Japanese Cheesecake
Published Jan 22, 2026
TikTok's version of Japanese cheesecake, a viral recipe made with Greek yogurt and cookies, is easy to customize with Oreos, Biscoff, or graham crackers.
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This Viral “JAPANESE” cheesecake is Beyond soo good!
Cookies “sitting” in Greek yogurt overnight might sound odd at first, but that’s basically what this 2-ingredient Japanese cheesecake is, and it works. I started with Biscoff, then went down a rabbit hole and tried pretty much every cookie in my pantry, and was disappointed by none, (which is really saying something of a viral recipe). Oreos, Nilla wafers, graham crackers, they all tasted amazing. You can use any yogurt and any cookie you like, which makes this Japanese cheesecake so easy to keep experimenting with, and everyone in my house is completely obsessed with it right now.
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Viral Japanese Cheesecake Ingredients
- Greek yogurt: Vanilla Greek yogurt is what I used, but plain works just as well if you don’t want extra sweetness. Full-fat gives the creamiest texture, but use whatever yogurt you already have.
- Cookies: You can use pretty much any cookie here. I tested Oreos, Biscoff, Nilla wafers, and graham crackers, and all of them worked. Softer cookies break down more, firmer cookies hold a little texture; both are good, just different. I think this would be great with snickerdoodles, lemon cookies, chocolate chip cookies, and even gingersnaps or any leftover freshly baked cookies.
Viral Japanese Cheesecake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt
- 6 cookies of choice
Instructions
- Divide the vanilla Greek yogurt evenly between small jars or containers, smoothing the tops.
- Press the cookies down into the yogurt so they’re fully submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.
Notes
- My Top Tip: Fully submerge the cookies. Make sure the cookies are completely covered in yogurt or they won’t soften properly. Press them down gently if needed.
- Refrigerator: This Japanese cheesecake keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered. After that, the cookies get too soft and start to lose structure. It’s best within the first 24–48 hours.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing it. The yogurt texture changes once thawed and can turn grainy or watery, especially with cookies mixed in.
- Make-ahead note: This is meant to be made ahead and eaten cold, so overnight chilling is ideal — just don’t plan on storing it long-term.
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Variations
The variations for this Japanese cheesecake are infinite. Once you get the basic yogurt + cookie combo down, you can tweak it in a lot of different ways depending on what you’re working with or what you’re aiming for. These are just a few ideas to get you started.
- Calorie Deficit Option: If you’re eating in a calorie deficit, this one is easy to adjust. Make it with ¾ cup 0% Greek yogurt and 4 Biscoff cookies, which makes it just under 20g of protein and about 248 calories. The only thing you need to do differently is layer the cookies horizontally instead of stacking them, which helps distribute them better through the yogurt.
- Add Fruit or fruit jam: You can add chopped fruit either between layers or on top. Strawberries, bananas, blueberries, or raspberries all work well. Softer fruits blend in more, while firmer fruit gives you a little texture. Note, if you add fruit, be sure eat it within 24 hours, or it will get watery. Fruit jam is more forgiving.
- Add Protein Powder: You can mix a scoop of protein powder directly into the yogurt before layering. Vanilla works best, but unflavored is great if you don’t want to change the taste much. Just know that protein powder thickens the yogurt, so you may need a splash of milk to keep it smooth and leave enough liquid for the cookies to get soft.
- Tiramisu-Style: There’s also a tiramisu version floating around that works really well here. Mix a small amount of strong coffee or espresso into the yogurt before layering, then use a plainer cookie like graham crackers or vanilla wafers. Finish it with a light dusting of cocoa powder on top before serving.
Recipe Tips
- Make a bigger batch once: If you think you’ll want this more than once, grab a big tub of yogurt (most are 32 ounces), add in about 12 cookies, and portion it out into 4 servings after it has set. It keeps well for a day or two and saves you from remaking it every night.
- Buy flavored single serve yogurt: Single-serve yogurts are totally fine. If you’re using taller cookies like Biscoff, break them in half so they fully submerge and soften evenly.
- Give it enough time: Overnight is ideal. You can check it around the 8 hour mark, but the texture is best after a full 12-hour chill.
- Check the texture: If your yogurt is very thick, give it a quick stir before layering so it spreads more evenly around the cookies.
FAQs
Not in the traditional sense. This is a viral, no-bake version people are calling Japanese cheesecake online. It’s different from the classic baked, fluffy Japanese cheesecake, but the name has stuck.
Greek yogurt works best because it’s thicker, but you can use regular yogurt. Just expect a softer, more spoonable texture.
They likely weren’t fully submerged or didn’t chill long enough. Make sure the cookies are completely covered in yogurt and give it more time in the fridge.
