Healthy Mocha Mini Cheesecakes

Satisfy your craving for a creamy chocolate dessert with mocha mini cheesecakes. An easy cheesecake recipe that is low fat and tastes great! 

This easy chocolate dessert has a surprise ingredient — cottage cheese! Before you say yuck! and stop reading, take a minute to consider the health benefits of cottage cheese. Low in calories and fat, cottage cheese is protein-packed: 28 grams per one cup serving.

In addition, cottage cheese contains lots of phosphorus, selenium, Vitamin B12, riboflavin, and other nutrients your body needs. Cream cheese can’t hold a candle to that kind of nutrition, plus it’s high in fat.

But how does cheesecake taste when you replace cream cheese with cottage cheese? Surprisingly good! Mini mocha cheesecakes have great chocolate flavor and a creamy texture. I love the mini chocolate wafer crust.

Each cheesecake has 222 calories and only 5 grams of fat. A slice of New York style cheesecake will average 390 calories, and a whopping 25 grams of fat. I don’t know about you, but if I’m looking for a chocolate fix, and I can find one that is lower in calories and tastes great, the choice is easy.

If you like the idea of desserts that are actually good for you, be sure to try my chia seed pudding. It’s super easy to make with just a few ingredients. It’s great for breakfast, too.

About mini mocha cheesecakes

You’ll need a food processor and a cupcake pan or silicon cupcake molds to make these easy cheesecakes.

• Add two cups of cottage cheese, a couple of eggs, powdered sugar, a bit of flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla to the bowl of your food processor. Process until the mixture is nice and smooth. It takes about two minutes, literally. Scrape down the sides as needed.
• Put paper cupcake liners into the cupcake pan. You’ll need twelve. Pour the cheesecake mixture into the wells and place a chocolate wafer cookie on top of each. Yes, on top! Weird, huh?
• Pop these little gems into the oven for 25 minutes or so, until the filling is set. Cool on a wire rack, then refrigerate at least one hour, but up to three days. It’s so convenient to make these ahead if you’re expecting guests.
• To serve, place a cheesecake upside down on a plate, and carefully peel off the cupcake liner. Voila! the chocolate wafer is now the crust!

If you want to fancy them up a bit, top the cheesecakes with a dab of whipped cream (I won’t judge if you use canned whipped cream, I do it all the time). A few strawberries or raspberries sprinkled on top adds a nice touch, or a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Make it your own

• If you don’t care for espresso, just leave it out, or substitute a couple drops of mint extract for a minty chocolate cheesecake.  A little goes a long ways so start with a small amount; you can always add more.
• Fold mini chocolate chips into the batter. 
• Use a vanilla wafer cookie instead of the chocolate.
• Use full fat or low sodium cottage cheese. It doesn’t really matter what size the curds are because they get pulverized in the food processor.
• Be creative with garnishes. Top with a dab of whipped cream. A few strawberries or raspberries sprinkled on top adds a nice touch, or a drizzle of chocolate syrup or caramel sauce.

Make-Ahead Idea

Cheesecake is one of those desserts that actually should be made ahead, making it a great choice if you’re having guests. There’s no last minute preparation; simply plate the cheesecakes and serve.

Bake these mini cheesecakes up to three days in advance and refrigerate them. They’ll be ready to serve when you are.

Storage Tips

Cool the cheesecakes completely before covering tightly with plastic wrap or putting them into an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to three days.

To freeze, wrap the cheesecakes well. They’ll keep for up to three months. If you prefer, wrap them individually so you can take one out for a quick snack or lunchbox treat. Thaw the cheesecakes in the refrigerator. They thaw fairly quickly at room temp, too.

Cottage cheese, hidden hero

Love the idea of adding nutrition and protein to your diet? Try these surprisingly delicious cottage cheese recipes:

• Egg White Frittata with spinach and green chiles
• Cinnamon Swirl Breakfast Cheesecake
• Chocolate Protein Pancakes
• Lemon Poppyseed Pancakes
• Southwestern Black Bean Dip
• Pita Flatbread with asparagus and herbed cottage cheese
• Peach Banana Smoothie