Cottage cheese in a cheesecake sounds like a lot of cheese, like this oozing over cake you can see below. But it’s actually a healthy way to get protein.
And a way to hide the cottage-y cheese texture (especially if you’re not a natural cottage cheese fan). And in this dish, you’ll get a smooth texture you’ll love!
Use your Magic Bullet or food processor and add 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and one egg.
Pulse the blender with cottage cheese and egg a few times to smoothly blend. This will make enough for an individual portion.
You can bake into an oven-safe mug if you don’t have a baking vessel that’s the exact right size.
Anyone can make this! 😊
It’s a quick (quiche?) way to get protein that’s sweet or savory delicious and healthy.
You decide!
And this is where it gets fun because you get to decide if you want a sweeter cheesecake (dessert) or savory cheesecake with healthy veggies or more proteins, like that you would add to a quiche.
Either way, it’s about 14 grams of cottage cheese protein and much lower in calories and fat… in case that’s important to you. And the egg adds another 6 grams, so this one individual portion has 20 grams of protein, plus any other proteins you add.
The Breakstone’s 2% milk fat cottage cheese I used had 13 grams of protein, but was only 100 calories. Some creamy cheese can be more than double or triple those calories.
I went sweet (the blueberries are a hint) and I added 1 tsp of maple syrup and some berries and surprise-inside cherries. That’s it.
The bottom was brushed with coconut oil. And if you go the savory route, you can make this a Mediterranean diet olive oil serving as an option.
Oil helps for a non-stick bottom that’s baking-desirable and improves the overall bake texture.
And since I used an under 2-inch low baking vessel (that’s shorter in height than a drinking mug), I got the anticipated dramatic spillover effect that’s fun and adds a lava effect.
Like an oozing fall “lava” cake or a French Onion soup that’s baked in another baking pan to catch the flow. I used a cake pan and carried over the spill to the plate (that was scrumptious too 😋).
And you can simply cut off the baked lava or leave on for an ahhh…
After exiting the oven, you would think this dish is made with fancy cheese like Gruyere (or other fondue cheeses) that are usually more expensive per ounce and higher fat calories. You’d never think it was easy-to-source cottage cheese.
And you may at first think that using cottage cheese as the main ingredient doesn’t give a delicious bake… but not here in this cottage cheese cheesecake where it’s controversially satisfying.
Give it a try yourself. Your friends will never guess it’s cottage cheese… unless you tell them. 🧀
Sheep’s cheesecake can be made into a protein-filled dessert that tastes like your favorite cheesecake desserts. I know because that’s what’s in this recipe. And the sheep’s cheese cake is lower fat and sugar, for a healthier cheesecake. It’s easy to find in stores (see below tips).
This sheep’s cheese cake plate has cranberries that are also mixed into the cake batter. Cranberries are high in Vitamin C and are good for an anti-inflammatory diet during the holidays (and year-round).
Cranberries are uniquely good for preventing UTIs and seasonally they add a red pop of festive color – that ranges from the bright fire engine red to burgundy shades.🚒 ♥️
You can buy whole cranberries and freeze them for when you want to use them. So the shiny and red fruit berry jewels are hard to turn down.
As is this protein cheese cake.
What makes this cheese cake protein-rich are the ingredients that include sheep’s cheese.
You can expect to easily find 5 grams of protein per sheep’s cheese ounce. At many stores, you can find packaged grocery sheep’s cheese logs, that come in smaller 4 oz size packaging these days. And that will make this regular size 8″ shareable cheesecake.
Or you can use 2 ounces per individual 4″ cheesecake. Doing the math, that’s 10 grams of protein for an individual cake (or 20 grams per 8″ cake).
If you compare the protein in regular cream cheese (commonly used in cheesecake recipes), sheep’s cheese is more than double the protein.
Regular cream cheese has about 1.7 grams per ounce. That’s about 1/3 of the protein as ordinary sheep’s cheese in national grocery store chains.
