Cottage-Cheese "Tvorog" Cheesecake (Baked, Honey)
Light, high-protein and far less sweet than the American kind — the Slavic tvorog (farmer's cheese) cheesecake our grandmothers made for Sunday. Honey sweetened, no heavy crust needed.
Why you'll love this recipe
- An old world recipe, made the way it always was
- Not one spoon of refined sugar
- Sweetened with real honey
- A genuine hit of protein
- Makes enough for 10
What you'll need
Everything here is a real ingredient you can find in a normal shop. Nothing artificial, no powders pretending to be sugar. Here is the full list, with the quantities I actually use.
- 2 lb (900 g) tvorog / dry cottage cheese or farmer's cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or semolina
- 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup ground almonds + 2 tbsp melted butter + 1 tbsp honey, pressed into the pan
What goes into Cottage-Cheese "Tvorog" Cheesecake (Baked, Honey)
This one comes together in two parts, each doing its own job:
- Filling. Built from 2 lb (900 g) tvorog / dry cottage cheese or farmer's cheese and a few others.
- Optional base. Built from 1 cup ground almonds + 2 tbsp melted butter + 1 tbsp honey.
How to make it
Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9-inch springform. Press the optional base in if using.
Blend or press the tvorog until smooth (a food processor gives the silkiest result).
Add eggs, honey, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon zest and salt; blend until creamy.
Pour over the base; smooth the top.
Bake 40–50 minutes until just set with a slight wobble. Turn off oven, crack the door, let it cool inside 1 hour to prevent cracks.
Chill at least 3 hours before serving.
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Storage
Keep it covered in the fridge and it will hold for three to four days. If you are making it ahead, hold back any fresh topping until just before you serve so nothing goes soft. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months.
Questions about this recipe
Is Cottage-Cheese "Tvorog" Cheesecake (Baked, Honey) really made without refined sugar?
Yes. All the sweetness comes from honey - there is not one spoon of white sugar in it. That is the whole point of how I cook.
How long does Cottage-Cheese "Tvorog" Cheesecake (Baked, Honey) keep?
Kept covered in the fridge it holds for three to four days. Most of these freeze well too, wrapped tight, for up to three months - hold back any fresh topping until just before serving.
How many does Cottage-Cheese "Tvorog" Cheesecake (Baked, Honey) make?
This makes enough for 10. It scales cleanly, so use the 1x / 2x / 3x buttons on the recipe card if you need more or less.
Cottage-Cheese "Tvorog" Cheesecake (Baked, Honey)
Light, high-protein and far less sweet than the American kind — the Slavic tvorog (farmer's cheese) cheesecake our grandmothers made for Sunday. Honey sweetened, no heavy crust…
Ingredients
- 2 lb (900 g) tvorog / dry cottage cheese or farmer's cheese
- 4 large eggs
- 1/3 cup (110 g) raw honey
- 3 tbsp cornstarch or semolina
- 1 tsp vanilla, zest of 1 lemon
- Pinch salt
- 1 cup ground almonds + 2 tbsp melted butter + 1 tbsp honey, pressed into the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a 9-inch springform. Press the optional base in if using.
- Blend or press the tvorog until smooth (a food processor gives the silkiest result).
- Add eggs, honey, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon zest and salt; blend until creamy.
- Pour over the base; smooth the top.
- Bake 40–50 minutes until just set with a slight wobble. Turn off oven, crack the door, let it cool inside 1 hour to prevent cracks.
- Chill at least 3 hours before serving.
