Mini Protein Cheesecakes are creamy, delicious and made with healthier ingredients. Each protein cheesecake has less than 200 calories.
I made a recipe very similar to this a few years ago with yogurt. I loved it, but then I decided to add some cottage cheese into the mix. It made the cheesecakes even creamier!
One of my favorite parts about this recipe is that the crust is super thick. I love a good crust on a cheesecake. All you need is 9 graham crackers and some coconut oil to achieve it!
Why you'll love this protein cheesecake recipe:
These are the best mini cheesecakes I've ever had! Honestly, these taste even better than the real deal.
All you need is a total of 7 ingredients! 2 ingredients for the crust and 5 for the filling.
They are super easy to make! Making an entire cheesecake can be intimidating. Don't worry. Follow the recipe, and you won't have any issues.
Decorate them as you please. These cheesecakes are perfect as is, but the topping ideas are endless!
Ingredients and substitutions:
For the crust:
- graham crackers - Use gluten free if necessary.
- melted coconut oil - You can substitute melted butter if you'd like.
For the filling:
- Neufchatel cheese spread - You can use low fat or full fat cream cheese instead.
- 1% small curd cottage cheese
- egg
- coconut sugar - Feel free to use cane sugar instead.
- almond flour - I haven't tested a replacement for this.
How to make protein cheesecake:
A complete list of ingredients, amounts and instructions is located on the recipe card below.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until a crumble has formed.
- Add the processed crackers into a bowl. Pour melted coconut oil over the top and combine.
- Evenly distribute a little less than 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture into each muffin cavity. Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the crust down. Bake at 325 degrees F for 5-7 minutes.
- Make the filling as the crust cools. Add Neufchatel cheese spread and cottage cheese to a food processor and pulse until creamy (about 90 seconds). Add an egg, coconut sugar and almond flour and process just until combined.
- Evenly distribute the filling on top of the crust. (A little less than 3 tablespoons of the filling in each cavity.) Bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes, or until set.
- Let the cheesecakes cool completely. Then, place them into the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight before enjoying.
- You can add toppings on the cheesecakes. I added chocolate drizzle to some. You can also use whipped cream, fresh fruit, jam etc. The options are endless, but they are also delicious plain!
Recipe pro-tips:
- Use room temperature ingredients. If you don't, the filling can be lumpy and the cheesecakes might not bake evenly.
- Do not overmix the filling. You can end up with too many air bubbles which will cause the cheesecakes to crack. This is why, we combine the Neufchatel cheese spread and cottage cheese first.
- It's easy to overbake the cheesecakes. Cook them until they are just about set and barely jiggle. The cheesecakes can crack if you overbake them. 17 minutes was perfect for me.
- Allow them to cool completely before putting them in the fridge. I suggest letting them set overnight, but 4-6 hours is fine.
Topping ideas:
- chocolate drizzle
- caramel
- whipped cream
- fresh fruit
- jam
- chopped nuts
- shredded coconut
Storage directions:
- Store the cheesecakes in the fridge in an airtight container for about 3 days.
- If you would like to freeze them, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge before enjoying.
FAQs:
There is about 7 grams of protein in these mini cheesecakes.
There is about 179 calories in these mini cheesecakes.
Be sure not to overmix the cheesecake filling or overbake them.
Mini Protein Cheesecakes
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 9 graham crackers
- ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
For the filling:
- 8 ounces Neufchatel cheese spread - (at room temp.)
- 8 ounces 1% small curd cottage cheese - (at room temp.)
- 1 egg - (at room temp.)
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- ¼ cup almond flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin pan with 12 liners.
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and process until a crumble has formed. Add the processed crackers into a bowl. Pour melted coconut oil over the top and combine.
- Evenly distribute a little less than 2 tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture into each muffin cavity. Use the back of a spoon or your fingers to press the crust down. Bake at 325 degrees F for 5-7 minutes.
- Make the filling as the crust cools. Add Neufchatel cheese spread and cottage cheese to a food processor and pulse until creamy (about 90 seconds). Add an egg, coconut sugar and almond flour and process just until combined.
- Evenly distribute the filling on top of the crust. (A little less than 3 tablespoons of the filling in each cavity.) Bake at 325 degrees for 16-18 minutes, or until set.
- Let the cheesecakes cool completely. Then, place them into the fridge for 4-6 hours, or overnight before enjoying.
- You can add toppings on the cheesecakes. I added chocolate drizzle to some. You can also use whipped cream, fresh fruit, jam etc. The options are endless, but they are also delicious plain!
This nutrition information is an estimate and should not be taken as fact. The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
Amanda
Im trying to make healtheir desserts, esp ones with protein.
I made these last night and they're delicious! I must've over mixed or over baked bc mine cracked but it didn't effect the taste. My husband loved them. He was going to take one to a gym friend at work but decided he didn't want to share 😂 Next time Im going to make 24 and try some topping variety. Thanks for the recipe <3
So glad you and your husband enjoyed, Amanda! 🙂