I found pre-packaged sheep’s cheese in the cheese section at national grocery store chains like Aldi’s and Trader Joe’s.
So that’s a good start (in case you didn’t think it was easy to source).
…And of course, sheep’s cheese comes in all shapes, sizes, pasteurization types, etc.
We’re not talking Blue Zones’ (100 years) healthy living sheep cheese here… which is where this all began for me when I studied up, researched, and wrote about the superfood cheese.
Since then, the idea has wildly grown in popularity and you can find all kinds with the label. Sheep’s cheese is easy to find like pre-packaged Brie or buffalo mozzarella cheeses in stores.
Because otherwise you’d have to pay a pretty penny (or accepted currency) to source sheep’s milk cheese, and/or fly to rural areas like the Sardinian regions to find high-quality, grass-fed sheep’s pecorino cheese.
But the kind you bring home, you can pair with Greek yogurt to get probiotics added back. And even more protein added.
The healthy idea that works in a sheep’s cheese cheesecake like this, is to find a thicker Greek yogurt that has no additional sugar. You can also find a lower fat content yogurt.
And then when you bake the sheep’s milk cheese and yogurt into your desserts like this holiday cheesecake, this helps support a happy and healthy lifestyle.
In an hour, you can have a nice Greek yogurt healthier cake ready.
Since this cheesecake has no crust (like a graham crust on a New York-style cheesecake) and has no flour baked in, you can get baked Basque-style sides that are more decadently burnished-brown without using high baking temps.
This happens when you use a metal spring form cake pan where you can release the sides after the baked cheesecake is cooled.
If you cover the sides entirely with parchment paper (that you may have learned to do with Basque cheesecakes), the cake will be more easy to pull out, but it won’t be connected directly to the cake pan heat. So you compromise the end result bake.
The better way I suggest is to brush neutral/light olive oil (or butter) on the sides. And after baked, don’t release the cake from the spring form until it’s completely cooled when the cake is more stable, and will more easily stay together in one piece, as it firms up.
For interest (I have a catering background), I also added softened ripe pears to the bottom of the cake pan for additional sweet flavors and textures. It helped release the cake and gave a burnished look to the bottom (similar to poached pears 🍐). But that part is optional, as you’ll get the Basque-inspired cheesecake style either way.
But surprisingly by using regular 350°F/180°C temperatures and not the higher Basque cheesecake temperatures, to save energy (but also low and slow is easier to not burn in the oven).
But if you leave it in these lower oven temps for 55 minutes, I think you’ll be happy with your bake’s doneness.
Your cheesecake will have an Old World charm look.
And when you bite into the sweet and tart cheesecake (made even tart-er with cranberries), it’ll be a delight. With a rustic crumbly feel on the tongue as a satisfying texture that’s distinctly baked (no half-bake here 😊).
But if you prefer a more creamy cheesecake with less small cheese-yogurt chunks, then add more milk (liquid) to your batter, or use a less thick sheep’s cheese and/or yogurt.
You have so many options to make your (maybe?) NEW favorite cheesecake 😋
But no matter what you choose as actual ingredients and final texture intent for your high-protein cheesecake, this is a daily cheesecake you’ll have no regrets making. Ready to try?
Basque-Style (No Crust) Cheesecake - High Protein and Low-Sugar
This is an individual-size 4" protein cheesecake made with healthier cheese and lower fat. To make a shareable 8" cake, double the ingredient amounts.
Course Dessert
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Equipment
spring form cake pan
Ingredients
2ozsheep's cheese
2ozGreek yogurt (no-fat and no-sugar added)
1Tbspmilk of choice
1Tbspraw honey
1/4 cupseasonal fruit (or jam) of choice or cranberries
cranberry sauce or fruit jam as spread on top (optional)
Instructions
Brush neutral olive oil or baking spray on bottom and sides of (spring form) cake pan.
Combine ingredients in one bowl. Reserve some fruit for the top, so they don't all fall to the bottom of the cake pan. Option: add softened pears to the bottom of the pan.
