These light Chocolate Cheesecakes are made with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, so they are lower in fat and high in protein! Smooth and rich and fudgy!
So I haven’t strayed too far from my goal to eat a little healthier this month, and I’ve been on the hunt for some lighter recipes that sacrifice no flavor.
You should know, though, that I’m not a salad person. I will probably never post a salad recipe, because I would never taste test it for you. I also rarely even have lettuce in my house.
I’m not saying that being anti-salad is a good thing — I’m just setting things straight so you understand where this thing is going.
I want healthier, lower calorie options of the foods I want to eat to begin with. And since I’m the kind of person who has to hide vegetables in her own meals, I’m probably not going to give you a plate full for dinner (though I have plenty of delicious comfort food meals Under 500 calories).
Again, not saying there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not my style.
Chocolate? That’s more my style.
And cheesecake? Yes please.
I’m kind of a cheesecake fanatic. Which you probably don’t know because I so rarely share a cheesecake recipe.
I’m not gonna lie, I totally got this recipe from Martha Stewart. Cause Martha knows what she’s doing.
I changed a few things: I left out the crust (because who really cares about the crust?), I left out the espresso (but you could easily add it back in), and I changed the cooking method and temperature a bit. We were totally blown away by the results.
I had made a cheesecake from cottage cheese a few times before, but it’s been so long I have no idea which recipes I had tried or how it was done. But it was something I knew I wanted to try this month, so that I could have something totally decadent that was still pretty healthy.
Now, you should know that I don’t like cottage cheese. Like, at all. Unless it’s pureed. I use pureed cottage cheese in cheesecakes or other desserts and pastas — I find it’s mostly a texture thing. If you find you’re not sure about this recipe because of the cottage cheese, I promise you would never know the difference.
The cheesecakes are the perfect size for a sweet treat after dinner. You can top them any way you like — the light whipped topping is included in the nutritional information but the rest is up to you. To keep them on the lighter side, fresh fruit is always a great option and pairs so well with chocolate. You can go a little more extravagant and top with caramel or chocolate sauce, crushed candies or cookies or sprinkles or chocolate shavings. The options are really endless!
Light Chocolate Cheesecakes
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups light whipped topping
- Optional garnishes: fresh berries or other
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- To a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese and puree until completely smooth (it MUST be 100% smooth — be sure to scrape down the sides and puree again until every kernel has been processed).
- Add the eggs, powdered sugar, cocoa, flour and vanilla and process until completely smooth.
- Pour into 12 muffin cups: I used individual silicone muffin cups and they worked marvelously. They are flexible so the cheesecakes pop out so easily. You could also use a regular muffin pan, well-greased, or try paper liners.
- Bake at 325 for 22 minutes, until center is just set. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 3-4 hours. Carefully remove from muffin cups.
- Garnish as desired.
Notes
Nutrition Information
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Rhonda says
Can they be made with splenda
The Recipe Rebel says
I don’t believe it could Rhonda, but you could experiment and let me know!
Suz says
Mine sank as well 😞 a lot
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Suz! Sorry to hear you had trouble with the recipe.
Kendall says
These are delicious!! Mine did shrink a bit, but they aren’t indented 😊 they almost taste like brownies, but with a creamy texture! Such a rich, yummy treat that I can have while losing weight.
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Kendall! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for the review!
Carol says
Ashley thank you for this fun easy recipe! They were so tasty, I sliced a few bananas , fresh strawberries and a dollop of whip cream! My company loved them!
I love how easy these were!
Is there another ingredient I can sub the chocolate
With! I thought about Jello instant pudding, could that possibly work?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Carol! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review! I do not believe jello would work in place the unsweetened cocoa.
Leanna says
Is the whipped topping supposed to be folded in or just for topping?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Leanna! Nope it’ just for the topping.
Patti says
Mine were beautiful and flat till I pulled them out of the oven. Sunk in the middle. Just filled them with whipped topping and they looked good and tasted great. Nice to have an alternative to a high calorie chocolate dessert. Thanks for sharing
The Recipe Rebel says
Thanks for the feedback Patti!
Brit says
Hello! How long should I bake if I want to make one large cheesecake instead of little muffins??
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Brit! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so I am unsure on how long it would need to cook if making a large one. If you decide to experiment, I’d love to know how it goes!
Javonni says
How could I make these blueberry or strawberry flavored?
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Javonni! I’ve only tested the recipe as is, so I am unsure on how to change the flavor. Maybe just add the fruit to the top? Hope you enjoy them!
Mary says
Mine sank too…they looked great until I took them out ..hope they taste ok
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Mary, They may sink slightly, but they shouldn’t be indented in the middle or anything. They should be pretty flat across the top. I would try to mix the batter a little less, as sometimes incorporating too much air can cause bubbles that rise and then deflate later.
Steph G says
Just tried this in muffin liners! Made 18!! And used a bit of ricotta because I for once had some on hand and made vanilla bean for half before adding the cocoa! Can’t wait to try them 😀
Steph G says
Ya AMAZING!!! So easy and loved them! The fam liked the plain vanilla bean ones best and might have to try with milk chocolate sometime! I had my chocolate one for breakfast with Redi Whip ..ate it right out of the muffin wrapper with a little spoon and my cup of coffee. Definitely will be making these again!!
The Recipe Rebel says
So glad to hear Steph! Thank you!
Heather K says
Can you explain why powdered sugar is used instead of regular caster sugar? Is it because cottage cheese has more moisture? Just curious since I’ve only ever used regular sugar in my cheesecake recipes!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Heather! Yep, the powdered sugar helps to thicken the filling 🙂
Samantha says
I just made them, 12 in muffin liners, took them out after 22 mins and they started to sink, put them back in for another 5, took them out and they still sank. I’m confused 😕
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Samantha! They may sink slightly, but they shouldn’t be indented in the middle or anything. They should be pretty flat across the top. I would try to mix the batter a little less, as sometimes incorporating too much air can cause bubbles that rise and then deflate later.
ABomb333i says
These are HEAVENLY!!!! So decadent!!!! I swapped in swerve confectioner sugar instead of regular powdered sugar & coconut flour instead of regular. Turned out amaaaaaaaazing! Thank you SO much for sharing this awesome low cal dessert recipe!!!!!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad!