You just need 5 basic ingredients and a blender for this easy, protein-packed cottage cheese and Greek yogurt-based cheesecake!
This healthy cottage cheese cheesecake is not only incredibly easy to make, it might fool some into thinking it’s normal cheesecake! It’s light but creamy and smooth with just a hint of vanilla and lemon juice. The best part? All it takes is throwing a few ingredients into a blender!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Quick to make: Made entirely in a blender or food processor, this cheesecake is a breeze to make. It only takes 5-10 minutes to assemble and around 30 minutes to bake. Even without a water bath, this bakes up perfectly smooth and creamy.
- Packed with protein: Thanks to simple ingredients like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, you get all the smooth creaminess of a classic cheesecake with extra protein. No cream cheese or sour cream needed–a great option for a healthier dessert!
- Versatile: While this base yields a simple, lightly lemony cheesecake, you can customize this any way you like. Try swirling in a strawberry jam, Nutella, or peanut butter!
Ingredient notes
- Cottage cheese: This is the key ingredient that provides structure and flavor to the cheesecake. I’ve tried using both nonfat and low-fat cottage cheese (2%) for this recipe, but you can use any fat content. More fat will yield a slightly richer flavor.
- Greek yogurt: I’ve tried this with both nonfat and 2% Greek yogurt successfully. Again, you can use yogurt of any fat content without significantly changing the texture.
- Sugar: I’ve only used granulated sugar in this recipe for a neutral flavor base. I successfully made my pumpkin cheesecake version with maple syrup, but I wouldn’t recommend this unless you want a maple flavor in your cheesecake. I haven’t tried substituted another dry sweetener like Monkfruit or Stevia (but several commenters have tried with success!).
- Flour or cornstarch: The tiny bit of flour is key for binding the filling and helping to keep it creamy. You can use cornstarch if you’d like to make this gluten-free.
- Lemon zest: I like the zing that comes from the lemon flavor, but you can omit it if you’d rather have a plain cheesecake.
- Graham crackers: If you’re not using ready-made graham cracker crumbs, you can crush whole graham crackers. You’ll need between 10-11 full graham cracker sheets to yield 3/4 cup of crumbs.
Recipe notes
Although this healthy cheesecake recipe is simple, it took a few iterations to develop.
- The first iteration used cottage cheese, yogurt, honey, eggs and vanilla. A lot of liquid seeped out of the pan when it chilled overnight and it deflated into a soggy pile of curds.
- In the next version, I tried to reduce the amount of liquid by swapping the honey for sugar, reduced the amount of egg and added a little flour to help set the cheesecake and soak up any excess liquid.
This made all the difference! This cheesecake is completely creamy and not at all soggy.
This cheesecake can be made entirely in a blender. Simply add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Pour onto your prepared graham cracker crust (or make it crustless and pour it into a greased pan) and bake until it’s set!
Equipment note: although it’s easiest to bake cheesecake in a springform pan for easier removal, you can also bake this in a regular cake pan. Simply line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper and add two 2″ strips of parchment underneath the bottom to create a “sling” to help you remove the cheesecake.
I love serving this cottage cheese cake with a simple berry compote or fresh berries.
Storage
Cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the baked cheesecake.
If you liked this cheesecake, you may also like:
- This cozy cottage cheese pumpkin cheesecake
- The search to find the best cheesecake recipe in the best cheesecake bake off
- For a chocolate-y treat with no refined sugar, these vegan mini chocolate muffins are another classic recipe that uses date paste as a wholesome sweetener.
- A decadent flourless chocolate cake with an aquafaba meringue
- This lemon meringue pie has a tofu-based filling with an aquafaba meringue
Cottage Cheese Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the graham crust (optional)
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tbsp sugar
- pinch kosher salt
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the cheesecake
- 1 cup cottage cheese (I used 2% but any kind will work) 227g/8oz
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (nonfat, 2% or full-fat will all work) 57g/2oz
- 1 large egg
- 2.5 tablespoons sugar 32g
- 1.5 tablespoons flour or cornstarch 12g
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
- Optional: yogurt, strawberries and granola for topping
Instructions
For the graham crust (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-inch springform pan. Alternatively, you can double this recipe and use a larger pan, like an 8 or 9-inch cake pan.
