Cheesecake With a Protein Punch
With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we're dreaming of all kinds of delicious dishes and desserts like pumpkin pie, stuffing, and pecan pie. Most of us tend to prepare ourselves for the upcoming "food coma." Many dishes, particularly the desserts, throw nutrition to the wind, and rather focus on the taste with rich ingredients like butter and sugar. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good pumpkin pie with ice cream or whipped cream (or both) as much as the next person. But what if this Thanksgiving, you included just one dessert that you could actually feel healthy about while loving the taste?I came across this recipe for protein cheesecake from an article in Men's Health a number of years ago. Some of the ingredients sounded a bit odd for a dessert, but my curiosity got the best of me, so I made it for no particular occasion. I love cheesecake and I figured if there was a recipe that would allow me to have multiple slices without feeling the sugar surge, I was all for it! Turns out, it is really delicious! Plus, the best part is that it is so easy to make it your own with whatever fruit topping you like or extra ingredients you decide to add into the mix. I hope that you find this as enjoyable as we do and of course, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
Raspberry Protein Cheesecake
Ingredients:Pie Filling:
- 3/4 cup of fat free cottage cheese
- Optional: 1/2 scoop of protein powder (vanilla flavor works best)
- 1 small package sugar free instant pudding mix (cheesecake flavor)
- Skim milk per directions on pudding packet
- 1-2 tbsp. sugar free or no sugar added Raspberry preserves
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh raspberries (you can use any fruit toppings you want though for the fresh fruit and preserves topping!)
Pie Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups Graham Cracker crumbs (or enough crushed Graham crackers to equal 1 ¼ cups)
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or baking Stevia or Truvia
- 1 egg white, beaten
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or coconut oil
DirectionsPre-heat oven to 350. In a food processor, mix the crust ingredients until nice and gooey then press into lightly greased pie pan. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes and let cool. Combine the pie filling ingredients in a bowl until smooth and pour into the shell. Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours until hardened. Remove from fridge and top with preserves and fresh fruit and enjoy!!
– LAUREN ORMSBEE, CHC, CEP
