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 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 Recipe Save 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 bourbon vanilla bean
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.
Hanna says
It is wonderful! The metric measurements are accurate, too. I recommend this recipe! However I also think that the butter is a bit too much for the crust. I would add only 4-5 tablespoons of it.
Neva says
I made so many alterations to the recipe it’s astonishing this came out so well! 1. Used premade Keebler graham cracker crust; 2. I only had 3/4 C. Cottage cheese, so softened 4oz cream cheese in microwave then added cottage cheese; 3. Fat Free Greek yogurt; 4. Mixed with immersion blender; 5. Scant 1/4 C of maple-agave syrup added instead of pure maple syrup; 6. Vanilla bean paste used instead of 1/2 vanilla bean.
Anita says
Looks lovely, so excited to try - if I wanted to use a granulated sugar-free substitute instead of maple syrup, what adjustments would you recommend to the remaining wet/dry ingredients?
Lilian says
Hi Tina! Thanks for your recipe! I’m going to run to the store today to buy the ingredients. Just wondering if you use fage brand yogurt? Because at the store there’s many kinds of yogurts from runny to thick. Do you strain the cottage cheese and yogurt beforehand? Thanks!
Ariana says
Can the all purpose flour be substituted for almond flour to make it more low carb friendly?
B Radez says
I used fat free cottage cheese, whole milk yogurt, lemon curd instead of jam. Tasted wonderful. However, 6 tablespoons of butter for the crust is tooooo much. It oozes fat after baking and cooling. Wonder if other people had similar experience.
Megan says
If I’m doing this as mini cheesecakes in cupcake pan, how long do I cook?
Aneta says
Hi, I'm just wondering what kind of cottage cheese you use? Is it dry curd?