This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Putting on the Ritz
These savory cheesecakes have no intention of waiting until dessert. The caviar one has a creamy garlic-and-herb filling with that little pop of caviar in each bite. Then there’s the fig and brie, with sweet fig jam and crushed pistachios. Both have layers of buttery cracker crust and whipped cheese. A slice of each and a dirty martini, please. We can discuss dinner later.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Order the molds first. Allow enough time for the ring molds to arrive before shopping for ingredients.
- Make them the day before and keep them covered in their molds in the fridge.
- Leave time for chilling. The final chill takes at least four hours, plus the shorter chills between layers. Make sure you have enough time.
- Press the middle crust gently and wait until the cheesecakes are firm before unmolding.
- Decorate shortly before serving. Keep total time out of the fridge under two hours, or one hour if it’s above 90°F.
Cheesecake,
Meet Cocktail Hour
What Is a Savory Cheesecake?
Think cheese and crackers, but make it pretty. And the stacking is already done for you. A savory cheesecake is a cheese appetizer with a creamy filling and a cracker crust, served in slices. This recipe makes two separate no-bake cheesecakes, each with its own filling and toppings.
Caviar Cheesecake: The filling combines cream cheese, goat cheese, and garlic-and-herb Boursin, with lemon zest and chives. It’s creamy with a little tang, layered with buttery Ritz cracker crust and topped with caviar, dollops of crème fraîche, and caviar-filled Castelvetrano olives.
Fig and Brie Cheesecake: Cream cheese, goat cheese, and brie are whipped into a creamy cloud. Fig jam and crushed pistachios add sweetness and a nutty crunch. You get buttery Ritz cracker layers in each slice, plus more fig jam, fresh figs, and a drizzle of honey on top.
Add to Cart Before You Start
The Ring Molds
I use these ring molds for the tall shape and defined layers. Order them early enough to have them on hand before you buy the ingredients. They come with a round press for flattening the crust. If you already have ring molds without a press, a small, flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup that fits inside can do the job.
A Little Layer Management
The Crust and Filling
The Ritz crust. Both cheesecakes use the same cracker mixture for their bottom and middle crusts. Fine crumbs coated evenly with melted butter will press into a crust that holds together.
The whipped cheese. Cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon zest, and salt are the starting point for both fillings. Let the cheeses soften before processing, and scrape down the sides so everything blends evenly. Divide this mixture in half before adding the different flavors.
For the caviar cheesecake. Reserve ¼ cup of the plain whipped cheese from its half before adding the Boursin, garlic powder, and chives. That plain portion becomes the topping.
For the fig and brie cheesecake. Blend the brie into its half first. Then reserve ¼ cup for the topping before adding the pistachios and fig jam. This way, you get brie in the topping without the nuts and jam mixed through it.
Keep the fillings and reserved toppings covered in the fridge until you need them.
Press the middle crust gently. Use a light touch with the round press so you don’t push the crumbs into the cheese underneath.
Use parchment under each ring. It makes transferring the finished cheesecake easier. Once the cheesecake is firm, use the parchment to help slide it onto the serving plate with the ring still on. Then gently lift off the ring and slide out the paper before decorating.
| What’s chilling | Time in the refrigerator |
|---|---|
| Each prepared filling, before assembly | 30 minutes |
| First crust layer, after pressing it into the mold | 30 minutes |
| First cheese layer, after spreading it over the crust | 30 minutes |
| Second crust layer, after gently pressing it over the cheese | 20 minutes |
| Fully assembled cheesecake, after adding the final cheese layer | At least 4 hours, until firm enough to unmold |
For the Cheese Lovers
An Edible Gift
This is the kind of gift you hope gets opened while you’re still there. Tuck a cheesecake into one of these gift boxes and finish with a ribbon. Bring it over chilled, then either slice into it together or pop it in the fridge for later.
Make-Ahead, Prep and Storage
Make them the day before. Assemble both cheesecakes, leave them in their molds, and refrigerate covered overnight. Keep the reserved whipped-cheese toppings in separate covered containers in the fridge.
Decorate on serving day. Once you’ve unmolded the cheesecakes, spread on their reserved cheese toppings. You can add the fig jam at this point, too, then return them to the refrigerator. Save the caviar, crème fraîche, caviar-filled olives, fresh figs, pistachios, and chives for shortly before serving. Just before serving, drizzle the caviar cheesecake with olive oil and the fig and brie cheesecake with honey.
Keep them chilled until serving. Store at 40°F or below. Once they’re out of the refrigerator, allow no more than two hours at room temperature, or one hour if it’s above 90°F. Count decorating time toward that limit, too. Discard any that have exceeded those limits unless they’ve been kept at 40°F or below. See the FDA’s guidance for serving cold foods.
Freezing isn’t recommended. The whipped filling may become grainy after thawing, and the caviar and fresh toppings can lose their texture. Plan on making these ahead in the refrigerator.
