Santa’s Cheesecake Bites
Recipe
Serves: ~12-16
Time: 15 minutes prepping + 30 min baking
Equipment: oven, small cupcake size baking tray, mixing bowl + whisk OR food processor/mixer, spatula, spoon, scale
Ingredient list
Cheesecake mix
400g lite cottage/ricotta/cream cheese
2tbsp sugar or alternatives
zest of 1 lemon/lime
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
1 tbsp flour
berries as fillings (optional)
Topping
16 large strawberries
50g cottage cheese
1 tbsp sugar/alternative
Methods
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
In a mixing bowl, combine cheesecake ingredients except berries. Mix with an electric mixer or whisk until well-corporated. (Alternatively, you can put all ingredients into a mixer/food processor and mix for ~30-60second)
Lightly spray/brush some vegetable oil in the cupcake moulds, fill them with the cheesecake mixture and place berries in the middle (optional). Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is slightly golden. Take it out from the oven, let it cool and set.
For the topping: In a mixing bowl, combine the cheese and sugar, and whisk until the mixture thickens and has a shiny finish.
To assemble: Remove the cheesecake bites from the moulds, place ~1/2 tsp of the cheese mixture onto each cheesecake, add a strawberry on top, and dollop about 1 tsp of the cheese mixture on top of the strawberries.
Dietitian’s Tips
Cheese choice: use lite ricotta or cottage cheese to reduce saturated fat content. Use cream cheese or half/half for a lighter touch for cream cheese lovers.
Reduce added sugar: Use sweeteners to replace sugar for a diabetic-friendly version, e.g., stevia, monk fruit, erythritol.
To store: the baked cheesecake can be stored in the fridge until they are ready to be assembled for up to 3 days