Breakfast Cheesecake – Cinnamon Swirl

Breakfast Cheesecake! That’s right, cheesecake for breakfast. Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt take the place of cream cheese – but you’ll hardly be able to tell the difference! You’ll love the swirl of cinnamon.

I get bored with breakfast. Actually, as I type this, I’m at a darling little cafe in a quaint burg neighboring the town we live in. I told myself I didn’t have time to eat breakfast before I ran out the door with the kids, but the truth is that I probably just wanted to eat here and not at home.

Maybe it’s the bowl of mixed fruit and berries when all I have at home are bananas. Or maybe it’s the fresh flowers on every table. Or perhaps, it’s the hot coffee, when mine is always cold at home. I also can’t get enough of their crispy toasted multigrain toast — flecked with plenty of sesame seeds, something not found in our house due to N’s allergy. And then there’s the bacon….duh.

Today I asked for fruit instead of the home fries. You know, trying to be healthy. The waitress forgot so I ended up with both. Happy accident, as I sit and eat both. Oh well, I tried.

Even though I get bored with breakfast, it remains one of my favorite meals. It’s also one of my favorite meals to enjoy at a restaurant, which is probably why I am where I am right now. The best bet for me, if I’m trying to avoid eating out, is having something ready to go at home. I’ve talked about this many times, which is why I try to keep things stocked like egg white casserole, baked oatmeal, and chocolate protein pancakes (I keep those babies in the freezer!). These turkey sausage and broccoli egg white frittata muffins are popular here too.

This breakfast cheesecake became another winner. I would say it tastes like eating dessert for breakfast, but it depends on what kind of desserts you like. My sweet tooth is fading day by day, so I don’t like super sweet treats. This cinnamon swirl cheesecake is not overly sweet, but I found that with some fresh fruit, it was absolutely perfect for me. If you’re not used to eating things that aren’t sweet, I’d recommend adding 2-4 tablespoons of coconut or brown sugar to the filling.

Speaking of the filling, it’s made with a combination of cottage cheese and Greek yogurt. After a quick whirl in your blender, you won’t even be able to tell it’s not traditional cream cheese filling. The cottage cheese makes it a protein-packed breakfast that will keep you full all morning. The crust is a crunchy combination of oats and chia seeds that are a perfect contrast to the smooth filling. I wanted to jazz these up with a pretty cinnamon swirl, but if you guys don’t want to mess with that (we’re all about quick and easy here!), just add that swirl mixture to the filling of the breakfast cheesecake when you’re mixing it up. Easy peasy and you still get all that great cinnamon flavor.

Here are a few more sneaky ways to utilize cottage cheese:

• Chocolate Protein Pancakes
• Peach, Banana, Honey and Cottage Cheese Smoothie
• Healthy Southwestern Black Bean Dip
• Lemon Poppy Seed Cottage Cheese Pancakes
• Mocha Protein Shake Recipe
• Pita Flatbread with Asparagus and Herbed Cottage Cheese
• No-Knead Cottage Cheese Dill Bread from Foodie with Family
• Slow Cooker Egg Casserole with Sausage, Peppers, Cottage Cheese, and Cheddar from Kalyn’s Kitchen

Verdict: I love this breakfast cheesecake, especially with some fresh fruit! It was a really filling and satisfying breakfast.
Husband’s take: He ate it but did say he’d like it better if it was sweeter. I intentionally made it low in sugar because I don’t like a lot of sugar (especially at breakfast) — so I ate most of this.
Changes I would make: None are necessary, but please read recipe notes regarding sugar if you have a sweet tooth! I might add a touch of nutmeg to this next time I make it because I just love nutmeg.
Difficulty: Easy – moderate.