How to Serve
Serve the cheesecakes chilled, and cut into small slices like you would a cheesecake. Start with a Blue Cheese Dirty Martini while everyone tries the cheesecakes. For dinner, serve Slow Roasted Beef Tenderloin with béarnaise, buttery Potato Puree, and an Arugula Fennel Salad with honey Dijon dressing. Finish with Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce.
Want to save this recipe?
Save it to your account
or email it to yourself
Frequently Asked Questions
These are the ring molds I use for this recipe.
Do it straight from the refrigerator, while the brie is firm. Use a sharp knife or vegetable peeler to shave off the rind so you don’t lose too much of the cheese underneath. Then cut the brie into pieces and let it soften at room temperature for about 30 minutes before processing. You want it soft enough to blend smoothly without getting warm and runny.
Sliced pears or blackberries would be lovely on top. Keep the fig jam in the filling and topping so you still get that fig-and-brie flavor. Add the fresh fruit shortly before serving.
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- parchment paper
- Tray
- spoon
- Bench scraper
- plastic wrap
Ingredients
The Crust
- 45 ritz crackers, about 1 ½ sleeves
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
The Whipped Base
- 16 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 oz goat cheese, softened
- 1 lemon, zested
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Caviar Cheesecake
- 5.2 oz boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese, softened
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ tsp white pepper
- 3 tbsp chives, finely chopped, divided
- 3 oz caviar, divided
- ¼ cup crème fraîche, cold
- 6 castelvetrano olives, pitted
- olive oil, for topping
Fig and Brie Cheesecake
- 4 oz brie, rind removed, softened
- ¼ cup pistachios, finely chopped, plus more for topping
- 4 tbsp fig jam, divided
- 2 fresh figs, cut into wedges
- 1 tsp chives, finely chopped, for topping
- honey, for topping
Instructions
The Crust
- Add the crackers, salt and melted butter to a food processor. Process into fine, evenly moistened crumbs. Transfer to a bowl. Clean and dry the food processor.45 ritz crackers, 1 pinch kosher salt, 7 tbsp unsalted butter
- The Whipped Base
- Process the cream cheese, goat cheese, lemon zest and salt until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer half to a mixing bowl for the Caviar Cheesecake. Leave the other half in the food processor for the Fig and Brie Cheesecake.16 oz cream cheese, 8 oz goat cheese, 1 lemon, 1/4 tsp kosher salt
The Fillings
- Caviar Cheesecake: Set aside ¼ cup of the plain whipped cheese for the topping. Cover and refrigerate until ready to decorate. Stir the Boursin, garlic powder, white pepper, and 2 tbsp chives into the remaining whipped cheese. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.5.2 oz boursin garlic and fine herbs cheese, ¼ tsp garlic powder, 2 tbsp chives., ¼ tsp white pepper
- Fig and Brie Cheesecake: Add the brie to the whipped base in the food processor and process until smooth. Set aside ¼ cup for the topping. Cover and refrigerate until ready to decorate. Transfer the remaining mixture to a bowl and stir in 1/4 cup pistachios and 2 tbsp fig jam. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.¼ cup pistachios, 2 tbsp Fig jam, 4 oz brie
Assemble
- Prepare the Molds: Set each ring mold on a square of parchment paper on a tray. Build each cheesecake in four layers: crust, cheese, crust, cheese. Refrigerate between layers as directed below.
- Caviar Cheesecake: Add about 8 tbsp of crust mixture to the mold and press flat with the round press. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Spread half of the caviar filling over the crust and smooth with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add about 8 tbsp more crust mixture and press gently with the round press. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread the remaining caviar filling over the crust and smooth with a spoon.
- Fig and Brie Cheesecake: Add about 8 tbsp of crust mixture to the second mold and press flat with the round press. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Spread half of the fig and brie filling over the crust and smooth with a spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Add about 8 tbsp more crust mixture and press gently with the round press. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Spread the remaining fig and brie filling over the crust and smooth with a spoon.
- Finish and Chill: Smooth the tops with a bench scraper. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm enough to unmold.
Toppings
- Unmold: Use the parchment to move each cheesecake to a serving plate. Gently lift off the rings and carefully slide out the parchment.
- Caviar Cheesecake: Spread the reserved plain whipped cheese over the top. Set aside enough caviar to fill the olives, then spread the rest over the cheese. Pipe small dollops of crème fraîche over the caviar. Fill the olives with the reserved caviar, arrange them on top and sprinkle with the remaining 1 tbsp chives.1 tbsp chives., 3 oz caviar, ¼ cup crème fraîche, 6 castelvetrano olives
- Fig and Brie Cheesecake: Spread the reserved whipped brie mixture over the top, followed by the remaining 2 tbsp fig jam. Sprinkle with pistachios, arrange the fresh figs on top and finish with chives.2 tbsp Fig jam, 1 tsp chives, 2 fresh figs
- Serve: Drizzle the Caviar Cheesecake with olive oil and the Fig and Brie Cheesecake with honey. Serve with sliced crusty bread on the side.honey, olive oil
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
