Lighter Chocolate Cottage Cheese Cheesecake (Printable)

Rich, creamy chocolate cheesecake lightened with cottage cheese for extra protein and less guilt.

# What You'll Need:

→ Crust

01 - 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
02 - 2 tablespoons coconut oil or melted butter
03 - 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
04 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup

→ Filling

05 - 2 cups low-fat cottage cheese
06 - 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
07 - 2 large eggs
08 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar or sweetener of choice
09 - 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
11 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
12 - 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips, melted and cooled

→ Topping

13 - 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
14 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
15 - Dark chocolate shavings for serving

# How to Cook:

01 - Preheat oven to 340°F. Line the base of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper.
02 - In a bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, cocoa powder, coconut oil, and maple syrup until well incorporated. Press mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake for 8 minutes, then remove and set aside to cool.
03 - Place cottage cheese in a food processor or blender and blend until completely smooth, approximately 1 to 2 minutes. Add Greek yogurt, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and melted chocolate. Continue blending until the mixture reaches a silky consistency.
04 - Pour filling mixture over the cooled crust and smooth the top surface with a spatula.
05 - Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the center is just set but still slightly wobbly. Turn off the oven, crack the door open slightly, and allow the cheesecake to cool inside for 1 hour.
06 - Remove from oven and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until completely set.
07 - Before serving, spread Greek yogurt topping over the surface if desired and garnish with dark chocolate shavings.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • You get that fudgy chocolate intensity without feeling weighed down afterward, which honestly changes everything about dessert enjoyment.
  • High protein means it actually satisfies cravings instead of leaving you hunting for more food an hour later.
  • The texture is impossibly creamy because blended cottage cheese and Greek yogurt create this silky magic that rivals traditional cheesecake.
02 -
  • If your cottage cheese isn't completely smooth, little grainy bits will survive into the final cheesecake and ruin the texture, so genuinely spend the time blending.
  • Don't skip the gradual cooling in the oven because rushing this step with a cold kitchen will cause cracks that look fine but change the mouthfeel.
  • The center should genuinely wobble when you shake the pan—overbaking makes it dense and defeats the entire purpose of using cottage cheese.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs blend more smoothly into the filling and distribute more evenly, so take them out about 30 minutes before baking.
  • If you don't have a springform pan, a regular round cake pan works, but you'll need to run a warm knife around the edges before inverting to serve, which is more dramatic but riskier.
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