Protein Cheesecake with Cottage Cheese and Greek Yogurt

If you care about protein intake but still want a real dessert, not another dry bar, a protein cheesecake can live in your fridge like a reliable friend. It’s not a cheat meal, it’s a smart swap that still feels like dessert at the end of a long day. The version below uses cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for structure, tang, and an honest protein punch. It bakes like a classic cheesecake, slices cleanly, and can be tweaked for different macros or textures without getting fussy.

I’ve made dozens of these for clients and for my own Sunday meal prep. The patterns are consistent. If you choose the right dairy ratios, handle the batter gently, and control moisture, you get a creamy, lightly tangy cheesecake that happens to deliver 20 to 30 grams of protein per slice, depending on the pan and your add‑ins. The pitfalls are predictable too, usually around water content and overbaking. We’ll cover both so you don’t learn them the hard way.

Why cheesecake, and why this dairy combo

Traditional cheesecake leans on cream cheese and eggs for texture. That style is delicious, but the macros skew toward fat and sugar. Cottage cheese and Greek yogurt shift that balance. Cottage cheese brings casein, which firms gently as it heats, and a clean dairy flavor that plays well with vanilla or lemon. Greek yogurt contributes tang and moisture without flooding the batter the way regular yogurt would. Together they behave almost like cream cheese, just with a leaner profile.

There’s a tradeoff. You give up some of the dense, luxe richness of a New York cheesecake and get something lighter, a touch more custardy, and noticeably higher in protein. The finish is still creamy if you respect the oven, but it won’t coat your palate like a full‑fat slice. If that’s a dealbreaker, you can push the texture toward classic by adding a modest amount of reduced‑fat cream cheese, which I’ll outline later.

The base recipe that actually works

I’m not interested in “two ingredients and a prayer.” You need a few components working together: a creamy base with enough solids, sweetener that won’t crystallize, binders so the slice holds, and a crust that doesn’t turn soggy. This is the reliable version I give to clients who want weeknight simplicity and weekend polish.

Yield: 10 slices in a 9‑inch springform. Active time about 25 minutes, total time 90 to 110 minutes plus chilling.

Crust

160 g (about 1.5 cups) finely ground high‑fiber cereal or graham crumbs 35 g (about 2.5 tablespoons) melted butter or coconut oil 12 g (1 tablespoon) sugar or granular sweetener Pinch of fine salt 15 to 30 ml (1 to 2 tablespoons) milk, only if needed to help the crumbs bind

Filling

450 g (2 cups) 2 percent or low‑fat cottage cheese, blended smooth 450 g (2 cups) 2 percent Greek yogurt 2 large eggs, room temperature 60 to 80 g whey isolate or a neutral casein blend, vanilla or unflavored 80 to 120 g sugar, or 60 to 90 g allulose/erythritol blend, to taste 1 tablespoon cornstarch or 1.5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin bloomed in 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest and 1 teaspoon lemon juice Pinch of salt

A few notes on ingredients so you can adapt without guessing:

Dairy fat level: I like 2 percent for both cottage cheese and yogurt. Nonfat works but gives a chalkier finish and more weeping on day two. Full fat is luscious but starts defeating the point. If you use nonfat, reduce protein powder by 10 to 15 g and keep cornstarch, or the texture can turn squeaky. Protein powder choice: Whey isolate dissolves cleanly but can make the batter too tender if you go heavy. Casein thickens more, which helps structure. A 60/40 whey to casein split is a sweet spot. If you only have whey isolate, cap it at 70 g in this formula. Sweetener behavior: Allulose browns faster and stays moist, erythritol can recrystallize and become grainy when chilled. If you use purely non‑nutritive sweeteners, blend types and keep some real sugar, even 20 to 30 g, for texture. Starch vs gelatin: Cornstarch gives a New York‑style set. Gelatin sets more cleanly and can feel glossy. If you’re sensitive to weeping, use cornstarch.

Step‑by‑step that respects the physics

Crust. Heat oven to 325°F, 165°C. Line the springform base with parchment and lightly grease the sides. Stir crumbs with melted butter, sugar, and salt. Squeeze a handful, it should hold. If it crumbles, add milk a teaspoon at a time. Press evenly into the pan, up about 1 cm on the sides for a clean edge. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set and fragrant. Cool while you make the filling.

Filling. Blend cottage cheese until completely smooth. You’re removing curds so the final texture feels like cheesecake, not baked yogurt. In a large bowl, whisk Greek yogurt, sweetener, vanilla, lemon zest and juice, and salt. Whisk in the blended cottage cheese.

Binder. If using cornstarch, sift it together with the protein powder, then whisk into the dairy base in two additions to avoid clumps. If using gelatin, bloom it in water for 5 minutes, melt gently in the microwave or over hot water, then whisk it in after the dairy base is smooth.

Eggs. Whisk eggs separately until the whites and yolks are fully combined, then fold into the batter. This keeps streaks and avoids overworking the proteins later.

Pour and bake. Tap the pan on the counter to dislodge bubbles. Bake at 325°F for 40 to 55 minutes. You’re aiming for edges set and the center with a gentle wobble the size of a playing card. If the top is browning early, tent with foil. A water bath helps if your oven runs hot, but it’s optional. What matters is controlled heat and no drafts during cooling.

Cool. Turn off the oven, crack the door, and let it rest inside for 30 minutes. Move to a rack and cool to room temp, about another hour. Refrigerate at least 6 hours, ideally overnight, before slicing with a hot, dry knife.

What you’ll notice: day one is creamy and slightly airy, day two firms into a more classic slice, day three develops deeper tang. By day four the crust loses snap unless you sealed it well, so plan your week accordingly.

Macros and what changes them

Numbers depend on the brands you use, but across common ingredients you can expect something like 180 to 260 calories per slice with 18 to 28 g protein, 6 to 10 g fat, and 12 to 24 g carbs. The spread is wide because sweetener type, crust choice, and protein powder all sway the totals. If you want to steer toward a target:

More protein: Add 10 to 15 g casein and reduce cornstarch by half. Don’t push whey over 80 g across a 9‑inch cake or you risk rubbery edges. Lower carbs: Use a nut‑based crust or a press‑in crust with almond flour and egg white, and favor allulose mixed with a little stevia. Keep at least 15 g sugar in the filling for texture if you care about mouthfeel. Lower fat: Swap butter for a spray‑oiled ceramic pan and a cereal crumb crust, skip the crust entirely, or use an egg‑white brushed crust to reduce butter by half.

If you’re tracking, weigh your ingredients and plug the grams into your tracker instead of relying on labels per serving. Cheesecake hands out rounding errors like candy.

Texture troubleshooting you’ll probably need once

Cheesecake is just a controlled protein gel. That’s not romantic, but it’s the truth. If you solve for moisture, temperature, and gentle mixing, you solve most issues.

Grainy texture: Usually unblended cottage cheese or overheated whey. Blend the cottage cheese until silk-smooth before it ever meets the eggs. Keep bake temp at 325°F. If using whey isolate only, reduce it and add a tablespoon of cornstarch. Weeping liquid on top: Overbeating adds air pockets that release moisture, or nonfat dairy let go of water after chilling. Mix with a whisk, not a stand mixer on high. If using nonfat yogurt, strain it in a coffee filter for 20 to 30 minutes before mixing. Big crater cracks: Too hot, too fast, or a cold shock. Use the oven rest with the door cracked. If your oven runs hot, drop to 300°F and extend the bake. A pan of hot water on a lower rack stabilizes humidity without the hassle of a full water bath. Soggy crust: Moisture wicks down. Pre‑bake the crust and let it cool. Brush with a thin film of beaten egg white and rebake 2 minutes to seal. If you live in a humid climate, use a nut crust that stays crisp longer. Chalky, squeaky bite: Often nonfat dairy plus too much whey and long bake. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of light cream cheese next time or switch to 2 percent yogurt. Aim for the “wobble zone” rather than waiting for the center to look set.

A practical scenario: the weeknight athlete and a skeptical roommate

You work late, train at 7 p.m., and get home hungry, looking for something sweet that doesn’t wreck macros. Your roommate loves cheesecake but dismisses “protein desserts” as sad substitutes. You bake this on Sunday. The first night you serve it plain, cold, with a quick blueberry compote warmed in a small pan, just berries and a squeeze of lemon. Roommate takes a bite, waits for the weird aftertaste, doesn’t find it, and goes back for a second forkful. You pull the pan from the fridge all week, slice after lifting, and you’re not tempted by the store‑bought cheesecake bites because they taste too sweet now. By Friday, the last slice goes to the roommate without protest. On Saturday, you make a new one, tweak the lemon zest up, and switch the crust to almond flour because almonds were on sale. That’s the real use case: low friction, repeatable, easy to tweak without a midnight grocery run.

