Bring these mini high protein cheesecakes to your next summer gathering. They're creamy, lightly sweet and have 6g of protein!
When I'm invited over to a friend's place for dinner, I love bringing dessert to share. From my chocolate fruit dip to peanut butter blossoms, my friends have quickly assigned me to "dessert" at every potluck or dinner party. It's my specialty!
Cheesecake is a favourite in my house (see my cheesecake dip and cheesecake oats!), which is why I'm so excited to share these mini protein cheesecakes. Topped with chia jam and made in individual portions, I'll be bringing these to every dinner party this summer.
Why This Dietitian Loves This Recipe
Why am I such a fan of these mini protein cheesecakes? Let me tell you:
- Higher in protein and lower in fat. Don't get me wrong, I don't think every dessert has to "hit your macros"! But for those who prefer a lighter option, this is a delicious choice.
- Easier than a normal cheesecake. This recipe is perfect for beginners, or anyone who just doesn't want to sacrifice a ton of time in the kitchen. It only takes 5 key ingredients and less than 30 minutes of prep.
- Totally shareable. Obviously you can share a regular cheesecake, but being able to grab an individual mini cheesecake makes this recipe my go-to when I'm bringing it to a friend's house or batch-prepping desserts for the week.
Once you try these mini protein cheesecakes, you'll never find yourself buying it from the store again!
Ingredients
- Digestive cookies
- Butter
- Cottage cheese
- Light cream cheese
- Eggs
- Sugar
- Vanilla extract
- Lemons
- Chia jam
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 325F. Line your muffin tins with muffin liners.
In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine digestive cookie crumbs and melted butter.
Once combined press about 2 tablespoon of crumbs into the bottom of each muffin liner.
Place in the fridge to harden while you make the cheesecake filling.
In a food processor or high powered blender combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Blend until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Pour about ⅓ cup of cheesecake filling on top of the cookie base.
Bake for 45 minutes or until cheesecakes are set. The cheesecakes should not jiggle or look wet.
Once cool, top with a dollop of chia jam and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use gluten-free cookies for the base.
To make nut-free: Use nut-free cookies for the base.
Missing an ingredient? Try these:
- Digestive cookies: Sub for graham crackers. I use Dare digestive cookies as they are lower in sugar, but graham crackers work just as fine.
- Light cream cheese: Any fat percentage cream cheese will work.
- Chia jam: I like to make my own from this recipe, but you can always use your favourite store-bought jam.
** I have not tested this recipe using Greek yogurt as a replacement for the cottage cheese as I wanted to try to make these as creamy as possible. If you try this swap, let me know how they turn out!
This recipe is pretty customizable based on how you top the cheesecakes. I made a strawberry chia jam, but you can go with blueberry, raspberry, or another fruit of choice. For my caramel fans, definitely try these mini protein cheesecakes with a drizzle of my 5 minute vegan caramel on top!
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Muffin liners
- Mixing bowls
- Food processor or high-powered blender
Storage
These mini protein cheesecakes can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days. For best results, I recommend topping with the chia jam just prior to serving.
These can also be frozen these for up to 3 months in an airtight container. To defrost, simply leave in the fridge until soft.
Top Tip
To help keep the cheesecake tops from cracking, turn off the oven after baking, open the oven door and allow the cheesecakes to cool in the oven. This helps bring them down to a cooler temperature more gradually.
Frequently Asked Questions
They are slightly less sweet, but in my opinion they taste pretty similar to the real deal!
Yes you can! Use a 9 inch round cheesecake pan (springform pan) and follow all recipe instructions as written. The only difference will be pressing the cookies and pouring the cheesecake batter into the pan instead of muffin liners. Bake at 325F for about 1 hour!
Yes! To account for the decreased quantity of sugar, the lemon is important to help add a little bit more tartness and flavour. If you are really worried and absolutely hate lemon, I recommend only adding the juice and skipping the zest.
More Easy Dessert Recipes
Dessert is a must in my house! Try these recipes next if you enjoyed this protein cheesecake.
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these protein cheesecakes, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Mini High Protein Cheesecakes
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed digestive cookies or graham crackers
- 4 tablespoon butter melted
- 500 g cottage cheese any fat percentage will work
- 250 g light cream cheese
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 medium lemons both the juice and zest
- Chia jam for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F. Line your muffin tins with muffin liners.
- In a medium bowl, use a fork to combine digestive cookie crumbs and melted butter. Once combined press about 2 tablespoon of crumbs into the bottom of each muffin liner. Place in the fridge to harden while you make the cheesecake filling.
- In a food processor or high powered blender combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice and lemon zest. Blend until smooth (about 3 minutes).
- Pour about ⅓ cup of cheesecake filling on top of the cookie base and bake for 45 minutes or until cheesecakes are set. The cheesecakes should not jiggle or look wet.
- Once cool, top with a dollop of chia jam and enjoy!
kate says
could you sub greek yogurt for the cream cheese?
Nicole Addison says
Hi Kate- I wouldn't recommend it for this recipe! The cream cheese helps add structure.
MontrealQueen says
Easy and delicious! Digestive cookie crumbs are hard to find near me so I mix almond flour with ground pecans, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Thank you for this freezer friendly recipe that I do every few months.
Valerie says
When you measure in grams, you've lost me.
Nicole Addison says
Hi Valerie,
I'm located in Canada and our products are measured in grams. As this is the most widely used measure in the world I have decided to stick with that for this recipe! 🙂 I find there are some great converters online if you are looking for a different measurement! Hopefully this helps!
Jessica L says
Literally just popped these out of the oven. My third time making this recipe. They are my ultimate go-to cheesecake recipe for simplicity and added protein. Added cottage cheese (no one will ever know!)