How To Make Smoked Cheesecake {A Step-By-Step Guide

This is not a joke. You can bake a cheesecake on your grill or smoker. Follow this step-by-step guide on how to make smoked cheesecake!

You can smoke just about anything on the grill or smoker, even CHEESECAKE!

Yes, you can even smoke a cheesecake!!

I know; David and I were both very skeptical about it too. Placing a springform pan of cheesecake batter on the grill gave us a very uneasy feeling, but we had to find out for ourselves. 

The results were outstanding!

This recipe produces a heavenly ultra-thick cheesecake with crisp, buttery graham cracker crust kissed gently with wood smoke. Use our step-by-step guide to learn how to make one on your grill or smoker.

This cheesecake is so good we decided it should come with a warning:

WARNING: SMOKED CHEESECAKE IS INCREDIBLY ADDICTIVE. 
Follow our step-by-step guide at your own risk!

The Cheesecake

If you have been following our blog, you may remember my go-to cheesecake recipe from a few years ago. I didn’t think it was possible, but The Best Cheesecake EVER just got even better! The creamy, silky, and ultra-smooth classic cheesecake, complete with a buttery homemade graham cracker crust now with a kiss of smoke. 

Although the cheesecake looks just like a traditional New York Style cheesecake, it comes with a slight twist. The cheesecake gets rich, dense creaminess from both ricotta cheese and sour cream.

Best Wood For Smoking Cheesecake

You don’t want to overwhelm the cheesecake with smoke or will end up tasting like a burnt sponge. Instead, choose light woods that provide subtle undertones of smoke flavor with a slight sweetness. Apple, cherry, maple, or hickory (a little strong, but a light smoke tastes good) are great wood smoke choices for a cheesecake.

How To Make Smoked Cheesecake

Surprisingly, a cheesecake can take more heat than you think. This cheesecake was not store-bought, nor was it cold-smoked like cheese. Instead, it is baked from scratch raw on a Weber charcoal grill over indirect heat. As the cake cooks, it takes on a delicious kiss of sweet cherry wood smoke.

Watch David Smoke Cheesecake

Step 1: Get Your Cheesecake Ingredients & Equipment

For the Crust:

Cooking Spray or Parchment Paper: Either will help keep the crust from sticking to the bottom of the springform pan. 

Graham Crackers: It takes about 11 graham crackers, ground up into crumbs. I pulse them inside the food processor to ensure the texture is uniform.

Sugar: I use a 50/50 mixture of granulated white sugar and brown sugar for its molasses flavor.

Butter: melted butter adds richness to the crust and helps hold it together. There isn’t a lot of butter in the crust, but it comes out perfect every time. 

For the Cheesecake:

Cream Cheese: This cheesecake has only 1 ½ blocks (12 ounces) of cream cheese. Typically there is much more cream cheese in most recipes, but this isn’t your typical cheesecake. 

Ricotta Cheese: The ricotta is the secret ingredient that gives added depth and richness. It requires cheesecloth and four ingredients to make it. You will not regret it!
Get the homemade ricotta cheese recipe I use HERE.

Sugar: There’s only one cup of sugar in this cheesecake. It isn’t a lot considering it will divide into 16 slices. The sugar adds balance to the tang, which is precisely how the cheesecake is supposed to taste.

Eggs: A couple of eggs and a couple of egg whites thicken the cheesecake. The egg proteins are emulsified and unwind, linking them to give this cheesecake an amazingly smooth texture.

Flavor: Lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and almond extract give the cheesecake a fantastic taste. The lemon brightens the dense cheesecake, while the almond extract adds a nutty warmth that balances the flavors.
Almond Extract adds more depth of flavor with an element of surprise. Most people won’t quite be able to put their finger on its unique taste. Vanilla extract is traditional in cheesecake, so use it if you don’t have any almond extract on hand.

Sour Cream: gives a soft silkiness to this cheesecake.

