Goat Cheese Cheesecake with Basil Roasted Peaches

A little goat cheese tang, a touch of basil freshness, and a lot of natural peach sweetness are packed into these mini cheesecakes.

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I give to you the grand finale of basil week – cheesecake with goat cheese and peaches roasted in basil itself! After covering the three main meals of the day, I knew I had to figure out something with basil for dessert. But basil doesn’t strike me as something I would really want in a dessert. So here is how this recipe came to be:

I wonder if there is anything dessert-like with basil saved in my recipe folder – search for “basil”.

Hmm Everyday Annie’s has a strawberry bruschetta that looks amazing. Goat cheese, basil and strawberries? I think I can work with that. What about a cheesecake with goat cheese? Then the strawberries and basil on top? Hmm, let’s search for goat cheese recipes.

Ooo this recipe from Whole Foods has roasted pears on top with rosemary to go with the goat cheese cheesecake. Maybe I could swap the rosemary for basil? Does basil go with pears? Or maybe peaches? Yea peaches are stupid amazingly good right now, I can totally do that. But where on earth will I ever find peach juice? Let’s improvise…

From there I followed the recipe from Whole Foods pretty close for the cheesecake itself (I made minis instead of a big full cake), then using the recipe as inspiration I did my own thing for the roasted peaches and sauce. And you know what? It rocks. The slight tang from the goat cheese works beautifully with the sweetness of the peaches. And the basil, although not the main focus, adds that little bit of extra.

Fast forward nearly 10 years later and I am still in love with this recipe. In fact, this recipe may have been the birth of my obsession with adding herbs and other savory elements to desserts. I have a plentiful amount growing in my back yard these days, so you better believe that basil was fresh picked!

While this recipe does yield quite a bit (2 dozen), thankfully cheesecakes keep in the fridge for awhile or can be frozen (if you don’t inhale them fast enough). While that can be done  completely topped, for the best results I would suggest waiting to prepare the roasted peaches until right before serving.

Post updated 7/23/20, photo above is the original.

GOAT CHEESE CHEESECAKE WITH BASIL ROASTED PEACHES

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Yield: 2 dozen Cooking Time: 50 Minutes 50 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST

• 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or ginger snaps)
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

CHEESECAKE

• 2 (8 oz.) packages reduced fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 3 (4 oz.) packages fresh goat cheese, room temperature
• 2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-1/4 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature

ROASTED PEACHES

• 2 ripe but firm peaches
• 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbsp real maple syrup, divided
• 3 Tbsp agave syrup, divided
• 4 large basil leaves, plus more for garnish (optional)
• 1 Tbsp water

Directions

1. For the crust, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place crumbs in a medium-sized mixing bowl and pour in butter. Stir until crumbs are thoroughly moistened.
2. Press crumb mixture into the bottoms of two-12 cavity cupcake pans. Place pin oven and bake until crust is golden brown and firm, about 6-8 minutes.
3. For the cheesecake, reduce oven heat to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vanilla until smooth. In two or three additions, beat in sugar until mixture is creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating and scraping down sides of the bowl after each addition. Continue to beat until mixture is very smooth.
4. Divide batter evenly into the prepared crusts. Bake until edges of cheesecake look set and the center is still soft and slightly jiggly, about 20-25 minutes. Place pan on a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
5. For the roasted peaches, increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Halve the peaches and remove pits. Put butter, lemon juice, a tablespoon of maple syrup and 2 tablespoons agave in a medium baking dish. Place in hot oven for a minute or two, just until butter melts. Swirl to mix ingredients, then place the peaches, cut side down on top of a basil leaf (if using), in the dish. Bake for 15 minutes, basting occasionally with cooking liquid, or until tender. Transfer to a plate to cool. Cut each half into 6 slices (24 total).
6. Place remaining agave and maple syrup in a small bowl with water. Strain juices from baking dish into bowl and stir to combine.
7. When cheesecake has thoroughly chilled, remove from pan. Stir cooled sauce and drizzle sauce on the top with a peach slice and a basil leaf. Serve immediately or store in refrigerator until ready.

Did you make this recipe? I want to see!

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