Flavor variations that behave in the oven

You can layer flavors without compromising the set if you respect the moisture balance and keep particulates https://cottagecheeserecipes.co/ small.

Chocolate swirl: Replace 20 g of the protein powder with cocoa powder. Sift it well. For a swirl, reserve 1 cup of the mixed batter, whisk in 1 tablespoon cocoa and 1 teaspoon espresso powder, then spoon and drag a butter knife once, no overmixing. Chocolate steals moisture, so don’t overbake.

Lemon bar energy: Increase lemon juice to 2 tablespoons and zest to 2 teaspoons, add 2 extra tablespoons of sugar to balance acidity. Consider a shortbread‑style crust with a touch of cornstarch for snap.

Berry pocket: Fold in 150 g of small blueberries tossed with 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Frozen works, don’t thaw. Push a few berries just under the surface after pouring. Bake on the longer end, and tent if browning early.

Salted caramel protein finish: Use plain filling. After chilling, spread 120 g of a thin, homemade date caramel (pureed dates, a splash of water, pinch of salt) across the top. This adds carbs but keeps fats moderate and avoids a sliding ganache layer that can pull the top skin.

Pumpkin spice: Whisk in 240 g pumpkin puree and 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice. Reduce yogurt by 120 g to offset water. Keep cornstarch at 1.5 tablespoons to firm the extra moisture. This variation likes a 300°F bake for 60 to 70 minutes.

If you want to fold in chocolate chips or crushed cookies, keep add‑ins to 100 to 150 g total or they settle, create steam pockets, and slice raggedly.

Crust options for different goals

A cheesecake without a crust is fine if you’re focused purely on macros. But there’s a reason pastry chefs obsess over the base, it’s the texture contrast that makes each bite feel like a treat.

Graham or cereal base: Fast, familiar, reasonably light. Pre‑bake and seal with egg white if you’re storing longer than two days.

Almond or pecan crust: Mix 180 g almond flour, 30 g finely chopped nuts, pinch of salt, 1 egg white, and 25 g melted butter. Press in. This bakes into a crisp, gluten‑free base. Nuts scorch faster, so watch the pre‑bake and keep it to 8 minutes.

Oat base: Pulse rolled oats to a rough meal, mix with a spoon of flour, butter, and a whisper of cinnamon. Good for flavor, a bit chewier on day three.

No crust: Spray the pan lightly, dust with a teaspoon of whey or cornstarch, and pour the filling. It will release if your pan is decent and you cut around the edge after chilling.

For meal prep, I often bake in a nonstick 9x9 square pan, no crust, parchment sling. Slices become bars that fit containers, and you don’t argue with a springform latch at 6 a.m.

On sweeteners and “that aftertaste”

The fastest way to be told your dessert tastes “diet” is to use a single nonnutritive sweetener at a high dose. Balance helps. Allulose behaves best in baked applications, preventing crystallization, but it can brown quickly and it’s not as sweet as sugar. Erythritol is potent but cooling, and it loves to recrystallize in the fridge. Stevia and monk fruit extracts round out the curve but turn bitter if you cross the line.

In practice, I use a blend: half allulose, a quarter real sugar, and the remainder from a concentrated extract. This keeps the mouthfeel you expect from a cheesecake and avoids the knife‑edge where you taste sweetener rather than dessert. If you only have one product on hand, use less than the conversion chart suggests, bake the cake slightly less sweet, and serve with a sweet topping like macerated berries. The brain reads the whole bite.

Dairy quality, and what brands don’t tell you

Two tubs of Greek yogurt labeled 2 percent can behave differently. Straining level, stabilizers, and acidity vary. Look at the ingredient list. A short list, just milk and cultures, usually sets cleaner. Added pectin or starch isn’t a dealbreaker, but it can make the batter gummy and trap bubbles. Cottage cheese also varies. Dry curd style blends smoother and weeps less. If the cottage cheese looks watery when you open it, drain it for 5 minutes before blending.

Egg size matters more than you’d think. Large eggs can range from 50 to 60 g without shell. If your batter looks runny compared to the photos you trust, hold back a tablespoon or two of egg or add a teaspoon more cornstarch. It’s small moves like this that keep you from fighting with bake times.

