Recipe: Healthy New York Baked Mini Cheesecakes

We're kind of cheesecake obsessed in the SIL house at the moment. We're on a mission to perfect every type of cheesecake - from fluffy lighter cheesecakes to dense New York Style cheesecakes, some that use lots of cream cheese and some that use none at all, some with ricotta and even cottage cheese - and of course, we're on a mission to make these cheesecakes healthy and delicious too!

This recipe is the perfect Healthy New York Style Cheesecake Recipe - and it uses cottage cheese which you may think wouldn't work - but trust me when I tell you these babies are incredible. In fact, I even tweaked the proportions from my original version (photographed above) to the version on the right which is perfect creamy, just the right density and absoluteeeeeeeeely delicious.

We've been enjoying them just on their own - but you can go crazy with the toppings and add whatever you like. We've had our recipe testers top them with everything from fresh fruit to chocolate drizzles and they have all loved the recipe.

Cheesecake is serious business, friends. You have to make multiple batches and eat multiple cheesecakes for the sake of the recipe... right? 

That's what I keep telling myself ;)

These cheesecakes are so good that no one will ever know they're healthy - and no one will ever know there's cottage cheese in them (trust me, Jesse hates cottage cheese) unless you tell them. That means they're perfect for birthday parties and get togethers with friends. But you may also want to keep them all to yourself ;P

But let me give you the recipe! >> 

Mini Baked New York Style Cheesecakes makes 8

gluten free, low fat, low sugar, no refined sugar, egg free/eggless

Crust (feel free to use your own recipe or a prepared crust too!):

1 cup gluten free cookie crumbs (we used Orgran Vanilla Outback Animal Cookies and it was about 100g of cookies, crushed)

2 tbsp butter or margarine/butter spread

Cheesecake Filling:

2 cups (450g/1 lb) low fat cottage cheese*

1/3 cup + 1 tbsp (~100g) reduced fat/fat free greek yogurt

2 tbsp plain flour 

2 tsp vanilla 

3 tbsp maple syrup**

• Grease 8 mini cheesecake tins or a small springform cake tin (feel free to double the recipe for a larger cheesecake)
• Preheat oven to 180°C/355°F. 

For the crust:

• Crush your cookies and set aside.
• Melt your butter/butter spread and mix with your cookie crumbs. Your base mixture should be moist enough to pack down into your tins - if not, add 1/2 tsp or so of water. 
• Press your base mixture into your tin and bake your bases for ~10 minutes or until crisp and lightly golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

For the cheesecake:

• Add all of your cheesecake ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and blend until smooth and no lumps remain. 
• Pour your cheesecake mixture into your tins on top of the cooled crust and place your tins back in the oven to cook for 10-15 minutes or until your cheesecake is set. You'll be able to lightly touch the top of the cheesecake and not having any mix come off on your finger. 
• Leave to cool before chilling in the fridge. 
• Serve chilled as is or top with whatever you like!

*I haven't used fat free cottage cheese so I don't know how that would work - but you want to use a cottage cheese that is nice and creamy - not dry.

**If you like things super sweet, increase the maple syrup to 1/3 cup 

But tell me, what's your favourite kind of cheesecake?

And what dessert can't you say no to? 

I'm boring and like plain cheesecake - but I remember when I was younger Caramel Cheesecakes were the cheesecakes to have (and I need to try my hand at making a recipe for you guys!)