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
Breakfast Cheesecake - Cinnamon Swirl
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1 ¼ cups rolled oats (or old-fashioned oats)
- 2 tablespoons chia seeds
- 2 teaspoons coconut sugar, or to taste (brown sugar can be substituted)
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons milk
Filling:
- 1 container (16-ounce) reduced-fat cottage cheese (I use large curd)
- ⅓ cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt (full fat or 2% is fine, too)
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
Swirl:
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 8- or 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients: rolled oats, chia seeds, 2 teaspoons coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, melted butter, and milk. Press firmly into prepared baking dish.
- Bake crust for 10 minutes and remove from oven. Reduce oven heat to 325°F.
- In a blender or food processor, blend cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons maple syrup, vanilla, and eggs until smooth. Pour filling into the baked crust.
- In a small bowl (or zip-top bag), mix swirl ingredients: 2 tablespoons maple syrup and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Drizzle over filling and then run a knife or toothpick through it to create a swirl.
- Return cheesecake to oven and bake for 45 minutes or until it's no longer jiggly in center.
- Cool completely before slicing into 9 squares. Refrigerate in airtight container for up to a week. Serve as is, or with fresh fruit or a fruit sauce.
Notes
- If you'd like a sweeter cheesecake, especially if you're serving this as a dessert, you may want to increase the sugar in the crust and add a few tablespoons of sugar to the filling.
- If you happen to have quick cooking oats in the house, they'll work fine. Steel cut oats (Irish oats) or instant oatmeal will not work.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!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.
Can I reverse the portions for the Greek yogurt and cottage cheese? I only have a bit of cottage cheese left but have plenty of Greek yogurt!
I haven’t tried it that way, but I think it will work. Let me know if you give it a try!
Loved it! All of these ingredients were staples I already had in my kitchen.
I am gluten-free and prefer little to no sugar so I loved the taste of this rich but not too sweet recipe. I thought of it as a bagel with cream cheese for people who can’t have bagels!
That’s such a good comparison! I’m so glad you liked it, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment!
Could you freeze this? Thanks!
I haven’t tried freezing this so I’m not sure, but you could try it! My only concern would be that the filling might get a little watery and make the crust soggy. Let me know if you try it!
Made this almost as written. Added ground flax seeds and left out the cinnamon swirl because my husband doesn’t like cinnamon. Added a strawberry sauce on the side, again, husband doesn’t like strawberry sauce on cheesecake. Everyone loved it! Most definitely keeping this one in rotation!
Awesome! I’m so glad you liked this recipe, Jessica! Thanks for taking the time to come abck and leave a comment! It means so much to me. :)
I run the Goldilocks Bed and Breakfast in Kodiak Alaska. I found your recipe and have added it as a regular item on my menu. I usually serve it with fresh fruit and yogurt and sometimes some whip cream. My guests have unanimously loved it. It keeps well except for the fact that I end up eating it. This morning I had what was leftover from yesterday myself with blueberries and whip cream.
I love that! Thank you so much for letting me know!
Breakfast cheesecake? I want to eat breakfast at YOUR house! This is brilliant!
I want you too, too!
What a fun idea, so creative! And thanks for the shout-out!
sounds wonderful
Thanks Denise!
Oh ma goodness, this is GENIUS!!! I love the idea of breakfast cheesecake!! How fun. Also, yolo, get the home fries dude. Your waitress could tell you were worth both ;)
So true about the home fries – I like the way you think! :)
Hello Rachel, your recipe looks awesome and.Cheesecake at breakfast sounds new to me. I will try this recipe and let you know how much delicious it is!
I hope you love it as much as I do!
Hello Rachel, I made it and it was so delicious. My hubby liked it and do you know what he told me? Make it every day!
That’s great news! I’m so happy it was a hit. Thanks for reporting back!
I’m curious — did you end up using more sugar or making it as written?
I ended up as you written!
Awesome!