Pay de Queso is Mexico’s version of cheesecake—a rich and creamy dessert made with a buttery cookie crust and smooth cream cheese filling. It’s less sweet than traditional American cheesecake and incredibly easy to make.
If you love Mexican Sweet Breads, you’ll want to add this classic Mexican dessert to your list.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Creamy and rich: Smooth, velvety, and not overly sweet.
- Easy to make: The crust and filling come together quickly in a food processor or blender.
- No water bath: A simple baking method helps create a creamy cheesecake without one.
- Perfect for sharing: Great for holidays, family dinners, or any special occasion.
-Maggie
🧀 Ingredients
- Galletas Marias are traditionally used. They are a staple in the Mexican cuisine, but you can also use animal crackers or vanilla wafer-like cookies.
- Walnuts – Swap out for pecans, peanuts, or cashews.
- Butter – Soften up the butter by taking it out of the fridge and zapping for 10 seconds in the microwave until it’s ready.
- Dark Brown Sugar – Dark brown sugar is preferred.
- Eggs – Use room-temperature eggs for a smooth, creamy filling.
- Ground Cinnamon adds a warmth and earthiness to the dessert.
- Cream cheese – substitute this ingredient for Neufchatel cheese which has less fat, but full-fat cream cheese works well in this recipe.
- White sugar will add sweetness to the filling.
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla extract adds a delicate depth of spice and warmth.
- 2 tablespoons All-Purpose Flour is what helps the texture
- Pinch of Salt is to enhance the flavor and to add a salty note.
- Heavy whipping cream – This gives the filling its rich, creamy texture.
Also try the holiday version of this recipe made with eggnog – Rompope Cheesecake.
Instructions
🥧 Making the Pie Crust
- Add the pie crust ingredients to a food processor or a blender.
- Blend until smooth then add to springform pan.
- Using a flat-bottomed drinking glass, press down all around the pan to create the crust.
- Set this aside until ready to use.
Or, skip this step altogether, and buy one that is already made.
Another way to do this is to take a rolling pin and smash maria cookies with it. Then mix with melted butter and press into the baking dish.
Note: You might also hear this dessert referred to as “pastel de queso.”
🥣 Making the Filling
- Add the filling ingredients to a food processor or a blender.
- Blend until smooth.
- Pour the mixture into a springform pan and on top of the already prepared crust.
Be sure to scrape the bowl of a food processor to get all of the cheese mixture out.
Yes, you can use a pie plate, but a springform pan is preferred.
Baking
- Bake at high temperature for 5 mins. Then reduce the heat and continue baking for 30 minutes.
- Turn off the oven for 15 minutes with the Mexican cheesecake pie still inside.
- Don’t open the oven door. The gradual cooling helps keep the cheesecake from sinking.
- Placing the baking dish on top of a rimmed baking sheet is a great idea. It makes it easy to put in and take out of the oven, but this is optional.
Bake this during the holidays and serve with Atole de Avena or Atole de Chocolate.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Pay de Queso is traditionally baked without a water bath. Instead, this recipe uses a two-temperature baking method followed by a short rest in the turned-off oven. This helps the cheesecake cool more gently and reduces the chance of it sinking or cracking.
Try to keep the oven door closed while the Pay de Queso is baking and during the 15-minute rest in the turned-off oven. A sudden change in temperature can cause the cheesecake to sink or crack.
Room-temperature ingredients blend more easily, which helps create a smooth, creamy filling without lumps. Take the cream cheese and eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time so they have a chance to warm up.
🍰 More Mexican Desserts
- Pastel de Tres Leches
- Mantecadas
- Mexican Wedding Cookies
- Mexican Conchas
- Cortadillo (Mexican Pink Cake)
- Pumpkin Empanadas
- Marranitos
- Panqué de Nuez
- Orejas Pan Dulce
- Mexican Sprinkle Cookies
- Pan de Elote
This Pay de Queso is creamy, rich, and just sweet enough, with a buttery cookie crust in every bite. Serve it chilled on its own, or top it with fresh fruit or whipped cream.
Enjoy it with a cup of Café de Olla or Champurrado for the perfect Mexican dessert pairing. ¡Buen provecho!
Pay de Queso
Ingredients
For the Pie Crust:
- 1 ½ cups cookies (galletas maria, animal cookies, graham crackers)
- ½ cup walnuts (or pecans)
- 6 tablespoon butter
- 2 sticks brown sugar
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the Filling:
- 16 ounces cream cheese (2 packages)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon vanilla
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 eggs
Instructions
For the Crust:
- Blend all the crust ingredients.
- Add to a springform pan.
- Press down to create the crust all around the pan.
- Set aside until ready to use.
For the Filling:
- Add all the filling ingredients to a food processor or a blender.
- Pour into the crust pan.
To Bake:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Place the pan in the center of the oven.
- Bake for 5 minutes.
- Then immediately reduce the heat to 325 degrees F.
- Continue cooking for 30 minutes.
- Turn the heat off without opening the oven door.
- Leave the pan inside the oven for 15 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven.
- Let cool for 20 minutes on the counter.
- Place in the fridge for 1 hour minimum before slicing.
- Slice and serve.
I have never tried to make this, but it looks delicious and looks easy to make.
Thanks for your comment.
Wow! Everything in this recipe is so perfect. The crust crispiness looks great, this cheesecake looks absolutely delicious and yummy! Loved it! Thanks for sharing this with us!
Very delicious. Thanks. Gracias.
Awesome! never realised there was Mexican cheesecake, love Mexican food so must try this!
Happy to hear you liked it.
I have not heard of this dessert before, but it sounds delicious! I am a cheesecake fan, so I am sure I would love this as well!
Yes, very yummy. 🙂 Hope you liked it.
I love this recipe! It was so simple to make and even without any added toppings it’s so good!
Yay! So happy to hear you liked this recipe.
My family and I loved everything about this Mexican Cheesecake / “Cheese Pie.” I especially loved the flavor from the walnuts in the crust, so good!
Oooh, yes. That walnut crust in the pay de queso is SO good! Happy to hear you enjoyed it too.
This cheesecake looks so creamy, smooth and scrumptious! I could go for a big slice right now.
Smooth and scrumptious is right!
This looks so creamy and delicious, and it seems relatively easy to prep, too. It not being as sweet as American cheesecake is a real plus for me. I also appreciate your instructions for reducing the temperature slowly. That’s a handy technique for a lot of recipes. Thank you!
Thank you. Yes, lowering the temperature is the trick! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Love how easy this recipe is. Can’t wait to try it this weekend. thank you for the recipe!
Hope you enjoyed it!