- Combine the graham crumbs, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the melted butter until evenly moistened.
- Press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.
For the cheesecake
- Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and process until smooth and combined.
- Pour cottage cheese mixture into prepared crust (or into a greased 6-inch springform pan) and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are set and just starting to brown with a matte surface. The center should be slightly jiggly, but not sloshy.
- Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for several hours or overnight.
- Spread or sprinkle on desired toppings before serving. I topped mine with some homemade granola and a really quick strawberry compote. Just a few frozen strawberries brought to a boil in a small saucepan with a tiny splash of water, a tiny bit of a water + cornstarch slurry, and a pinch of sugar.
Selena @ thenutritiouskitchen.com
Oh my goodness this sounds too good to be true! It looks DELICIOUS and I love how you used cottage cheese as a main ingredient. I’ve recently become obsessed with cottage cheese and I feel obligated to try this recipe now 🙂 I need some lightened up desserts after all the holiday sugar I consumed!
erika
Oh my gosh tell me about it. Amazingly, despite all the sugar I consumed, I don’t even feel guilty about eating this. It’s just so much protein and it’s SO GOOD!!
Lianna
Ahh I totally get your excitement at reduced and on sale dairy items at the grocery store (or let’s be real, anything with a half-priced sticker on it). But yoghurts especially greek yoghurt is usually pricier anyways so I’m totally down to pretend the expiry date doesn’t exist and hope I don’t get sick. But I really need to make this healthy cheesecake asap because of the fact that it’s okay/not so bad if I eat the entire cake in one sitting or better yet, have a piece or two for breakfast (brilliant idea!) Your pictures are also gorgeous btw, I’m drooling at the close-ups and I adore stewed strawberries because they remind me of funnel cakes yum! I wish I was your roommate because I would love to taste-test all of your kitchen creations 🙂
And Im clearly out of it, because your kickboxing gym? As in you kickbox? That’s pretty badass right there. I’ve never tried it but it seems like a great way to stay in shape!!
erika
Ahaha so glad you understand me! Tell me it’s not bad that I’ve literally had like 2 slices of cheesecake every day this week (breakfast + dessert)…
…at least I have kickboxing? (It’s SO fun btw–you should try it!!)
And I wish you were my roommate too because my roommate is unfortunately not really a big cheesecake fan and has not been pulling her weight on all my tester cheesecakes!!
Amanda
This looks absolutely delicious, I need to make this ASAP. Thank you for sharing!
erika
Let me know how it goes! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl
Since this is healthy I’m definitely going to eat 2 pieces. 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
yummychunklet
Delicious photos!
cynthia
I am in LOVE WITH THIS, Erika!!! I used to love cheesecake, but now actually can’t remember the last time I’ve had any because it’s just so rich. (This recent phenom of actually avoiding rich foods makes me feel so old.) Your version sounds like perfection, and I love that you figured out the recipe yourself. I can’t wait to try this! (And PS GORGEOUS photos!)
erika
Lol at least you have the willpower to avoid rich foods!! Better to feel old than fat right? Ha!
Anyway, thanks 🙂 Hope you like it if you get a chance to try it!
cynthia
HAHAHAhaha “better to feel old than fat” — I just died. That needs to be my mantra. I wouldn’t normally, except I’ve begun to actually feel queasy really easily when I eat heavy foods! I’m like seriously? What happened to the days when there was no such thing as “enough potato chips”? Sigh. 😉
erika
Girl, those days are not over for me. I’m crossing my fingers I get to where you are…SOON.
Ala
Honestly, the lumps in cottage cheese remind me of a hostile alien invasion in my fridge–and yes, this coming from a gal who just bought a big tub of it from Trader Joe’s because she wanted to opt for new-year fruit snacking options. This sounds much less sketchy and much more appetizing…thanks for sharing!
erika
Haha YES! I used to eat it no problem as a kid but now I think it looks sooo funky. I was doing okay with eating it with fruit as a snack until I tried mixing it with protein powder…and the memory still makes me shudder. Ewewew. Never doing that again!
