Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Healthier Cheesecake

Mmm, cheesecake.  Possibly the most infamous dessert ever, known for busting diets (and pants seams),  tipping the scales, heart attacks, and the like.  Cheesecake is the villain, and we know it. Yet, something continually draws us in - it's the bad boy we know we should stay away from even
as we're digging into a slice of turtle or pumpkin or New York style. Not just once. Maybe not just once a day.

Fortunately, there's a hero around with an almost guilt-free solution to our problem: blogger Angela Gallardo from Bare Root. This is almost word-for-word her recipe, with a few slight variations I've made. Don't worry; this treat has the whole package - it doesn't sacrifice any flavor. It's super easy if you have a food processor and there's no baking involved (our oven is lukewarm on a good day, so no-bakes have been my thing lately)! It's the perfect summer treat, as proven by the fact that my family and I couldn't wait for the pictures before digging in. Intrigued yet? Good! You can whip one up yourself right now.




No-Bake Greek Yogurt & Berry Cheesecake

You'll Need:
Crust:
2 c. almonds
5 dates  
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup butter, melted

Cheesecake:
2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt (I used 4 individual cups of Chobani        and threw the fruit part into the berry topping)

1 15 oz can of coconut cream (I used the cream from two cans of        coconut milk after letting it sit in the fridge for a while.) 
2 teaspoons unflavored geletin
Juice of 2 lemons 
2/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract  
1/2 teaspoon salt

Berry Topping:
2 cups berries
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
juice and zest of 1 lemon



How to: 
1. For the crust, roast almonds on a dry cookie sheet for 10-15 minutes 425 F. (Don't skip this. It smells reallly good!) In the bowl of a food processor, combine almonds, butter, dates, and salt. Pulse until combined. Press it into a 9-in springform or pie pan and pop it into the refrigerator. 

2.For the cheesecake, place gelatin and lemon juice in a small, microwave proof bowl and microwave on high for 2 minutes, stopping periodically to stir. Combine remaining cheesecake ingredients in the food processor until combined. With the processor running, add in the lemon and gelatin mixer and combine for about 30 more seconds. 

3. For the berry topping, combine ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat for 5-10 minutes. Leave it as is or pulse in the food processor until it's smooth. 

4. Pour cheesecake mixture into crust. Freeze until set, about 2 hours, and serve with warmed berry topping.












The crust is full of protein as opposed to the usual refined carbs, the berry topping is packed full of antioxidants, and Greek yogurt brings healthy bacteria and calcium. A slice, a 1/8th-of-the-cake size slice, that is, is worth about 360 calories - although it's more nutritious, it's not low-cal. You could try lower fat yogurt to cut a few! Excited about this? You should be.










1 comment :

  1. Holy cow, that sounds delish! Making that for sure next time someone volunteers to wash the dishes!

    ReplyDelete

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