Lower Fat Healthier Cheesecake

Is there a true low fat cheesecake or a healthy cheesecake? Just think of them as relative terms.

With great heavy texture and taste, you won't be able to tell this from the evil full fat type.  This is a version of an ATK New York style cheesecake from several years ago on a show called Lighter Desserts. I have had the recipe for several years in PDF form in my to try folder and several version are out there on the internet.
As usual, I tried to simplify some but I didn't run a muck very far this time. If you read cheese cake recipes, you will notice how they all are very specific about lots of very special things and if you don't follow them you are doomed to fail. This one not so much.

Rating

My initial plans were to make a blueberry cheesecake since we had 30 lbs in the freeze. Then I wanted healthier. Then I was going to use this recipe and sub out the sugar and fat. And finally I decide to just to simplify the recipe some and have a baseline if I decide to work on decreasing the fat and sugar next time.

The original version used yogurt cheese (or 8 oz of no fat cream cheese) but a newer version at Bakingbites used Greek Yogurt instead. I can find that in West Michigan so I used the Greek Yogurt instead since I thought it would be better for the texture.

Notes : 340 calories and 13 grams of fat per serving. 12 servings
There is almost 1200 calories in sugar and another 400 in the butter in this recipe just waiting to be changed out. I worry about using sugar substitutes with the initial 500 degree temp. If I sub them out I will need a different cooking technique.

Printable recipe

Tools: 9 inch spring-form pan and a large food processor.

Ingredients:
9 full graham crackers
4 T unsalted butter
1 T sugar

1 lb light cream cheese
1 lb 1% cottage cheese
8 oz Greek plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cup sugar
1 T lemon juice
(optional 1 t lemon zest - I skipped because I didn't have it and was great anyways)
1 T vanilla
1/4 t salt
Pam

Instructions:

Set eggs and cream cheese out to warm. Preheat oven to 325.

Melt butter in microwave for about 20 seconds.

Run graham cracker through food processor for about 30 seconds until fine even crumbs.
 
Add melted butter and sugar then process with pulsing for another 30 seconds until evenly mixed.

Place in 9 inch spring-form pan and press firmly into place with glass or similar object. Bake for 12-15 minutes until starting to brown.

While working on crust, place cottage cheese and Greek yogurt in colander lined with two layer of a good quality paper towel. Allow to drain for 30 minutes. 

Remove pan from oven to cool and increase oven temp to 500 degrees. After cleaning food processor, place cottage cheese and yogurt in processor and process until smooth and no lumps (about 60 seconds).

Add cream cheese and process until evenly mixed (about another 60 seconds). Be sure to scrape sides several times during to processing to avoid lumps.

Add all other ingredients and process until well mixed. About 90 seconds.

Spray inside sides of pan with Pam. Place pan on cookie sheet and pour mixture into pan.

Bake at 500 for 10 minutes then decrease over to 200 degrees without opening door. Bake for another 80-90 minutes until temp of 150 degrees.

Allow to cook at room temp for 2-3 hours. Use knife and run it around edge several times during cooling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to finish setting.

To serve, set at room temp for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Lower Fat Healthier Cheesecake

by DrDan at 101 Cooking For Two January 19, 2011

Is there a true low fat cheesecake or a healthy cheesecake? Just think of them as relative terms. With great heavy texture and taste, you won't be able to tell this from the evil full fat type. This is a version of an ATK New York style cheesecake from several years ago on a show called Lighter Desserts. I have had the recipe for several years in PDF form in my to try folder and several version are out there on the internet. As usual, I tried to simplify some but I didn't run a muck very far this time. If you read cheese cake recipes, you will notice how they all are very specific about lots of very special things and if you don't follow them you are doomed to fail. This one not so much.

Ingredients

9 full graham crackers4 T unsalted butter1 T sugar1 lb light cream cheese1 lb 1% cottage cheese8 oz Greek plain yogurt3 large eggs1 1/2 cup sugar1 T lemon juice1/4 t salt1 t optional lemon zest1 T vanilla

Instructions

1) Set eggs and cream cheese out to warm. Preheat oven to 325.2) Melt butter in microwave for about 20 seconds. Run graham cracker through food processor for about 30 seconds until fine even crumbs. Add melted butter and sugar then process with pulsing for another 30 seconds until evenly mixed.3) Place in 9 inch spring-form pan and press firmly into place with glass or similar object. Bake for 12-15 minutes until starting to brown. 4) While #3, place cottage cheese and Greek yogurt in colander lined with two layer of a good quality paper towel. Allow to drain for 30 minutes. 5) Remove pan from oven to cool and increase oven temp to 500 degrees.6) After cleaning food processor, place cottage cheese and yogurt in processor and process until smooth and no lumps (about 60 seconds). Add cream cheese and process until evenly mixed (about another 60 seconds). Be sure to scrape sides several times during to processing to avoid lumps.7) Add all other ingredients and process until well mixed. About 90 seconds.8) Spray inside sides of pan with Pam. Place pan on cookie sheet and pour mixture into pan.9) Bake at 500 for 10 minutes then decrease over to 200 degrees without opening door. Bake for another 80-90 minutes until temp of 150 degrees.10) Allow to cool at room temp for 2-3 hours. Use knife and run it around edge several times during cooling. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours to finish setting. 11) To serve, set at room temp for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 1 hour 40 mins Total time: 2 hour 40 mins Yield: 8 servings

Updated

April 20, 2011