thoughtful of you to want to make something special for them! I actually just made this crustless German cheesecake using half monkfruit sweetener and half sugar and it tasted really good. It was a little waterier than usual, but that could be because I also tried making it without the cream of wheat. So, you could try this cheesecake using monkfruit sweetener (Swerve might work, too, but I haven’t tried it) but I do recommend adding the cream of wheat.

      Another sugar-free idea to get them a fun Advent Calendar – https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/the-best-advent-calendars-to-order-now/ I get these every year for family members and they love having something fun to open each day. At the bottom of that blog post there’s a link to a virtual advent calendar. I send those out each year and they get rave reviews (especially from people who don’t want sweets in their advent calendars)!

      If they like tea, you could get a couple cute mugs and fresh mint, ginger, and lemon so they can make this tea I had in Germany last year: https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/lemon-ginger-mint-tea-the-best-german-tea-i-had-in-germany.

      You could also make up some of this spice mix – https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/5-ways-to-use-homemade-speculaas-spice-mix/ and give it to them in a cute jar. It’s very similar to what’s used in Germany. I use this spice mix in so many things (see the blog post for ideas), so they might be able to use it here and there during the holiday season.

      Or you could make them a jar of vanilla “sugar” – https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/make-vanilla-sugar/ I’ve made this using Monkfruit sweetener so Swerve would probably work, too.

      Or you could make them a batch of European cultured butter! Here’s the recipe for that: https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/make-european-style-butter/

      🙂

  9. I lived in Deutschland for 3 years and when I returned to the states I couldn’t find quark. I’ve made my cheesecake with sour cream since 1985. This is my husbands yearly birthday request.

  10. Made this using homemade quark and it is delicious! So worth the time to make the quark yourself. A double recipe is just enough!

  11. Omg why would u add butter to it? What is the obsession of americans with so much fat and sugar. The original german quark cake has no butter inside!!! Just eggs, sugar, quark, semola or ap flour, corn starch, and lemon zest and juice.

    1. You know, I was wondering about that. I do a ton of research for every recipe and some of the recipes I found had butter, some didn’t. When I used homemade Quark or Greek yogurt it worked better with butter. But now that I have access to real Quark, I’m going to try it without. So thanks for confirming what I’d been wondering about.

      We’re definitely (unfortunately) obsessed with sugar in the US but it’s Germany where I’ve always eaten the most butter and fat!

  12. I just got back from Lows got my Quark 3 5 oz plain all they had in plain so I got 2 more in Vanilla Quark ?

    My Question in the Butter salted or Un-salted

  13. The Cake came out nice But beginner I am I put to much lemon in it I think. I love the taste of Quark out the container but I seem to have lost the flavor in the cake, I think it was to much lemon. I squeezed 1/2 a medium one in it, but then I said heck I’ll go ahead and put the rest in it. 🙁 I want more Quark taste ( love it)

    When I was a kid the lady we rented from made the Best Cheesecake( retired German Baker.) I felt I have never had cheesecake growing up because only Oma seemed to know how.

    Thank you so much for your site and the information about Quark, That is the flavor !!! so happy but, I have to bring it out in the Cake more like hers was. I think I will use your link to order a 12 pack of wunder Quark and try again.

    But this cake is good to just a mild vanilla flavor. Thank so much

    1. You can reduce the lemon or try leaving out. 🙂 I’m working on another classic German cheesecake recipe that I think you’ll love – there are so many variations and I plan to try them all! I agree, Quark is the best. I’m SO happy it’s available in the US now. Thanks for being part of the International Desserts Blog!

  14. we lived in Germany back in 1964-67 (Air force Brat) in small town called Sohren Germany. We lived over the Blacksmiths shop all that time long ago. Oma was a awesome cook and Sohren was like a fairy tale to me, love those people. When we got back to the States there was no more good Cheese cake to me.

  15. I am German, and my favorite way to make cheesecake is with Quark, butter, whipping cream, eggs and sugar with the egg whites beaten stiff and folded in. Some recipes include vanilla pudding powder. I have never heard of cream of wheat in a cheese cake.
    I tried greek yogurt cheesecake yesterday, but it was very bland compared to quark, even though I added lemon to the yogurt. A vanilla flavored yogurt might be better. I’ve also made it with Philadelphia cream cheese which was very good, but there is way too much fat in cream cheese. I guess it’s back to homemade quark.

    1. I’ve been testing out a Quark cheesecake recipe that’s very simple and one that has pudding powder…but I haven’t tried it yet with vanilla flavored Greek yogurt or vanilla Quark. My cheesecakes turn out a little different when I use Greek yogurt, and I prefer to use Quark whenever possible. And I almost never make cream cheese cheesecakes anymore because the Quark ones are so good and healthier! In my recipe research I was surprised to find so many variations and ways of making German cheesecakes with Quark. In several old recipes I found that cream of wheat (or whatever the German version is – Grossbrei?) was added, which I thought was interesting (and tasty). I wonder if maybe it’s also a regional thing? I have another Quark cheesecake on the IDB that doesn’t use it (that one sounds a lot like the way you make it), and the other cheesecake recipes I’ve got coming also don’t use it. It’s been absolutely fascinating learning all about German cheesecake and the many ways to make it after so many years of just eating it!

  16. Just been reading some comments and saw one about removing the butter. What would you replace it with or do you simply use more quark or gave I misunderstood?

  17. Can this cheese cake be made and then frozen for later? If not frozen how long will it keep in refrigerator?

    Thanks

    1. I haven’t frozen it so I can’t speak from experience (there’s never been enough left over to freeze!) but I *think* it would work to freeze it for up to a month or so. There’s a chance freezing it could change the texture a bit so if you want to be absolutely sure it won’t change the texture, I’d do a test run in the freezer for a few days and then see how it compares to what’s in the fridge (and if you do this, let me know how it turns out). Alternatively, you can keep it in the fridge for a few days before serving. And in case you haven’t seen it, I have a second crustless German cheesecake recipe (https://www.internationaldessertsblog.com/classic-german-cheesecake-with-quark/) that doesn’t use cream of wheat. Both are easy to make and delicious!

  18. Hello! It’s 2021, hope my comment still reaches you… Thank you so much for this amazing recipe, I’m a fan!
    My cheesecake tastes delicious but it didn’t turn out very pretty. While it was in the oven it looked amazing, all puffed and golden brown. But once out it started deflating and oozing a sweet clear liquid. It got less than half of the size it was previously. I followed the recipe (well, I used a little less butter and a little less sugar, 150gr of each), but clearly I must have made a mistake. How can I make it look as good as yours? Cheers, Lya

    1. Hello! Anytime you alter the ingredients (sometimes even just a little bit) it can change the outcome of the dessert, so that could be a factor. If it’s runny, there’s too much moisture. Did you use Quark or a substitute? If you used a substitute you could try straining off more liquid before adding it to the cheesecake batter. Or try adding a little more cream of wheat. What size baking tin did you use? Another thing you can try when the cheesecake is finished baking is to turn the oven off, open the door a bit, and let the cheesecake sit in the oven as it cools. I hope that helps! 🙂

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