Last Updated on October 6, 2022 by Griselda M.
This French-Style cheesecake Walmart recipe will give you a fluffy and creamy cheesecake with delicious zest and sweet flavors.
Let’s be honest, not everyone loves cheesecake. And more often than not, it’s because they can be overwhelmingly sweet! Luckily, the French cheesecakes are less sweet and have a slightly zesty and bitter flavor to them. And, because we are taking inspiration from Walmart’s version, we will be using a graham cracker crust instead of a sweet pie crust.
What Is French-Style Cheesecake?
French cheesecake originated in Alsace, France. It consists of mainly white cheese, eggs, loads of vanilla, and some lemon zest. What makes this cheesecake unique is that it is baked with a pie crust instead of a cracker base.
Fromage Blanc is the traditional cheese used to make French cheesecake. However, if you cannot find any, some great alternatives include cream cheese, ricotta, Mascarpone, or Camembert.
French-style Cheesecake Recipe Vs Other Types of Cheesecake
Every French-style cheesecake recipe is very different from “regular” cheesecakes. The more common types of cheesecake include Italian cheesecake and New York cheesecake. You can read more about them here.
The first major difference between them is that French cheesecake is made with a pie crust. Not the regular graham cracker or digestive biscuit crust used for regular cheesecake. This pie crust is often made with a mixture of butter, sugar, egg yolks, and cake flour.
Then, like most classic French-styled desserts, the cheesecake recipe isn’t nearly as sweet. And, the addition of lemon zest gives it a slightly bitter flavor.
It is also common for recipes to include loads of vanilla extract. It complements the Fromage Blanc beautifully.
And, when it comes to the texture, French cheesecakes have a much fluffier and airy texture compared to New York cheesecake. This is because the egg whites are whipped before being mixed in. Once baked, it gives the cheesecake an airy and sponge texture, not dense and heavy.
French-Style Cheesecake Walmart Recipe – Why Is It So Special?
So, while traditional French-style cheesecake is made using a pie crust, Walmart made theirs with a graham cracker base instead. This is much easier and takes out a lot of work.
The “French” part comes from the delicious not-so-sweet soft cheese filling. We will also be using the traditional method of beating the egg whites separately to create an airy mixture.
What You Will Need For This Cheesecake Recipe?
Ingredients for the Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham crackers, finely crushed
- 1/3 cup fine sugar (castor sugar)
- 1/4 cup salted butter, melted
Ingredients for the French Cheesecake Filling
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 pound cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup fine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 pound sour cream, room temperature
Equipment
- Food processor, optional
- Mixing bowls
- 9-inch springform cake pan
- Non-stick cooking spray, optional (or melted butter)
- Stand or electric hand mixer
- Large spoon or rubber spatula
4th & Heart Original Ghee Oil Cooking Spray – Non-stick
How to Make This Cheesecake From Walmart
Step 1: Make the graham cracker crust
You can make this crust with a food processor. Simply add all of the crust ingredients inside and blend it until you have a fine mixture.
Alternatively, you can crush the crackers separately and mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl. When using this method, make sure you properly mix the ingredients to evenly distribute them.
Line a springform cake pan with non-stick spray or additional melted butter. This is an optional step as the crust already contains butter, so it will not stick.
Once lined, place the pan inside the fridge so that the base can be set.
Step 2: Beat the egg whites
First, start by whisking your egg whites until they reach soft peaks. It would be best if you did this inside of a stand mixer. You can also use an electric hand mixer or a regular balloon whisk.
Step 3: Start the cheesecake filling base
Meanwhile, combine the softened room temperature cream cheese and fine sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream the ingredients together until they become light and fluffy.
Then, add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, lemon zest, fine salt, and sour cream. Mix the ingredients until you have a smooth, uniform mixture.
Step 4: Fold in the egg whites
Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, mix in a third of the beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture. This will thin the consistency and make it easier to incorporate the rest of the egg whites.
Then, very gently fold in another third of the beaten egg whites. Work as gently as you can to prevent deflating the batter. Finally, just before the egg whites are completely folded in, add the final third of the egg whites.
Step 5: Bake the cheesecake
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Gently pour the cheesecake batter onto the graham cracked lined cake pan.
Bake the cheesecake for about 40-60 minutes. The exact time will be determined by the thickness of your cheesecake and the hot spots in your oven.
Step 6: Cool your Walmart French-style cheesecake
Once the cheesecake is completely baked, turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool inside of the oven for at least an hour.
