Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

We had a bit of a greek yogurt mishap at my house recently.  It's a funny story, really.

So basically I went to the grocery store to pick up Chobani.  No surprise there, right?  Everyone knows I'm a big greek yogurt fan.  But guess what?  There was no chobani!  Cleary, I was no going to leave the store without my beloved greek yogurt, so I grabbed a different brand, Cabot to be exact, and rushed out of the store and headed home.

Everything seemed normal, but it wasn't.  Little did I know, our family was in for a surprise.

Boy, am I being dramatic about this or what?  Sorry about that.  I love me a good story, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make this just a wee bit exaggerated.  So without further ado, I shall continue.

The big discovery was made one morning when my mom decided she wanted yogurt for breakfast.  She scooped it into her bowl, topped it with berries and a drizzle of honey, and dug in.  Seconds later, her face took on a crazy expression and she was staring down at her yogurt bowl in confusion.  In all honesty, it was quite funny.  Then my mom ran over to the fridge, grabbed the container of Cabot greek yogurt, and shoved it into my face.  What percent fat is this?  She asked urgently.  I turned over the container, and when I found the answer, I realized her shock.  It was 10% fat greek yogurt!  That is way more than what we're used to at my house.  Apparently, my mom has taken one bite and then was overcome by how incredibly rich the greek yogurt was.  There was no way to eat a whole bowl of that stuff with a spoon without entering a yogurt food coma.

So what to do?

Bake with it, of course.  The first order of buisness?  Cheesecake!  I've tried making greek yogurt cheesecake before, but without the addition of tofu, it's never been as creamy as I would like.  I thought using a high fat yogurt would help solve the problem, and I was right.

Using the greek yogurt, I baked up a super creamy Chocolate Cheesecake.  It's so rich, so chocolatey, and so darn delicious.  What a great way to use up unwanted 10% fat greek yogurt.

Chocolate Greek Yogurt Cheesecake

• 2 1/2 cups 10% greek yogurt (I used cabot)
• 3 egg whites (9 tbsp from the carton)
• 1/3 cup special dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp honey (you can try to replace some with stevia if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a 9in round pan.  Place all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix until completely incorporated with no cocoa powder clumps.  Scoop into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, until firm.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Once cooled, chill in fridge for at least 3 hours.  Slice into 12 thin slices (cheesecake is very rich) and serve with whipped cream, fruit, or plain.  Store in fridge.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate Chip Cranberry Biscotti

Crustless Lemon Honey Cheesecake

Here's the thing:

I don't like cheesecake.

Yep, I said it.  It's something about the cream cheese taste and how incredibly heavy the cake is.

The good thing is, I managed to fix everything I don't like in this Lemon Cheesecake which I love.  Now I'm a downright Cheesecake Lover!

This Lemon Honey Cheesecake is made primarily with 2% greek yogurt.  It's important to use the 2% so that your cheesecake comes out nice and creamy.  I also added cream cheese to the base of the cheesecake.

Next comes lemon juice and lemon zest.  This adds a huge pop of flavor.  Lemon is a must when it comes to summer flavors.  But, of course, lemon is very sour.  The cheesecake needed a sweetener, and I knew just what to use.

As you can see from the title of this post, honey was my preferred sweetener in this recipe.  This is because it pairs great with lemon and is a liquid, and will therefore blend well into the cheesecake filling.  Honey is a great substitution for any liquid sweetener.  I've found that it's sweeter than maple syrup, which definitely comes in handy when trying to limit sugar.

In addition to this, honey enhances the flavor of tons of ingredients.  In this recipe it works very nicely with the lemon.  I adore honey and lemon together!

So next time you're entertaining and want to blow your audience away with a healthy dessert, look no further than this Lemon Honey Cheesecake.  Yes, it is that good.

Crustless Lemon Honey Cheesecake

• 1 1/2 cups plain 2% greek yogurt (I don't recommend using fat free)
• 1 cup non fat cream cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp honey
• 3 egg whites (9 tbsp if using the kind in a carton)
• 1/4 cup arrowroot starch or cornstarch
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/4 lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Mix until all ingredients are incorporated.  It will look thin and watery, but that's ok.  Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 circle pan (a springform is best).  Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Chill in fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours.  After chilled, cut into slices and serve chilled.  Store leftovers in the fridge.

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted.  Things have been crazy busy over here.  Hopefully everything will be back on track soon.

In the meantime, enjoy this Lemon Cheesecake.  It is sooooo yummy.

Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a recipe contest sponsored by National Honey Board and am eligible to win  prizes associated with the contest. I received a gift card to offset the expense of my ingredients.

Revisited Recipe of the Day: 

Honey Banana Ginger Almond Butter