Fig Cheesecake Bars with Labneh, Lemon & Pistachio

I really enjoy cooking with ingredients that are growing right now. Seasonal produce always brings its own inspiration, and right now, figs are everywhere — soft, beautifully coloured, and almost too pretty not to photograph.

So naturally, figs have been finding their way into my kitchen quite often.

The past few days, though, have been a little hectic. With school reopening and two kids heading out at the same time every morning, our routine suddenly feels much busier. Breakfasts, lunchboxes, uniforms, school bags — mornings seem to disappear before I even realise the day has begun.

I am still figuring out our new schedule and finding that comfortable rhythm again. Slowly, I am getting back into cooking, styling, shooting and, somewhere between all of that, finding a little time for myself too.

These Fig Cheesecake Bars with Labneh, Lemon and Pistachio felt like the perfect recipe to ease myself back into the kitchen. 

I love putting together a quick little dessert with a few slices of fresh fig over whipped labneh, finished with honey and pistachios. So this time, I thought — why not turn those same flavours into cheesecake bars?

And they turned out so pretty.

Instead of a traditional cream cheese filling, I used labneh, which gives the cheesecake a beautifully creamy texture with a slight tang. A little feta adds another subtle savoury note without making the cheesecake taste salty, while fresh lemon juice and zest keep everything light and bright.

They feel a little luxurious, yet the recipe itself is wonderfully simple.

Fig Cheesecake Bars with Labneh, Lemon & Pistachio

Ingredients

For the Pistachio Biscuit Base

• Digestive biscuits 15
• Pistachios 30 g
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sugar 1 tbsp
• Butter, melted: 60 g

For the Labneh Cheesecake Filling

• Labneh 420 g
• Feta cheese: 30 g
• Sugar 100 g
• Eggs 2
• Lemon juice: 2 tbsp
• Zest of 1 lemon
• All-purpose flour: 2 tbsp
• Vanilla extract: 1 tsp 

For Decorating

• Fresh figs, sliced
• Chopped pistachios
• Dried rose petals

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line a square baking tin (about 20 cm) with baking paper, leaving a little overhang on the sides to make it easier to lift the cheesecake out later.
2. Add the digestive biscuits, pistachios, lemon zest and sugar to a food processor and blend until you have fine crumbs. Pour in the melted butter and pulse again until the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and press it firmly and evenly into the base using the back of a spoon or the bottom of a glass.
4. Bake for around 8–10 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow it to cool slightly while you prepare the filling.
5. Add the labneh and feta to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add the sugar and mix again until creamy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, mixing gently after each addition. Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, flour, and vanilla, and mix until everything is just combined.
6. Avoid overmixing once the eggs have been added, as this can introduce too much air into the cheesecake. Pour the filling over the prepared biscuit base and smooth the surface.
7. Bake at 160–170°C for approximately 30–40 minutes, or until the edges are set while the centre still has a very gentle wobble. Switch off the oven and allow the cheesecake to sit for a few minutes before removing it.
8. Cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 3–4 hours, or preferably overnight, before slicing. Once completely chilled, lift the cheesecake from the tin using the baking paper.
9. Top with slices of fresh fig and finish with chopped pistachios and a scattering of dried rose petals. Cut into neat bars or squares. Serve chilled.

A Few Notes

Make sure the labneh is fairly thick. I used Turkish labneh so the filling sets beautifully. If yours contains a lot of liquid, allow it to drain for a little while before using.

For cleaner cheesecake bars, chill the cheesecake thoroughly and wipe your knife between each cut. Add the figs shortly before serving so they remain fresh and glossy.

And while the rose petals are optional, I love what they bring visually. Against the figs and pistachios, they make these simple cheesecake bars feel instantly more special.