Healthy Cheesecake Dip
When you’re in the mood for cheesecake but don’t want to bother with the hassle of baking, waiting, and chilling, and all the unhealthy sugar and butter, you make this 90-calorie Healthy Cheesecake Dip! It’s ultra smooth and creamy, perfectly sweet, and ultimately satisfying, just like cheesecake batter, except it’s sugar free, low fat, low carb, and high protein. Plus, it’s a cinch to make — all you need are 4 ingredients and a few minutes to whip this together. Trust me… you’ll be snacking on this secretly healthy dessert dip in no time!
This stuff is literal HEAVEN. Sweet, buttery, rich and secretly guilt-free cheesecakey heaven 😉
Serve with fresh fruit (did someone say strawberries dipped in CHEESECAKE???), a sprinkle mini chocolate chips, yummy graham crackers, animal crackers, or spoons alone.
Healthy Cheesecake Dip
Ingredients
- 16 oz Low Fat Cottage Cheese
- 1 tbs Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Liquid Stevia Extract
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender (I used my NutriBullet) and puree until completely smooth.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate for later!
Recipe Notes
Whhaaaaat? This Cheesecake Dip is AHHHMAZING! It’s low calorie, low fat, low carb, sugar free, and high protein, but it sure doesn’t taste like it. It tastes like it’s full of calories and fat and sugar, when it’s not. This is a healthy and nutritionally balanced snack you can count on 🙂
Did you know that a ½ cup serving of a typical Cheesecake Dip recipe has 22g of sugar plus 2.5g of (dangerously unhealthy) trans fats?!? Unbelievable. That’s nearly 6 teaspoons of sugar in ONE serving. I think I’ll choose my recipe over the unhealthy one any day. It’s just as delicious, addicting, sweet, and rich.
And you can have an extra serving (or two) without feeling bad at all! It feels like you’re indulging in something totally sinful when you’re really eating something super healthy and sinless.
What the WHAT???!?!?!?
Um, yes, more please…
Enjoy!
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With love and good eats,
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– Jess
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Indulge − no strings attached!
Sounds so good! (Of course, so does everything you dream up!) Just curious about what role the vinegar plays exactly. I know there must be some food science to adding something acidic… I noticed that you used it in this recipe, and in the pumpkin dip, but not in the other batter and dip recipes that have oats/beans/nut butters. Thanks!
Aww thanks Kaci! I added the vinegar to add that tangy flavor classic to typical cheesecakes. Because I use cottage cheese instead of cream cheese I need to compensate for its flavor. Don’t worry though, the dip doesn’t taste like vinegar at all, just pure cheesecake goodness! 🙂
-Jess
I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m always surprised when people who study nutrition (who “should” know about good health) recommend low fat or non-fat dairy. The important vitamins in dairy (A, D, and K) are fat-soluble! Plus fat helps you keep satiated. Furthermore, a lot of women read this and other health blogs and don’t realize that saturated fat – which is indeed found in dairy – is so beneficial for women’s health! Saturated fat can get converted into cholesterol, which is structured (molecularly) very similar to sex hormones. We need them for our health!
I totally understand what you’re saying, and you’re preaching to the choir! Personally, I have no issue using full-fat dairy products (as long as they are organic and from grass-fed cows) because I have good cholesterol levels (low LDL and high HDL).
However, I DO make my recipes for the general public, not just for myself. If someone out there struggling with dangerously high cholesterol levels reads my blog thinking that my recipes might lower their cholesterol or something, I do not think that using full-fat dairy products would be a good idea for them. If you are in good health and your doctor approves of your diet, go right ahead and use whatever fat level you like! 🙂
You might notice that I DID choose to use low-fat cottage cheese. There is some fat there so that you absorb fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), and have that satiety factor. Not only do you get satiation from fat, though, but you get it from protein as well 🙂
-Jess
Zosia – your concerns about fat soluble vitamins are valid but DWB is also correct, in that depending on what your food issues may be, there are healthy options to do this and low fat dairy products can be included in an overall healthy diet. By including 10-30% of daily food intake via non-unsaturated and , poly unsaturated fats such as plant oils from avocados, olives etc (which also contain the added benefits of fiber), you can help absorb fat soluble vitamins from any foods as well as gain satiety value) such as beta carotene and the conversion to Vit A in carrots. Saturated fats are still something that many individuals need to reduce and not recommended to any one beyond 10% of their overall fat/caloric intake. Animal products, including whole fat dairy, can be included but overall sat fat content adds up very quickly.
-I just found this sight and as a Registered Dietitian am glad that both of you have found an answer to this highly debated issue. – jennifer MS, RDN
This looks really delicious, Jessica! I love dips and I can imagine how delicious this is with those fresh strawberries!
Thanks Annie! 🙂
Hi Jessica! I just wanted to say, I made this last night and took some cherries and blueberries out of the freezer to thaw – and that is what I had for breakfast this morning… it was really good!
It doesn’t taste vinegary at all, just the right amount of tanginess… I wonder if lemon juice would work the same way…
Thanks for a great recipe, this is a terrific way to use cottage cheese and get some protein and probiotics…
Awesome idea with the frozen fruit 🙂 Mmmm
I’m sure lemon juice would work just as well as the vinegar, it might even taste better! Wow, I feel kinda silly whipping out a jar of vinegar instead of slicing open a lemon….
