This classic, foolproof recipe for Basque Cheesecake is a delicious, crustless Basque baked cheesecake recipe I just know you’re going to love! With a caramelized crust and super creamy center this is honestly the easiest cheesecake recipe you’ll ever make!

What is a basque cheesecake?

I’m going to explain this right up front so you don’t think this Burnt Basque Cheesecake is an April fools joke. Yes this is for real, an intentionally burnt cheesecake.

This burnt basque cheesecake originates in Basque Country (hence the name). It’s a crustless cheesecake that’s starting to become a trend in the US. It’s main difference from a New York Style Cheesecake is that it is crustless, and has a golden, beautiful caramelized exterior. It also has a much lighter texture and flavor.

The cheesecake is baked at a high temperature in order to get that burnt exterior and super creamy interior. It’s more traditional to have a custard-like center but I tweaked this recipe for a more solid texture.

This reason why it’s so good is the same reason why creme brûlée is. The bitterness of the burnt exterior mixed with the sweet and creamy interior help to balance each other out. Kind of like salty and sweet desserts!

Prepping your pan for burnt cheesecake

Everything about this cheesecake recipe is unique, starting with how you prep the pan.

For starters, there’s no crust so we don’t have to pre-bake or prepare for that first step.

Instead, you coat the entire pan with butter. Then, press in one layer of parchment paper so the sides stick up. Smear on another layer of butter and press in one more layer of parchment paper.

You want to make sure the paper reaches about 2 inches above the pan as this cheesecake puffs up quite a bit as it bakes.

Also fold in the wrinkles to get the edges as smooth as possible. It doesn’t have to be perfect. The more “rustic” style looks good on this cheesecake!

basque burnt cheesecake with parchment paper pulled back

The easiest cheesecake you’ll ever make in your life

I don’t know about you, but baking cheesecake stresses me out. Between the careful mixing and the water bath, there’s just so many things that can go wrong.

Enter cheesecake’s alter ego. Seriously, it is so hard to mess up this basque burnt cheesecake recipe. It consists of a very short list of ingredients and it’s almost impossible to over bake it… cause… you know… it’s burnt and all.

To make burnt basque cheesecake, you mix up the ingredients, pour it into your pan, and bake. No water bath, no temperature changes, just let it do it’s thing. Talk about a low maintenance recipe.

the inside of a sliced basque cheesecake

Serving your basque burnt cheesecake

It’s traditional to serve it at room temperature as opposed to regular cheesecake. Let it cool in the pan, remove, slice, and serve. That’s a far cry from the hours we spend waiting for cheesecake to set up in the fridge.

This is where I didn’t stick to tradition. I let my cheesecake chill in the fridge overnight out of habit. It still gave me a super creamy center so it’s really up to you as to when you’d like to serve it!

Top it with fruit, chocolate, whipped cream, caramel… whatever you’re feelin’. This cheesecake is a blank slate that can be enjoyed alone or with a little something extra!

scooping through a slice of basque cheesecake

For more cheesecake recipes, check out my:

Funfetti Birthday Cheesecake (with a cake bottom!)
Classic Baked Vanilla Cheesecake
Baked Salted Caramel Cheesecake
Best Baked Chocolate Cheesecake with Philadelphia
No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake Bars (Vegan)

Make sure to tag me @butternutbakery on Instagram if you make this Burnt Basque Cheesecake Recipe. I love seeing my recipes come to life in YOUR kitchen! To pin this recipe and save it for later, you can use the button on the recipe card, the buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above. And if you have any questions, ask me on Instagram! That’s the best way to reach me. Happy baking!