Bracha on Cheesecake Explained Clearly

What bracha do I say on cheesecake? Every year I have this issue with my friends about what Bracha we say. Is it Shehakol? Is it Mezonos? So I would like to know Rabbi Fried’s Psak on this subject.

Thank you for your question.

The answer is that regarding the halacha of cheesecake, as you wrote, is very complex, since there are different types of cheesecake and different ways of preparing it, whether by baking or not. For example, some are prepared without baking. Additionally, one must consider whether the dough is an integral part of the cake or is just there to hold the cheese.

Therefore, I would like to share with you the different types of cheesecake that there are, and for each one, what the bracha would be.

1. Baked Together with a Tasty Dough

The first type of cheesecake is where the dough is baked together with the cheese. If, as well, the dough has a good taste on its own, then it does not make a difference whether the dough is thick or thin. Since it was baked together with the cheese, and it also has a good taste on its own, the bracha is Mezonos, because the cheese is considered tafel (meaning secondary) to the dough.

2. Not Baked Together 

The second type of cheesecake is if it was not baked together with the dough. Then it would depend. If there is a small amount of cheese on the dough, then the cheese is batel to the dough, and the bracha would be Mezonos. If there is a large amount of cheese, then a person would have to say two brachos: one Mezonos and one Shehakol. 

(This is based on the Mishnah Berurah in Siman 168  seif katan 45 as follows:

 אבל אם אפה הדובשנין לבד ואח"כ מניח עליהם מלמעלה המרקחת אין נעשין המרקחת טפילה להם שכונתו לאכול שניהם ואין המרקחת באין ללפת הדובשנין וצריך לברך גם על המרקחת: 

…….But if one bakes the honey cake separately and only afterwards places the jam on top, then the jam does not become secondary to the cake, since one’s intention is to eat both. The jam is not merely there to accompany the cake, and therefore one must also recite a bracha on the jam.

See also siman 112 mishneh berurah seif katan 13.)

3. Thin Crust – Only There to Hold the Cheese

The third type of cheesecake is where the dough is very thin at the bottom of the cake and does not have a good taste on its own. The purpose of this dough is just to hold the cheese. In this case, it is clear that one says Shehakol on the entire cake.

4. No-Bake Cheesecake – Biscuit Base

The fourth type of cheesecake is where no baking is involved. Rather, they prepare the base, which is Mezonos, made from crushed biscuits. Then on top of that, they put cheese, and then another layer of crushed biscuits. Then it is placed in the fridge or freezer for a few hours. In this case, it is considered like one cake, as if it was baked together, and only one bracha is required, which is Mezonos.

Bracha Achrona 

With regard to the bracha achrona. Do we say a bracha achronal of al hamichya for such a cake? In order to recite Al Hamichya a person should eat a kezayis of the dough (the volume of a small match box) within toch kedei achilas pras, which is 4 minutes. If one did not eat a kezayis of the dough within that time, then the Mezonos combines together with the cheese, and if one ate a kezayis in total within kedei achilas pras, then one would say Borei Nefashos.

Wishing you a Chag Sameach.

• Mishnah Berurah Siman 168:45 
• Mishnah Berurah Siman 212:13 
• Azamrah L’Shmecho (Perek 13) – HaGaon Rav Amrom Fried shlit”a