Cream Cheese Pie – Food Faith Fitness

A pie that’s creamy and dreamy like cheesecake, but with more crust and less fuss!

Want a dessert that’s creamy and easy to whip up in a pinch? Check out cream cheese pie—cheesecake’s down-to-earth cousin. The pie is wrapped in a golden graham cracker crust and topped with a luscious fruit compote. The decadent dessert uses a simple cream cheese filling to create an extravagant treat.

Imagine biting into a silky smooth and sweet pie with a consistency somewhere between pudding and mousse. Plus, the buttery crust melts in your mouth without falling apart. Talk about decadence! Who needs a store-bought dessert when you can make a velvety, fresh cream cheese pie in the comfort of your own kitchen?

In fact, this is the kind of recipe that I’d share with novice bakers because it can be quickly whipped together and baked. You’ll need some patience to wait for it to cool in the fridge, but the end result is totally worth the wait.

Is Cream Cheese Pie Healthy?

This is considered to be a sweet dessert, so think about reserving it for special occasions. And although cream cheese has calcium and vitamin A, it is also high in fat. There are low-fat versions available, but they may not work as well in this recipe. To cut back on calories, you could consider using stevia or erythritol instead.

Cream Cheese Pie…Or Cheesecake?

You might be asking yourself, “What’s the difference between cream cheese pie and cheesecake?” After all, both have a basic filling made from sweetened cream cheese. But don’t be fooled—while they are similar, they have some major differences. The most obvious difference is that cheesecake usually only has a crust on the bottom of the cake, so that you can see the distinct layers. Cream cheese pie, on the other hand, has a graham cracker crust that covers both the bottom and sides, making it more like a classic pie instead of a cake.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (for crust)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar (for crust)
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted (for crust)
• 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• Whipped cream or fruit compote, for serving (optional)

FAQs & Tips

Serving Suggestions

While the recipe calls for a plain whipped cream topping, you could play around with different flavors and try Chocolate Whipped Cream or Strawberry Whipped Cream. If you’d prefer to skip the whipped cream, try a Salted Caramel Sauce. As for the fruit compote topping, you could consider alternating with Chocolate-Covered Raspberries, chopped nuts, and coconut flakes. However you choose to top off the pie, enjoy a slice with a Homemade Caramel-Vanilla Iced Coffee or Vegan Hot Chocolate.