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Light Chocolate Cheesecakes

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.94 from 33 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Total Time 27 mins
Servings 12

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Published on January 19, 2015 / Last updated on June 9, 2020

These light Chocolate Cheesecakes are made with cottage cheese instead of cream cheese, so they are lower in fat and high in protein! Smooth and rich and fudgy!

So I haven’t strayed too far from my goal to eat a little healthier this month, and I’ve been on the hunt for some lighter recipes that sacrifice no flavor.

mini chocolate cheesecakes on white plate with whipped cream and chocolate shavings

You should know, though, that I’m not a salad person. I will probably never post a salad recipe, because I would never taste test it for you. I also rarely even have lettuce in my house.

I’m not saying that being anti-salad is a good thing — I’m just setting things straight so you understand where this thing is going.

I want healthier, lower calorie options of the foods I want to eat to begin with. And since I’m the kind of person who has to hide vegetables in her own meals, I’m probably not going to give you a plate full for dinner (though I have plenty of delicious comfort food meals Under 500 calories).

light chocolate cheesecakes close up with whipped cream and chocolate shavings

Again, not saying there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just not my style.

Chocolate? That’s more my style.

And cheesecake? Yes please.

I’m kind of a cheesecake fanatic. Which you probably don’t know because I so rarely share a cheesecake recipe.

I’m not gonna lie, I totally got this recipe from Martha Stewart. Cause Martha knows what she’s doing.

I changed a few things: I left out the crust (because who really cares about the crust?), I left out the espresso (but you could easily add it back in), and I changed the cooking method and temperature a bit. We were totally blown away by the results.

mini chocolate cheesecakes with bite taken and more chocolate cheesecakes behind

I had made a cheesecake from cottage cheese a few times before, but it’s been so long I have no idea which recipes I had tried or how it was done. But it was something I knew I wanted to try this month, so that I could have something totally decadent that was still pretty healthy.

Now, you should know that I don’t like cottage cheese. Like, at all. Unless it’s pureed. I use pureed cottage cheese in cheesecakes or other desserts and pastas — I find it’s mostly a texture thing. If you find you’re not sure about this recipe because of the cottage cheese, I promise you would never know the difference.

mini cheesecakes on white plate with fresh strawberries all around

The cheesecakes are the perfect size for a sweet treat after dinner. You can top them any way you like — the light whipped topping is included in the nutritional information but the rest is up to you. To keep them on the lighter side, fresh fruit is always a great option and pairs so well with chocolate. You can go a little more extravagant and top with caramel or chocolate sauce, crushed candies or cookies or sprinkles or chocolate shavings. The options are really endless!

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Light Chocolate Cheesecakes

written by Ashley Fehr

4.94 from 33 votes
Light Chocolate Cheesecakes: decadent, fudgy cheesecake with less than 150 calories! Perfect for Valentine’s Day or any day! Because, chocolate. www.thereciperebel.com
light chocolate cheesecakes close up
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Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 22 mins
Total Time 27 mins
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 12
Calories 121cal

Ingredients

  • 2 cups nonfat cottage cheese
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 cups light whipped topping
  • Optional garnishes: fresh berries or other

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
  • To a blender or food processor, add the cottage cheese and puree until completely smooth (it MUST be 100% smooth — be sure to scrape down the sides and puree again until every kernel has been processed).
  • Add the eggs, powdered sugar, cocoa, flour and vanilla and process until completely smooth.
  • Pour into 12 muffin cups: I used individual silicone muffin cups and they worked marvelously. They are flexible so the cheesecakes pop out so easily. You could also use a regular muffin pan, well-greased, or try paper liners.
  • Bake at 325 for 22 minutes, until center is just set. Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for at least 3-4 hours. Carefully remove from muffin cups.
  • Garnish as desired.

Notes

*Nutrition information will vary depending on brands and products used.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 121cal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 144mg | Potassium: 111mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 60IU | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  1. Judy Ashdown says

    omg I would never have believed it, followed recipe to the letter so easy. Did not even have to wait an hour for them to cool , setup so fast and tasted amazing. Sometimes you just want cheesecake and you just don’t have the time What can I say but thanks

    Reply

  2. Alex says

    I’ll be trying these this weekend! I think I might add a little bit of peanut butter in with some Greek yogurt and drizzle that on top!!! Thanks for the recipe!

    Reply

  5. Andrea says

    Made these today. So easy and delicious! Thank you for this amazing recipe. I have celiac disease so I used gf flour instead of regular flour and it turned out fantastic! So good 😁

    Reply

  6. Amber says

    These are fantastic! I got them lower in calorie and Noom friendly by switching out the powdered sugar with Swerve complete replacement. I froze some and they defrosted wonderfully. They are the best with fresh sliced strawberries and dollop of whipped cream. I have also since tried them without chocolate (gasp) and added lemon zest this summer when it was hot out. This week I’m trying a pumpkin version as Cheesecake Factory is not waistline friendly. Thanks so much

    Reply

  8. Rebecca says

    These are so delicious!! I would love to make this recipe as a big cake rather than minis. Do you think it would work in a cake pan at the same temperature with some extra baking time? Thank you so much for the great recipe!

    Reply

  9. Amber says

    I do like cottage cheese but my friend hates it. I listened and beat the crap outta it until smooth creaminess and didn’t tell her. We both agree it’s amazing so thank you!
    Now I can’t leave well enough alone so I want to try a lemon version but am concerned just dropping1/3C cocoa powder, suggestions?

    Reply

    • Ashley Fehr says

      Hi Amber! You would definitely want to add something in its place as 1/3 cup of dry ingredients is a lot to leave out. The only thing that comes to my mind is flour? Or maybe almond flour? I’m really not sure as I haven’t tried!

      Reply

    • Julie says

      Come back and share how it worked! Just made these and they were great, had me thinking about lemon, key lime and pumpkin too. I love cheesecake, so to have something I feel less guilty about is great!

      Reply

  10. Hailey says

    This recipe sounds lovely! Would I be able to substitute the cottage cheese for traditional cream cheese?

    Reply

    • Tiffany H says

      I’m soooo glad I found this recipe!! I used low fat cottage cheese, lite cool whip and Swerve in place of real sugar so they come to about 65 calories per cake and let me tell you…. these have SAVED my weight loss progress! Thanks so much for these! I NEVER would have thought to use cottage cheese in place of cream. You’re a genius!

      Reply

  12. Moira says

    Hi Ashley! What a yummy treat! Question for you… today’s batch came out of the oven like gorgeous soufflés and then sank in the middle… should I have cooked them longer?

    Reply

  14. Lin says

    This is so decadent I don’t forget it’s low calorie. My kids love it my hubby loves it and it is the first low calorie dessert that I don’t think “ it’s good enough…” I eat it and check my calorie balance to be sure I can have another super recipe!

    Reply

  15. Monica says

    Looks delicious! I don’t see what you did with the light whipped cream. Is that for the garnish?

    Reply

  17. Byenia says

    Made half a batch of these last night and they were pretty good. Nice little sweet treat to use up the cottage cheese. I did add a layer of ganache on top. Also, sweetener used was powdered Swerve and went with a gluten-free all-purpose flour.

    Reply

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