Gear and small decisions that pay off

You don’t need a stand mixer. A blender for the cottage cheese, a whisk for the rest, and a big bowl. A springform pan makes the classic look, but a square pan or even individual ramekins work and reduce crack risk. With ramekins, bake at 300°F for 25 to 35 minutes and check early. For even edges, run a thin knife around the inside of the pan as soon as the cake comes out of the oven. It releases the sides and reduces tearing as it cools and contracts.

I keep an inexpensive oven thermometer clipped to a rack. Home ovens swing 15 to 30 degrees. At 325°F on the dial, you may be baking at 350°F and wondering why the top browns in half the time. Once you calibrate, everything gets easier.

Serving, storing, and food safety

Chill thoroughly before slicing. A hot knife dipped in water, wiped, and then sliced through gives clean edges. If you’re serving to guests, add a sour cream topping after baking: 180 g sour cream, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla spread over the warm cheesecake, then put it back in the oven for 5 minutes. It hides minor cracks and adds a bakery finish with minimal calories.

Store covered in the fridge. You’ll get three to four days of best texture. For longer storage, slice, wrap individually, and freeze for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge overnight. The texture stays surprisingly intact, especially with gelatin as a binder. Avoid the microwave for thawing, it loosens the structure unevenly.

If you pack a slice for work, insert a small square of parchment under the tip so it doesn’t weld to the container. This is minor, but it saves you from scraping with a plastic fork while your meeting starts without you.

When to use cream cheese, and how much

There are times when the fat is worth it. If you’re making this for a birthday or your palate prefers the classic heft, you can fold 110 to 150 g of light cream cheese into the base and reduce Greek yogurt by the same amount. The batter will be thicker and bake with finer curd. You’ll add about 15 to 20 calories and 1.5 to 2 g fat per slice, and you’ll get that unmistakable cheesecake line. If you go this route, soften the cream cheese and whisk it with the sweetener first to avoid lumps, then add the rest.

A short, honest checklist

Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth, then mix gently. Aim for 325°F and a center wobble, not a firm set. Pre‑bake and, if possible, seal the crust to keep it crisp. Don’t overload whey isolate, and choose 2 percent dairy for balance. Chill overnight. It’s dessert the next day, not the same night.

If you don’t bake but still want the result

You can make a no‑bake version that holds together. It won’t have baked cheesecake flavor, but it’s fast and reliable for hot kitchens or dorm setups. Combine 450 g blended cottage cheese, 450 g Greek yogurt, sweetener, and vanilla. Bloom 10 g gelatin in 60 ml water, melt it, temper with some dairy mix, then whisk back in. Pour into a prepared crust, chill 6 to 8 hours. The protein stays high, the texture is silky, and you sidestep oven variables. It does demand precision with gelatin, so measure it accurately and don’t double it or you’ll get a bouncy texture.

What usually goes wrong on the first try, and how to recover

The most common first‑timer note I get is “It was too soft in the center, so I baked it until it looked firm, then it cracked and turned dry.” The fix is confidence with the wobble. Pull it earlier than your instincts say, around 150 to 155°F in the center if you’re using a probe thermometer. The carryover heat finishes the set. If you do overbake, let it chill fully and serve with a generous layer of fruit compote or yogurt topping. Moisture and acid mask dryness, and you learn for next time.

If your sweetener left a cooling aftertaste, warm a small amount of honey, thin it with lemon juice, and brush a teaspoon over each slice just before serving. It nudges the flavor into balance.

If the crust glued to the base, run hot water over the bottom of the pan for 10 seconds, wipe, then try again. The warmth loosens the butter solids.

A final nudge to make it yours

Start with the base formula once, no riffing, so you feel what “right” looks like. On round two, change a single variable. Maybe it’s salted pistachios in the crust, or an extra teaspoon of lemon zest, or a switch from whey to casein. Small edits teach you the boundaries. Within three bakes, you’ll have a house protein cheesecake that reliably fits your macros and your taste.

There’s a quiet satisfaction in slicing dessert with the same deliberateness you bring to a training plan or a tight work deadline. You’re not gaming the system, you’re just moving levers with purpose. And when someone asks, a little surprised, “This is protein?” you can nod and say, “Yes, and it’s cheesecake.”

Edit

Pub: 07 Feb 2026 09:01 UTC

Views: 1