Then, remove the cheesecake and cool it at room temperature for another hour.
Finally, wrap the pan with plastic or saran wrap and allow it to chill inside the fridge for at least 6 hours. We prefer setting out cheesecake overnight.
The Ultimate Tips And Tricks For This French-style Walmart Cheesecake
- We used a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream instead of traditional Fromage Blanc. It can sometimes be difficult to find, but our substitution is a close second! It gives this recipe the creaminess and slight bitterness that classic French cheesecakes have.
- For this French-style cheesecake Walmart recipe, you can easily reduce or increase the sweetness. Simply adjust the amount of sugar or use a less sweet substitute.
- You can beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. If you over-beat them, it will be difficult to incorporate them into the batter and create big air pockets.
- Your cheesecake has finished baking once the middle 2-inches of the cake is slightly wobbly. Do not open the oven before the cheesecake has baked for at least 35 minutes.
- Do not skip the cooling part of this recipe. It is essential to help prevent the cheesecake from cracking! It does take a lot of time and there is, unfortunately, no other way to gradually cool a cheesecake quickly.
Servings and Preparation Time
Prep time | Baking time | Servings |
30 minutes | 40-60 minutes | 8-10 |
Walmart French-Style Cheesecake Recipe
This cheesecake recipe is perfect for those who aren’t the biggest fans of overly sweet cheesecakes! It has a tangy, semi-sweet, and zesty flavor that we guarantee you’ll love! If you love this recipe as much as we do, feel free to share it with your family or friends!
French-style Cheesecake Walmart Recipe
Equipment
- Food processor, optional
- Mixing bowls
- 9-inch springform cake pan
- Non-stick cooking spray, optional (or melted butter)
- Stand or electric hand mixer
- Large spoon or rubber spatula
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Graham Cracker Crust
- 2 cups graham crackers finely crushed
- 1/3 cup fine sugar castor sugar
- 1/4 cup salted butter melted
Ingredients for the French Cheesecake Filling
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 pound cream cheese softened
- 1 cup fine sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 pound sour cream room temperature
Instructions
- You can make this crust with a food processor. Simply add all of the crust ingredients inside and blend it until you have a fine mixture.
- Alternatively, you can crush the crackers separately and mix the ingredients in a mixing bowl. When using this method, make sure you properly mix the ingredients to evenly distribute them.
- Line a springform cake pan with non-stick spray or additional melted butter. This is an optional step as the crust already contains butter, so it will not stick.
- Once lined, place the pan inside the fridge so that the base can be set.
- First, start by whisking your egg whites until they reach soft peaks. It would be best if you did this inside of a stand mixer. You can also use an electric hand mixer or a regular balloon whisk.
- Meanwhile, combine the softened room temperature cream cheese and fine sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cream the ingredients together until they become light and fluffy.
- Then, add the egg yolks, vanilla extract, lemon zest, fine salt, and sour cream. Mix the ingredients until you have a smooth, uniform mixture.
- Using a large spoon or rubber spatula, mix in a third of the beaten egg whites into the cream cheese mixture. This will thin the consistency and make it easier to incorporate the rest of the egg whites.
- Then, very gently fold in another third of the beaten egg whites. Work as gently as you can to prevent deflating the batter. Finally, just before the egg whites are completely folded in, add the final third of egg whites.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Gently pour the cheesecake batter onto the graham cracked lined cake pan.
- Bake the cheesecake for about 40-60 minutes. The exact time will be determined by the thickness of your cheesecake and hot spots in your oven.
- Once the cheesecake is completely baked, turn off the oven and open the oven door slightly. Allow the cheesecake to cool inside of the oven for at least an hour.
- Then, remove the cheesecake and cool it at room temperature for another hour.
- Finally, wrap the pan with plastic or saran wrap and allow it to chill inside the fridge for at least 6 hours. We prefer setting out cheesecake overnight.
Notes
You can beat the egg whites until they reach soft peaks. If you over-beat them, it will be difficult to incorporate them into the batter and create big air pockets.
Lindy Van Schalkwyk is a culinary specialist with a background in Advanced Cooking, Advanced Pâtisserie, Media Communications and Nutrition. She has gained invaluable experience in the culinary industry having worked in some of the top restaurants in Africa in 2016 and 2017. Her expertise in nutrition has enabled her to develop recipes for special dietary needs. In 2018, Lindy began working in the Food Media industry, focusing on recipe development, recipe writing, food writing and food styling.