Mini Pumpkin Protein Cheesecakes
Looking for a healthy yet satisfying dessert? Try these Mini Protein Pumpkin Cheesecakes, which are low in calories but packed with protein! This recipe is easy to make and requires minimal ingredients.
Equipment
- Muffin tin
- Cupcake Liners
- Piping Bag optional
- Piping Tip (whatever size on hand) optional
- Standing mixer
- Food Processor
Ingredients
Ingredients for the Crust:
- 1/2 cup of gingersnap crumbs about 10-12 gingersnap cookies
- 3/4 cup of graham cracker crumbs about 1 sleeve of crackers
- 1/2 cup of vanilla or chocolate protein powder about 2 heaping scoops
- ½ cup + 2 tbsp of melted coconut oil
Ingredients for the Cheesecake:
- 8 ounces of low-fat cream cheese softened
- ½ cup of your favorite yogurt I use Oikos triple zero vanilla
- 1/4 cup of low-fat cottage cheese
- 1 cup of canned pumpkin puree
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of brown sugar
Ingredients for the Topping:
- 1/2 cup your favorite yogurt
- 2 tbsp honey optional
- 6 soft chew caramels melted with 1 tablespoons milk (or your favorite caramel sauce)
Instructions
Instructions for the Crust:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, line a cupcake muffin tin with paper liners and generously grease.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the gingersnap crumbs, graham cracker crumbs, protein powder, and melted coconut oil.
- Mix until the mixture is well combined and sticky.
- Press the mixture into the 12-cup muffin tin liners in the pan (use the bottom of a tablespoon measure to press down firmly, as needed), dividing the crust mixture evenly among the cups (1.5 tablespoons each). Chill in the refrigerator while the filling is being prepared.
Instructions for the Filling:
- In a standing mixer, blend the softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until creamy (2-3 minutes).
- Then add the yogurt, cottage cheese, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, and mix just until it is all combined and smooth (do not overmix to avoid whipping extra air into the filling).
- Gradually mix each egg, one at a time into the mixture until just combined.
Instructions for Assembly & Baking:
- Pour the cheesecake filling into the muffin tin, filling each cup about ¾ of the way (about 1/4 cup).
- Bake for 35-45 minutes in a water bath a 1/3 to 1/2 of the way up the muffin tin (this allows for a more even bake). The cheesecakes are ready once they are set and golden on the edges (pulling away from the liners) and if you shake the pan they no longer jiggle.
- Allow the cheesecakes to cool for 10-15 minutes before removing them from the muffin tin and liners.
Instructions for the Topping:
- Melt the caramels and milk in the microwave stirring every 10 seconds until just melted.
- Dollop yogurt directly on the top and drizzle the caramel on top (once cooled enough) and enjoy!
- OR melt the caramels the same way as above and spread 1 teaspoon on each cheesecake. Refrigerate for a few minutes to set.
- Spoon the thickest part of the yogurt (no excess water) into a piping bag with the piping tip of your choice. Pipe on and enjoy!
Notes
Tips:
For the water bath: Place a deeper pan in the oven then place the muffin pan inside and add hot water to the pan until it fills a ⅓ of the way up. Once baked, reverse the process to remove from the oven (picking up both pans at once is quite dangerous).