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
I’m heading home in a few days and I’m super sad that once I get home, I’ll have to go back to work (sigh) and must say goodbye to days upon days of eating whatever the heck I wanted. But you’re totally right, moderation is the way to go if we want to stick with healthy eating. I LOVE that you made a cheesecake healthy! This looks amazing, Erika. My taste buds and waistline thank you 😉
erika
Awwww savor the days!!! Live up your vacation for all of us because we all wish we were still on vacation + eating whatever we want!
laurasmess
Oh, this is so delicious looking Erika! Who cares about the name, definitely not me! I can imagine how light the ingredients would be. Thanks for giving us our cheesecake fix in a healthy version for January. But… uh, those other examples? I might have to try every single cheesecake recipe on your site, just to make sure… you know… that I can give an unbiased review of the healthy one 😉 x
erika
Oh I get you Laura–I am allll about the taste testing 🙂 And I whole-heartedly appreciate unbiased reviews 😉
The Vegan 8
Erika, this does look so incredibly light and airy!! I can totally see it as breakfast, oh yeah! 🙂 It doesn’t have much sugar… Is it sweet or just real tangy?
I glanced at the bodybuilding.com recipe …so glad you adapted it…your version is MUCH cleaner… I can’t stand it when I see ” healthy” recipes on fitness sites where the ingredients are full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners like puddings and jello…please, it’s a chemical wasteland! Your version rocks!! 🙂
erika
Yeah!! I was so excited so little sugar works in this recipe–it’s just sweet enough in my opinion–not overly so, but not super tangy either (cottage cheese definitely doesn’t have as much tang as cream cheese). Thanks Brandi! 🙂
Katie (The Muffin Myth)
Damn! This looks amazing! I am a lover of cheesecake in it’s purest form, but this looks like something I could get right on board with. And I’ve got these teeny little single serve springform pans (maybe 3-4 inches) that would be just perfect for this. Also, best before dates on dairy are set with a generous buffer, so you’re all good on the discount dairy. Let your nose be the judge. And I’m totally with you on dietary restrictions causing binging. Planned indulgences are the best for keeping me on track. Thanks for the recipe!
erika
Yes–those would be so perfect!! I know a 6-inch springform pan is kind of an usual size to bake with, but that’s just what I had. You could make a bunch of adorable mini cheesecakes!!
And YAY! So glad I have you as my nutritionist friend to steer me straight 🙂 I am so telling Erik that a certified nutritionist said ^ because he never believes me when I say that the best before dates are just conservative suggestions!
Jenny
What would be the temperature and time if I baked this in regular silicone muffin pan? (And do you know approximately how many would it make?)
erika
With the caveat that I’ve never tried this, I would try 350 and timing really depends on the thickness! I’m guessing you could make 6 decent-sized muffins and you might start checking at 20 minutes and keep baking until the muffins look a tiny bit jiggly but mostly set.
Mary Frances
I’m ready for some structure, so the back-to-real-life doesn’t bother me as much as the back-to-real-food thing. What? Cookies aren’t breakfast food? I would’ve never guessed this had cottage cheese. I personally love the stuff in any form! And I LOVE cheesecake, so a healthy verion is perfection! Your photos and recipe, as usual, are just stunning. P.S. You are so lucky. I would’ve cleaned out clearance dairy. Little yogurt containers are the best (aaaand the most expensive! 🙂
Kayle (The Cooking Actress)
whoa, girl! You’re amazinggg!
erika
:))
Jennifer
Cheesecake for breakfast – yes please! I’ll take that with a four day work week anytime 🙂
erika
Ah yes, if we can’t have a four-hour work week, I’d still take a four day work week ANY DAY! (And cheesecake every day, maybe?)
Sockmonkeys Kitchen
I love the way you write!! You’ve always got me smiling by the first paragraph 🙂
This delightful cheesecake looks and sounds wonderful! YUMMMMMY!
PS: favorite quote… “But I say: it’s delicious and I’m eating it for breakfast”
Amen to that!!
erika
Oh, that’s just the best compliment ever. Thanks so much! 🙂 (I seriously did eat it for breakfast. I’m 2 for 2 right now!)