Flour: All-purpose flour provides extra insurance against cracking. The flour also makes the slices cleaner when cutting the cheesecake for serving. Too much flour can change the texture, but ¼ cup is the perfect amount.

Helpful Equipment: 

I recommend two things when making this cheesecake, a springform pan, and a food processor. 

• Springform Pan: A 9-inch springform pan works best with custard. It’s mainly about the presentation but not necessary. 
• Parchment Paper: Instead of using cooking spray, add parchment paper to the bottom of the springform pan to keep the crust from sticking to the bottom of the pan a create cleaner slices.
• Food Processor: A food processor does a much better job breaking up the ingredients. Alternatively, use a blender if you do not have a food processor. An electric mixer will work, but acquiring the creamy cheesecake texture takes forever. 
• Aluminum pan: a disposable aluminum pan to create a water bath inside the grill or smoker. 

What’s a Water Bath?

Cheesecakes love humidity; it’s one of the elements that help keeps them from cracking. 

How to Create A Water Bath on the Grill or Smoker

Place a large pan of hot water on the bottom of the grill. Put the grilling grate in place, and then place the cheesecake over the top of the water pan. This setup is how you set up the grill to smoke a brisket. Only this time, we are talking about dessert.

TIP: While you mix up the cheesecake, bring a medium pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. This way, you don’t have to wait for the water to heat for the water bath when the cheesecake is ready to go into the oven.

Step 2: Bake the Crust

This graham cracker crust has the best taste and texture. It’s always crispy and is never soggy.

1. Prep the springform Pan: Spray a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Then wrap the outside of the pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil so your pan won’t stain from the smoke. Set aside.
2. Make Graham Cracker Crumbs: Add the graham crackers to a food processor or blender and process until they become fine crumbs. Alternatively, place the crackers in a zip-top bag and crush them with a rolling pin or mallet.
3. Combine: Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar with a fork.
4. Add the Butter: Melt the butter and drizzle the graham cracker mixture with butter. Stir until well combined, and all of the crumbs are moist from the butter. The graham cracker crumbs will become similar to the look and feel of beach sand.
5. Compress the Wet Crumbs: Use a measuring cup or small glass firmly press the graham cracker mixture down into an even layer on the bottom and up around the sides of the pan.
6. Bake: Place the prepared crust in the preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a wire rack to cool while making the cheesecake batter.

Step 3: Set Up the Grill or Smoker

You can preheat the grill or smoker while preparing the cheesecake batter. Maintaining a consistent temperature is crucial for cheesecake. Knowing your grill or smoker is critical. David knows his 22” Weber charcoal grill like the back of his hand. He manages the temperature well by feeding it charcoal and regulating the vents as needed. If you have a pellet grill or smoker, regulating temperature should not become a factor.

Set up your grill or smoker for an indirect heat configuration called a three-zone “split fire. For this configuration, separate the hot coals into two equal piles on opposite sides of the grill. 

Place the water pan in the center of the two piles of hot coals. Two zones of direct heat allow for even cooking with the same heat level on both sides of the cheesecake.

Use a charcoal chimney to light the coals. When the coals are hot, dump them into the grill. Drop some chunks of cherry wood onto the coals and add boiling water to the water pan. Place the grate on the grill, cover, and preheat to 300 degrees F.

Step 4: Make The Cheesecake Batter

All cheesecake batter ingredients should be at room temperature to ensure the batter is smooth and combines quickly. Combining cold ingredients results in globby, overbeaten cheesecake.

Also, pay attention to the order in which you blend the ingredients to ensure the batter will be smooth. Remember the three P’s: process, pulse, and pour.

1. Process the ricotta cheese, sugar, eggs, egg whites, lemon zest, lemon juice, and almond extract. Then leave the machine running and add the cream cheese a few chunks at a time. Process until smooth. Remove the top and stir it with a spatula to ensure there are no solid pieces of cream cheese and the mixture is extremely smooth and silky. 
2. Pulse in the sour cream and flour. Pulse until smooth.
3. Pour the cheesecake mixture onto the prepared crust inside the springform pan. Give the pan a few gentle taps on the counter to make some of the air bubbles rise to the top.

Step 5: Smoke The Cheesecake 

When the grill is preheated with clean blue smoke, place the cheesecake onto the grill grate directly over the top of the water pan. 

Smoke the cheesecake for 1 ½ – 2 hours (or more). Maintain the temperature and smoke by adding coals and cherry wood as needed. 

Step 6: Check for Doneness

The cheesecake will turn a nice golden brown on top. Resist the urge to touch it and ruin the beautiful sheen across the top. 

Cheesecake is done at 145 degrees F. Test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer such as a Thermapen® ONE.

You can also test the cheesecake for doneness by gently poking the side of the pan—the filling should jiggle but not ripple.

As you can tell by the video, a wooden skewer is not very helpful when determining if the smoked cheesecake is ready. The cheesecake will continue to cook after you shut down the grill and then begins to cool.

Step 7: Let The Smoked Cheesecake Cool Off

If a cheesecake cools too fast, it will crack. Allow the cheesecake to cool as slowly as possible. When the cheesecake is done, shut the vents off on the grill and leave the cheesecake inside. Let stand for 60 minutes before removing it from the grill. 

Allow the cheesecake to cool even more after removing it from the grill. Set it on a rack at room temperature for about 30 minutes before putting it into the refrigerator. 

When the cheesecake is completely cool, place it in the refrigerator for 3 hours before serving. This gives the cheesecake time to mellow and gets really happy. It’s hard, but we recommend waiting for 24 hours before serving. It will be worth the wait!

Step 8: Optional Toppings For The Cheesecake

I love smoked cheesecake plain. The sweetness of the cherry wood is incredible. David likes his smoked cheesecake best with homemade caramel sauce and whipped cream. We recommend you try a slice plain and decide if you even want to put toppings on it at all. 

Optional Toppings

• Caramel Sauce
• Chocolate Sauce
• Cherry Pie Filling
• Seasonal Fruit
• Whipped Cream

Step 9: Eat The Smoked Cheesecake

Now the fun part, dig in and eat! 

Serve the cheesecake in traditional slices or slice the cheesecake into small bites and serve it with bamboo skewers at a gathering or party. 

No matter slice it, enjoy every silky smooth, delicious bite!

Tips for Making Smoked Cheesecake

• Use room temperature ingredients so the cheesecake blends together smoothly.
• Use parchment paper to line the springform pan so the cheesecake is easier to remove from the pan.
• Wrap your springform pan in aluminum foil to keep your pan from becoming stained with smoke.
• Use a grill or smoker you are familiar with; you must regulate and maintain the heat very well.
• Avoid smoking cheesecake on extremely hot or cold days to make it easier to maintain the grill’s temperature.
• Use very hot water to create the water bath. Cold water will bring down the temperature of the grill or smoker. I recommend using a kettle to heat the water.
• You may want to lay a sheet of aluminum foil over the springform pan before tending to the wood and coals. This will keep pieces of ash from sticking to the cheesecake.
• Kiss the cheesecake with smoke. Don’t overwhelm it. 
• Drastic temperature changes cause a cheesecake to crack. Cool the cheesecake as slowly as possible before refrigerating.
• Warm a knife under hot water and dry well before each slice so the cake cuts smoothly.

Storage and Freezing Cheesecake

Store in the refrigerator sealed tightly with plastic wrap for up to 3-5 days. You may find it easier to keep it inside the springform pan so it’s easier to cover and wrap.

Freeze warped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil for 1-2 months. (You won’t have any left to freeze! 😉)

Making smoked cheesecake? We’d love your feedback. Leave us a comment and a star rating below. We value your opinion and appreciate your time.

See ya on the mountain!