Bake at 350°F/180°C for about 55 minutes. This will give a Basque-cheesecake feel as the sides turn a darkened brown (pleasantly burnt-ish) color.
Fruit cake is a special dessert. It makes for a great Christmas, year-round, and holiday cake (…when done right that is). It’s a fruity, sweet cake. And this one is all healthy, and low-sugar without added sugar. Recipe below.
…And ok, I know what you may be thinking off the bat… is this fruit cake more on the healthy tasting side (like inedible cardboard where you’d rather eat an oatmeal bowl)?
Oh and btw, is it enjoyable like a chocolate cake? ..because that’s what you’re after!
And I agree.
My thinking, what’s the point of making a sweet treat if it doesn’t taste good?
That weighs on my conscience.
Because I’m a food lover who wore a 10-year food belt planning hundreds of parties in nice hotels and restaurants before I started baking regularly at home.
And my childhood sweet food dreams are daily reminders. 💭
But a fruit cake isn’t one of those dreams that’s usually on my mind (but today is its lucky day).
…Because from what I remember, the durable (fruit cake) ones don’t have the best passed-down reputation (from holiday gifts of the past I think)… I never got one as a house gift but I saw them on store shelves wrapped tightly in the thick plastic wrap 🥮.
…Those are from Christmas past (and maybe still sitting in the back shelves 😀).
…Instead, bring in and out the fresh, new millennial fruit cake, pleeaaase! That’s a happy one to match its naturally sweet celebrational cake name.
And this particular homemade fruit cake is cocoa and cherry pairing, crumbly-soft-texture-cake divine.
If a tasty pairing is like a harmonious modern singing duo or two complementary colors on a wall, then this cake fits right in. 🩷🩵
…But don’t take my word for it, make it yourself and try it… I dare you! 😊
It’s coconut flour and cacao (or unsweetened cocoa) healthy. Another delicious pairing, btw.
And if you’ve not worked with coconut or gluten-free flours much with cake, I’ve got you… some quickie lesson tips below to take out the guesswork.
Gluten-free coconut flour is a smart one to add in, and that you can learn to use for healthy and tasty reasons!
And it’s in this fruit cake, that’s 5-minute prep and 3 one-bowl main ingredients EASY.
You can even mix the cake batter by hand.
…That’s what I did.
Or use your Magic Bullet blender to blend the egg yolk and dry ingredients.
Let the oven do the heavy lifting and magical baking work.
So to begin… pull out all your ingredients.
Nature’s fruit and cocoa is the main sweet needed.
You can also choose your favorite fruits, dried or fresh (if eaten within the week).
You can sub in dried cherries. And tart-tasting acerola cherries (not common) are known for their superfood anti-inflammatory properties.
But here I splurged with Maraschino (dessert) cherries because the amount is so little for such high tasting Christmas celebration holiday time impact, that I made this for.
The sweet cherries are also easy to find year-round at most grocery stores, so you can store in your fridge pantry.
And the glace shiny kind is easy to find and always a sweet crowd pleaser. They’re the classic cherry red on top that looks like an ornament. 🍒
One glace cherry has about 1.9 grams of sugar or about 6 cherries per tablespoon of sugar (12 cherries recipe total), and you can cut this down in your bake to less for lower sugar if you choose.
Whatever you decide, cherries are divine in and on top (as the cherry saying goes)… and definitely better after baked in.
Along with cocoa… or cacao used.
The difference is pure (💯) cacao is minimally processed and unsweetened cocoa that’s anti-inflammatory healthy.
You can use other cocoa powders, but they will likely have additives and sugar.
So there you have your two star flavors (cherry-chocolat-y 😋)for this fruit cake. And you’ll want to add more fruity forward vibes!
Fruit Cake Flavoring:
Getting the flavors to your liking will matter for this fruit cake as coconut flour can be overpowering in taste that is the dominant ingredient and only flour used.
…Unless you’re making a coconut cake where you want coconut to stand out, you’ll want to mask the coconut flour flavor somewhat. 🥥
Like in this cacao-cocoa fruit cake with coconut flour.
