This Air Fryer Basque Cheesecake is smooth and creamy with the perfect amount of added sweetness. It’s ridiculously easy to whip up and a fabulous choice when you’re looking for a smaller dessert.
So how adorable is this sweet little Air Fryer Basque Cheesecake??
If you’re looking for a smaller portioned dessert this holiday season, you NEED to get this cheesecake on your list!
Yes, I know. I’ve already got a Burnt Basque Cheesecake recipe here at the BHK. I posted it back in July of 2021 and it’s delicious, don’t get me wrong. But when a good friend reaches out and says he needs an air fryer version, I had to get baking.
I just got my air fryer at the end of last summer and have used it quite often already, but I have to say I never though of making a cheesecake in it. My good friend Gerry was the friend behind the request for an air fryer version, so I researched and I decided the recipe from Food and Wine looked great and super easy, so that’s one you see here today, and it’s just brilliant!
It takes no time at all to make, you’ll need less than 10 ingredients, most of which I bet you’ve already got in your pantry and your fridge and it takes just over 30 minutes to bake. Yes, you heard right, 34 in my air fryer to be exact.
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
What I love about this recipe is that you’ll only need minimal ingredients and minimal amount of time to prep and bake this little beauty.
Sometimes I don’t want a huge dessert hanging around the house. Too much temptation. A smaller dessert does the trick.
It’s so smooth and creamy. It’s delicious served as is or with some fresh whipped cream or fruit on the side.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- cream cheese
- granulated sugar
- light brown sugar
- large eggs
- heavy whipping cream
- lemon
- kosher salt
- vanilla extract
- all-purpose flour
If you’re new to a Basque cheesecake it’s an ultra-creamy custard-like cheesecake with a caramelized burnt top and no crust. It hails from San Sebastian, Spain.
I guarantee once you try this cheesecake you’ll be hooked. My husband Tom is not a big dessert person, but this cheesecake totally won him over. We shared it with guests and he was all about hoarding the leftovers for himself.
Step-By-Step Instructions
First, you will beat your cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar followed by your eggs, one at a time, until just incorporated.
Next up, you’ll add your whipping cream, lemon juice, salt and vanilla and continue to beat on low speed until just combined.
Sprinkle the flour over this mixture, and beat on low for 20 seconds more.
Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl and pour the cream cheese mixture over the strainer in batches pressing with a rubber spatula until done, then pour the strained mixture into the prepared cake pan.
Bake in your air fryer for 28 minutes, then remove the basket from the air fryer to check to see if center is still jiggly or the edges appear wet. If so, continue cook for 4-6 minutes. I cooked mine for an additional 6. The cheesecake is done when the top is very dark brown and the whole cheesecake moves together when jiggled.Â
You’ll want to cool it on a wire rack for one hour before transferring to fridge to continue cooling for 4 more hours.
I bet you’ll enjoy a slice with fresh whipped cream or fresh fruit on the side. It’s decadent and the best present this holiday season! Any leftovers may be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to three days.
I hope you all have a Wonderful and Merry Christmas. Enjoy some relaxing time with family and friends!
Thank you for a great year here at The Beach House Kitchen and see you all in 2024!
Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!
A Few Cook’s Notes for Air Fryer Basque Cheesecake
You’ll need a 6-inch springform pan for this recipe. I grabbed mine at HomeGoods.
Make sure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature before starting the recipe.
I used my 4-quart Cosori Air Fryer for this cheesecake.
More Delicious Desserts to Enjoy
Air Fryer Basque Cheesecake
Print Recipe Pin RecipeIngredients
- 16 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3 Tbsp. light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees. Crumple a sheet of parchment paper, roughly 18 inches long into a ball, then unroll it and place into a 6-inch springform pan. Set aside.
- Beat cream cheese, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute, scraping down sides as needed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating on low speed until just incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl, Add whipping cream, lemon juice, salt and vanilla nd continue to beat on low speed until just combined, about 15-20 seconds. Sprinkle the flour over this mixture, and beat on low for 20 seconds more.
- Place a mesh strainer over a large bowl. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the strainer in batches pressing with a rubber spatula until done, then pour the strained mixture into the prepared cake pan.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer. Using tongs, carefully lower the cheesecake into the basket. Return the basket to the air fryer and cook at 375 degrees for 28 minutes. Remove the basket from the air fryer to check to see if center is still jiggly or the edges appear wet. If so, continue cook for 4-6 minutes. I cooked mine for an additional 6. The cheesecake is done when the top is very dark brown and the whole cheesecake moves together when jiggled. The top should only slightly slide around.
- Remove the pan from the air fryer basket and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool on rack for one hour. Transfer to fridge and chill for 4 hours and up to 12 hours. Loosen sides of the pan and slide cheesecake from the pan. Gently remove the parchment. Serve.
Mr Picky, me, the husband, says a big forks up! I could not get enough of this one. I am not big on dessert but this one had me eating my words and multiple portions. The charred top with the light creamy texture was awesome. Mary Ann, thanks for spoiling me with this one:) I am the luckiest man in the world to have you in my life and my kitchen:)
XOXOXOXOXOXO
I’ve made this cheesecake a few times now and absolutely love it! It’s honestly so easy to make. The flavor is perfect and exactly what I’m looking for in a cheesecake. The texture is great, slightly firm on the edges and still a little creamy in the center. The “burnt” top adds a nice caramel flavor. I brought it to work and everyone was obsessed with it too.
A few pointers that I found when making it. The recipe didn’t specify if you should leave the tray inside the air fryer bin. I left mine in the first time and the cake was too close to the heating element and cooked too quickly on top and started to nearly touch the heating coil. I had to take it out about 10 minutes too early and it didn’t set up in the middle. I bought more ingredients to try a second time but made sure to remove the tray from the bin this time. Like MaryAnn, I also cooked it for an additional 6 minutes for a total of about 34 minutes. After cooling and setting it in the fridge, it came out perfectly!
As I said, I’ve made the cheesecake a few times and it’s come out great every time. I even accidentally grabbed neufchatel cheese one time (it’s a French cheese that is similar to cream cheese but has less fat) and it still turned out great. For me, I also open up the air fryer every 5-10 minutes. I’m not sure if it will happen to everyone but mine ended up getting a little smokey inside so I opened the bin for a few seconds to let the smoke air out. Nothing ever burned but I was concerned about setting off the smoke detector in my apartment. I’ve also found that the recipe makes more batter than will fit in a 6in x 4in round pan. I don’t know if you could possibly cook the leftover batter in a smaller pan but I always end up with some extra.
This recipe is great. I don’t have a stand mixer and only have a hand mixer. The batter is soft enough that the hand mixer works perfectly well so no need to worry if you don’t have a stand mixer. I’d recommend this recipe to anyone as there’s really no skill involved other than being able to measure a few ingredients and be able to mix them all together!
What an awesome review Eric! Thank you so much for taking the time to write it! I love this recipe also. It really is so easy and the flavor of the cheesecake and the burnt topping is absolutely dreamy. My husband is not a huge dessert eater, but he loves this recipe too!