Surprise yourself with a Healthy Cheesecake made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. It's much higher in protein than a classic cheesecake, but you'll never be able to taste the difference. Serve it with black currant jam for a beautiful sweet tang.
Sometimes people ask why I like to take something that's perfectly delicious (like a classic cheesecake) and change it (in this case, to a healthy cheesecake with cottage cheese). Often, I just like to see what I can get away with. Did I say this Beet Muffin was actually red velvet? Oops!
Surprise! A Healthy Cheesecake made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt
I made this swap to cottage cheese though because I'm trying to find a way to add more cottage cheese into my diet. Cottage cheese is high in protein, vitamins and calcium, all of which are a good thing to include in a breakfast.
It's much higher in protein than a classic cheesecake, but you'll never be able to taste the difference
Prior to the 1980s, cottage cheese overshadowed yogurt sales and was tooted as a health food. But halfway through the 1980s, yogurt took off and left cottage cheese sales in the dust.
While yogurt consumption has increased 7 fold, cottage cheese consumption has halved (read more about the trend from NPR).
I remember eating cottage cheese as a kid every time I went to a self-serve salad bar. I'd always have it with melon and pineapple, and it was really tasty.
At some point, I started eating a lot more yogurt instead of cottage cheese. I seemed to have forgotten about cottage cheese, until I became pregnant and I started scouring the Internet about what health foods I should eat.
Cottage cheese appeared on almost every list of 'best foods for pregnant women' because it's high in protein!
After multiple tubs of cottage cheese with fruit and toast, I started craving something new and knew I needed to make a healthy cheesecake with cottage cheese.
When I shared this cheesecake, no one even noticed that instead of cream cheese in it, I made it with cottage cheese and greek yogurt.
It's much higher in protein than a classic cheesecake, and to me, that's a thumbs up because our baby (you can read about him on my husband's blog) is getting nutrients while I'm getting a slice of heavenly cheesecake.
Make this Healthy Cheesecake even healthier by using a spelt crust and topping it with fresh fruit and granola
If you want to make this even healthier, you can use the spelt crust from this Breakfast Greek Yogurt Cheesecake, and top it with granola and fresh fruit instead of jam. Good morning to cheesecake!
This healthy cottage cheese cheesecake is topped with black currant jam in the photos. But if you would like a healthier topping, try using this Easy Blueberry Jam with Chia Seeds (the jam is made with no refined sugar).
Healthy Cheesecake with Cottage Cheese
Print RecipeIngredients
For the crust
- 1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (140 grams) (also works with digestive crumbs)
- ¼ cup caster sugar (50 grams)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85 grams) melted
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
For the cheesecake filling
- 2 ⅓ cups cottage cheese (500 grams)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon maple syrup (75 grams)
- 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
- ½ vanilla pod
For the blackcurrant jam
- ¾ cup blackcurrants (150 grams)
- ½ cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
- 3 tablespoons water (50 milliliters)
Instructions
- Line an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper on the bottom. Oil the sides of the pan if it is not non-stick.
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 176°C.
To make the crust
- In a large bowl, mix everything together.
- Gently press the crust into the lined pan. I find it easiest to use a small piece of parchment paper to cover my fingers, and press down on the crust. Set aside.
To make the cheesecake filling
- In a food processor or blender on low speed, blend the cottage cheese and Greek yogurt together until it is smooth.
- In a small bowl, beat the eggs together. Beat the eggs, maple syrup and flour into the cottage cheese mixture. Scrape the seeds out of the vanilla pod and mix into the cheesecake.
- Pour everything into the pan. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until the cheesecake is set.
To make the blackcurrant jam
- In a medium saucepan, mix everything together. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Allow to cool before topping on the cheesecake.
To serve
- The cheesecake is best chilled, or at room temperature.
new baker says
This was sooo good. Great recipe........
Gigi says
I made this once this summer and everyone loved it! I am going to make it again this weekend, but want to make them in muffin tins so they are individual portions. How long do you recommend that I cook the cupcake-sized cheesecakes?
Bev Jamed says
Wonderful recipe, Thankyou ! I didn’t have enough cottage cheese or yoghurt, so I added ricotta and marscapone which I had left. Oh and some lemon zest as I like lemony cheesecake.
Just to let you know, it freezes very well too !
Turned out fabulous !
Tina Jui says
Thanks for sharing your changes, that's helpful to know!
Gail Slocombe says
I have some cottage cheese and ricotta that I froze so thank you for experimenting for me! I assume you just kept the same quantities? x
Bev james says
Yes, I made sure the dairy items all added up to the same quantity as the recipe
Bev says
Just about to make this ! Can it be frozen, do you know ? It would be too tempting to leave the whole thing at my mercy in the fridge ! If not, I’ll make half the recipe ! Thanks x
Bev James says
Yes, I’ve frozen it. It was fine !
Hilletje du Plessis says
I have never baked a cheese cake as I was always afraid that it would not be a success but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and inexpensive this cheese cake was. I used home made fig preserve as a decoration and for flavour. Delicious!
Hilletje du Plessis says
I have never baked a cheese cake as I was always afraid that it would not be a success but I was pleasantly surprised at how easy and I expensive this cheese cake was. Delicious!
Meryl says
Delicious. I made a half quantity (as it was just me and hubby), I used gluten free digestive biscuits for the base and left out the sugar, I added lemon zest
to the filling and used agave nectar and gluten free flour. Topped it with home made lemon curd......scrummy !!!!
Maryam says
Delicious!!! I wasn't expecting the cheesecake to be this good considering how much healthier it is. I substituted thin honey for the maple syrup and,vanilla extract for the pod, and next time I'll omit the sugar in the crust as I find graham crackers plenty sweet on their own. Texture improved after sitting in the fridge overnight, but it was still not as smooth and creamy as my regular NY style cheesecake. I wonder if it was slightly overcooked. I've always baked my cheesecakes in a bain marie; do you think that would help with the texture?
Thank you so much Tina :)
Maryam
Brian says
This was , full of protein and satisfies the sweet tooth, instead instead of sugar I used flavordrop and sugar free syrup though