That’s easy to do when you follow the recipe and some taste pairing guidelines.
Like when you add almond extract and stronger baking extracts such as orange extract (or even orange zest), you will not taste the coco-nutty flavors.
It won’t be like the busy summer beach air that blows permeating coconut suntan lotion scents your way. 😀
Also when you use complementary flavors on the food wheel, to support the star ingredients and bring them forward, the coconut flavors will step back.
But avoid flavors that won’t work with this fruit cake. Like lemon… or peppermint (that’s not even in the fruit category). Let’s not get too crazy 🤪
You can also use coconut milk that will help support the subtle coconut flour come through a little like a budding flower, but not overpower.
The dried fruits you add also will be supporting.
I used dried apricots and even dried rose (not a fruit). But you can add any dried fruits (pineapple, more cherries, raisins, dates, coconut, etc.) that fancy you at prep time. And even add in chopped nuts and seeds if you want
So then now you’ve got the flavors, and can combine with the flour.
Two Coconut Flour lessons to keep in mind:
In my experience, gluten-free flour like coconut flour will not rise with common leaveners like baking powder and baking soda. So they are not used. And since no gluten-flours are added to this fruit cake, I expect little rise.
And I use a frothy egg white that will be the small leavening lift (like from a ballet flat shoe to flats) in this fruit cake. It won’t be a high-heel like with gluten flours. 👠
And since there’s no table sugar, brown sugar, or any white sugar added, the egg white will not be meringue lifting whites.
That sounds deflating…
But the trick is to use a tall sided baking pan vessel. That way, the cake will be about as tall as you fill it, before it enters the oven. 😉
And, the second lesson is that coconut flour is dry in its properties. Like very dry!
So you will need about 3 cups of liquid to about 1 cup of coconut flour.
These days, you can find coconut flour any and everywhere. For pennies per ounces.
But since it’s a more advanced cake flour to work with (if you’ve never worked with), it’s good to know that it will take lots of liquid like a thirsty camel. 🐫
And that by adding more liquid, you’re not doing anything wrong.
And as you add in more liquid in the beginning, the coconut flour becomes drier (almost like a pasta dough).
It will come together on the other side of the batter.
For the batter, look for a mashed potato consistency with a little bit of lumpiness and grittiness that will be as close to the smooth cake batter as you can get.
And use grit to stick it out until it gets there.
You can measure out the liquid but your best bet is to eyeball it out as daily prep temperature, ovens, and conditions change.
And then you’ll now know what to look for, the next time you use coconut flour.
Soft and wet, the batter will be slowly pourable. And that will help make a fluffy-inside cake (and not a dense cake).
Last step for coconut flour fruit cake:
And then after you’ve got your cake batter and your flavor tastes in your mixing bowl (or easy blender)… 🎉
The last step is to gently fold in the egg whites to your batter (egg yolk, flour, and flavors) with a baking spatula or spoon.
And so… what will this fruit cake batter look like (you ask)?
When you add the cocoa and egg white, it will look like Rocky Road soft serve ice cream. The egg white especially helps smooth the batter some.
Grease cake pans, so the cake doesn’t stick to the pans. Some options: you can use coconut oil, a Silpat, and/or baking sprayed parchment.
Then bake your cake(s) at 350°F/180°C for about 55-60 minutes. You can insert a toothpick to see if it comes out clean. It’s better to over bake this cake a little vs. under bake (where it can fall apart).
And as a summary to using all coconut flour for this fruit cake (and most cake bakes), this is a common question asked…
Question: how will healthier, gluten-free coconut flour impact the cake?
Answer: You won’t get a regular cake rise.
Tip: use a tall sided baking vessel that you can fill with cake batter if you want a taller cake, or add an additional cake pan to compromise (e.g. 2-tiered cake).
With coconut flour, you also won’t end up with the same moist cake crumb that’s in a regular cake made with gluten flours, like all-purpose, cake, or whole wheat flour.
