Earthy, creamy, and unexpectedly luxurious—this savory Roasted Mushroom Cheesecake on Pistachio Crust is a showstopper. Roasted mushrooms bring deep umami flavor, folded into a silky blend of cream cheese, goat cheese, ricotta, and tangy feta. The crust? A nutty, buttery base of pecans and pistachios that adds the perfect crunch and contrast to every bite. Whether served warm as a stunning appetizer or sliced cool as a centerpiece dish, this cheesecake is where comfort meets sophistication.
We love a savory cheesecake, and have a really delicious recipe for Smoked Salmon Cheesecakes on our website that is a really fun dish to make for a fancy brunch party. This recipe is similarly savory and wonderful as an appetizer, for brunch or even a light dinner meal. You can substitute any kind of nut you like best for the pistachios and also if you are a goat cheese fan, you can substitute that for half of the cream cheese. We are goat cheese fanatics and love to make our dessert cheesecake with goat cheese, as well. Our favorite summer version is our Goat Cheese Cheesecake with fresh Berry Compote, and in the fall it’s hard to beat this amazing Pumpkin Goat Cheese Cheesecake.
But … back to savory cheesecakes. This one is divine with roasted mushrooms, fresh herbs and toasted pistachios on a Parmesan-Panko-Pistachio crust. If you haven’t tried roasted mushrooms and shallots, before, it’s a must. The house smells divine as the mushrooms and shallots become more and more aromatic as they cook. You want to roast them at a high temperature, 400 F for about 20 minutes or so, to get them just right for this recipe.
Once they’re roasted to a nice golden-brown, you’ll want to chop them up before adding them to the cheese mixture. Be sure to reserve about 3/4 cup of the shallot-mushroom mixture for the top of the cheesecake before serving.
Roasted Mushroom Cheesecake on Pistachio Crust
Equipment
- 1 9-inch springform pan
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 cup roasted, salted pistachios (finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup panko
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
- 3-4 tbsp. melted butter
Roasted Mushroom Cheesecake Filling
- 16 oz. cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped (or one small yellow onion)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
- 1/2 cup plain, nonfat Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, finely minced (or 1/2 tsp. dried thyme)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. white pepper
Instructions
Roasting the Mushrooms and Shallots
- This step can be done several hours or up to several days ahead of time. You can also do it just when you set out to make the recipe, but it’s so much easier if this step is done ahead.
- Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Toss sliced mushrooms and sliced shallots in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Spread veggies out on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes or until the veggies become very aromatic and are starting to look golden-brown. Remove from oven and cool. Chop the mixture. using a chef’s knife. Set aside. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture for garnishing the top of the cheesecake.
Parmesan-Panko-Pistachio Crust
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Spray a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
- In a bowl, blend the chopped pistachios, Parmesan cheese, panko and butter. Mix well. Press this mixture into the bottom of the prepared springform pan, making sure it covers the bottom of the pan evenly.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. because you’ll be baking the cheesecake soon.
Cheesecake Filling
- Combine cream cheese, ricotta and feta (and goat cheese if using) in a large bowl. Blend well with an electric beater. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Stir in yogurt and fresh thyme.
- Reserve 1 cup of the chopped mushroom mixture and set aside. Fold in remaining mushroom mixture into the cheese mixture. Spread this mixture evenly over the cooled crust.
- Bake about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and the filling is set, but just a little big jiggly in the very center. Remove from oven and cool.
- Once, cooled, run a knife around the edge of the pan and release the spring on the side of the pan. Place the cheesecake on a serving dish, keeping the bottom of the springform pan in place. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Can cover it loosely with foil.
- Garnish cheesecake with extra mushroom mixture, fresh herbs, and whole or halved pistachios. Serve cool.