After baked, you can see the inside crumb looks a bit dry and wet. That’s the unique characteristic of coconut flour when nicely incorporated. And it’s perfect for a fruit cake! 🥮
Line a cake pan with aluminum foil (or parchment paper) to easily pull out. Tip: Smear a little coconut oil (or brush a drop of neutral oil to the foil) on both foil sides so it doesn't stick to the pan and the cake bottom.
Mix all the other ingredients to make cake batter, except the egg whites and fruit in a bowl. This is the step where you can pulse your Magic Bullet blender (instead of using a bowl).
Whip up egg whites separately. (If you add table or granulated sugar, you will get more of an egg white rise, but none of those sugars are used in this recipe).
Add fruit to batter. Gently add/fold in egg whites.
Bake at 180°F/165°C for about 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Pumpkin cake is so easy to make from a one-bowl batter with ingredients you already have on hand. And the cake will impress on a table any time and for any occasion. You can add in your fall carrot cake vibes.
Baked in a metal loaf pan is easy, but you can make the cake in any bakeable shape you want. Metal will help the cake heat fast and cool down quick.
And the best part is it looks like a bread loaf on the outside. Slightly dry and dramatic with walnuts or whatever zhugh you want to fall or drip off! 😋
Ready to make this pumpkin cake?
It’s ready in 30 minutes or less. It’ll take you 5-10 minutes tops to pull out the ingredients and hand combine.
And you can use all your favorite ingredients and pairings.
You can substitute so many ingredients for pantry items that you probably have on hand.
Like, if you ran out of eggs, you can make this…
And if you don’t have milk of any kind, you can still make this!
The only ingredient that it needs is flour if you want a cake with cake texture.
That’s it!
And if you don’t have pumpkin on hand, you can still make this a tasty holiday fall vibe cake with the other flavors you add in…
Because pumpkin doesn’t have much flavor in a cake.
So for this tasty and healthy cake list of ingredients I would suggest pureed pumpkin, carrot, coconut oil, orange zest, walnuts, and spices you have on hand (such as cinnamon, pumpkin, and cardamom).
The spices and zest will spice it up!
Ginger spice pairs well with carrots, but always wants to standout and overpower other flavors.
And so in this pumpkin cake, I also added a lot of aniseed that I had (instead of a lot of ginger) that’s a subtle licorice flavor. And makes this such a unique taste that others will ask about in a good way!
I paired the carrot taste with orange zest instead (that’s a twist)! 🟠 And you can add what flavors inspire you… and what you have on hand.
And then when you have all your ingredients in the bowl, you don’t even need a mixer. You can combine by hand with a spoon in a bowl. That’s what I would suggest (for easy cleanup too! 😊).
…Sooo along the lines of easy, the recipe below 👇explains how you can eas-ily sub ingredients for what you have AND also prep the pan so it’s no stick and no extra prep time. 🎉
…Oh, and if you need some other quick serving EASY delicious dessert table ideas… a chocolate pumpkin trifle table centerpiece or swirly cinnamon muffins might be up your alley for your last-minute delicious dessert! 🍽️
This is such a versatile cake that can you pull off in 30 baking minutes and one-bowl.
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 6
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
2cupsall purpose flour (or whole wheat flour or combo)
1can pureed pumpkin
1/2cupmilk (of choice, water, or any liquid such as tea or coffee)
1largeshredded carrot (cooked for better results)
zestof one orange or shredded coconut
1tspvanilla extract (optional)
1Tbspmaple syrup (or honey)
1egg (or applesauce or banana)
1tsplemon juice (or ACV or white vinegar)
1Tbspcoconut oil, melted (or neutral oil)
spice (cardamom, pumpkin, cinnamon, anise)
pinch of salt
1tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
chopped walnuts (or your ingredient topping zhugh)
Instructions
Turn the oven on to pre-heat to 400°F/204°C. Melt the coconut oil in the baking pan vessel or loaf pan you will be using in the pre-heat oven.After the coconut oil turns liquid, pull pan out of the oven and swish around the bottom half of the pan.
Add coconut oil and wet liquid ingredients to mixing batter bowl. Then spoon in dry ingredients and flour slowly. Mix by hand with a spoon or you can use a baking mixer gently on low until combined. Do not over mix.
Add the batter to the baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Let cool. The cake should come out easily. Enjoy!.
Chocolate trifle is something to be excited about. And when adding tiramisu vibes for a pick-me-up… this is tasty good stuff. And the ingredients here are healthy, including Greek yogurt and pumpkin… good for the season we’re in. And year round as pumpkin sits on the grocery shelves.
For dark chocolate drama, I added balsamic vinegar to melted chocolate that gives a slightly tart bite.
And if you move your sweet bite from the front tongue taste to the sides, you’ll get more of that sour punch. I think I learned in grade school when we learned about our tongue tastes… those were unforgettable lessons.
And tart flavor is just enough to give the ordinary chocolate flavors an oomph.
And it also makes the melted chocolate more drizzly to create special food art effects. 🍥
That gives an overall elevated vibe that can be admired. And maybe set out early on the table. That can be good for any occasion.
And the chocolate brown goes with pumpkin orange in the autumn. Especially in the cooler months. 🍁
Chocolate-pumpkin 🍫+🎃 is also a great tasting pairing duo. So it’s a win-win score.
And with those ingredients, it’s even easier than store-bought frozen pumpkin pie because you don’t have to bake any part of your chocolate trifle if you choose.
And it’s delicious when you pair the tastes that everyone likes. It’s great for a potluck. I remember the first trifle recipe I saw was handed to me in a printed recipe from a church leader from a potluck event.
So it has a special place for me.
It’s also great for a casual dinner.
A trifle will impress because it looks like an elegant table centerpiece if you put in a large display vessel. It’s an illusion. Because the dessert has no shape but the (glass) dessert vessel has a distinct shape that the dessert takes on.
I’m surprised I didn’t think about the dessert or centerpiece back in my hotel catering days when I was always thinking about table decor.
It probably works better for a home setup. And it’ll impress you as you get your day back in the prep process.
Where you don’t have to spend your day worrying about bringing or making a dessert that pleases guests you’re serving.
And most importantly… pleases you!
You can think of a chocolate trifle as a side dessert. That will go well with cookies or Madeleines. Or holiday pie, celebration cake, fun candy, and anything in between.
You decide what will be dunked in the trifle for the effect you want.
And you can fill your trifle dessert with the healthiest foods like Greek yogurt. And pumpkin that’s beta-carotene healthy. It has the antioxidant vitamins, A-C-E.
It aces the healthy test. And pumpkin is affordable. You can find cans year round that you can stock up on when it goes on sale.
Shelf-life for pumpkin is usually at least a year long if not longer.
So no need to wait for Thanksgiving or holiday desserts.
And then to top off your special dessert, you can make luscious swirls.
Who says Greek yogurt whipped up can’t be exciting?
Like this soft as a pillow yogurt layer… where you can dunk your spoon in without guilt.
You can also make cute individual yogurt trifles for any occasion. Oui?
And to top off with a zhugh, I used coconut shavings. But a cinnamon or ginger powder dusting would also be pretty and healthy too.
An easy dessert for any occasion or table that you can whip up with healthy ingredients in minutes.
Author Brandy @ Healthy Happy Life Secrets
Ingredients
layer of Greek yogurt
layer of ricotta (optional)
115 ozcanned pumpkin
110 ozchocolate morsel package
1Tbspbalsamic vinegar
Instructions
Prepare sponge cake for lady fingers or use store-bought Madeleines or cookies.
Assemble cake or cookie at the bottom and layer with yogurt, pumpkin, and chocolate sauce. To make your own chocolate sauce, add chocolate morsels and balsamic vinegar to a bain marie (double boiler) to melt on low heat. Tip: use dark chocolate for healthy and color drama effects. Also add ricotta for cheesecake trifle vibes.