*smacks self in head* 😉
-Jess
What could I substitute for the vanilla paste? Will some vanilla extract and a bit of honey work?
Vanilla extract will work just as well as the vanilla paste. If you want, you can add a teaspoon or two of honey 🙂
Hope you like the dip!
-Jess
Hi what can I substitute the cottage cheese for? Cause I don’t like cottage cheese 🙁
I hate cottage cheese by itself too, it’s so salty and the curds are so creepy and strange haha. But don’t worry, the dip doesn’t taste like (or feel like) cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is surprisingly versatile, kind of like cream cheese and yogurt.
If you really don’t want to use it though, you can try replacing it with plain Greek yogurt. However, yogurt is pretty tangy so you can probably reduce the vinegar to a 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp 🙂
-Jess
You could whip the cottage cheese that would make the texture more palatable and similar to yogurt. You’d be able to eat it that way and still get the nutritional benefits from it.
I tried this and it was heavenlyyy. Like cheesecake seriously xD I subbed the white vinegar for lemon and it was still great~
Love all your recipes! Always so excited to try them out~
YAY that’s so good to hear!! I’m glad the lemon worked in place of the vinegar. I keep wanting to use lemon instead but I either always forget to buy lemons or I have just ran out. Of course, right? 🙂
Anyways, I hope you like my other recipes just as much!
-Jess
FIRST… I would like to say that it takes a lot of time and discipline to do what you do and for that I applaud you. I count my Macros so i appreciate the recipes that have them and that also have the servings size in grams.
second… how is it, and maybe its because its such a small quantiity, that the finished product is so white when the vanilla paste is so dark brown? is it the contrast in the pictures or the bright red strawberreis that make it look that way? lol I have been pondering this for a good minute.
and last… this page makes my day at work… it’s like I can dream of the future when I get out of the military and can just make these healthy desserts for my husband. THUMBS UP TO YOU GIRL!!!
-respectfully and with admiration, Kata
Awww thank you so much! Your comment TOTALLY made my day 🙂 I’m so glad my site can make your hard work more tolerable 😉
And good question, even though the vanilla paste is really dark, the color of the cottage cheese overpowers the dark brown. The Cheesecake Dip is actually very white with vanilla bean specks throughout, kind of like a Starbucks Vanilla Bean Frappuccino, if you’ve ever had one.
-Jess
I just made this tonight. It is even better than imagined! I dipped graham cracker in it for more cheesecake taste. So good! A little thiner than I thought, but the taste makes up for it. Keep doing what you do!
YAY I’m so glad you liked the dip! I think I need to go make a batch right now… 😉
-Jess
Yummy making this tomorrow 🙂 have you tried adding frozen fruit into it would be like strawberry cheesecake ? 🙂 might add some sugar free drinking chocolate powder 😉
Yay I’m so glad you’re gonna try out the recipe! I haven’t tried adding frozen fruit to this but that sounds like PURE DECADENCE. Oh my goodness, Strawberry Cheesecake? Definitely need to try that ASAP 🙂
Or maybe I’ll try the Chocolate Cheesecake version… ah! *drools*
-Jess
Could you use cinnamon instead of vanilla?And if so, how much would you need?
The vanilla helps round out the flavors so I wouldn’t recommend omitting it. You can use vanilla extract if you don’t have vanilla paste. If you just want to add cinnamon to that you can, but I would only use it as an addition rather than a substitution 🙂
I hope you like the recipe!
-Jess
Hi! I just made this and it’s absolutely DELICIOUS! I found it to be too thin though, not very creamy or thick. Would reducing the amount of almond milk affect the taste? Love your blog!
So glad you got a chance to make the recipe! I’m not sure why it was thin though, it should be thick enough to dip stuff in. I know cottage cheese and Greek yogurt vary quite a bit, so maybe it was that? I find Fage Greek yogurt much thicker than Chobani, for example. If you want, you can reduce the almond milk by a couple tablespoons! 😀
-Jess
jessica, i see u mentioned almond milk, but it wasn’t listed in your recipe. am i missing something? thank you so much for any direction you can provide.
That’s because this is the revamped recipe. I omitted the almond milk for a thicker texture 🙂
I have tried it and tried it with cocoa powder and it is delicious. Thinking of adding 2 eggs and putting in oven to make it a healthy cheese cake. What do u think?
I’m glad you like the Cheesecake Dip recipe!! 😀
Great idea with the baked cheesecake… I wonder if that would work too. I’m sure it would taste great no matter what, even if it happens to “crack” on the surface (the most common problem when I try new cheesecake recipes). I’m crossing my fingers it works for you!
-Jess
Which cottage cheese do you use? Can you provide a link maybe?
I don’t have a favorite brand or anything, they’re pretty much the same and any brand will work here. Just be sure that no sugar or flavorings are added, you just want cottage cheese. You can use full fat or fat free too if you like.
Your photos are always so gorgeous!
I tried this this morning and it was epic! thank you so much!
I have plenty of ideas of variations, adding berries, maple syrup, pumpkin spice, etc. and looking forward to all the fun with this 🙂
I landed on your website searching for a healthy butterscotch chips recipe (which I’m going to try later today), and I spent last evening browsing your delicious dessert recipes! oh my, I know I’m going to be making many of them! thank you for this site!
I really want to try this recipe (and a lot of your other ones). I’m not very fond of the taste of artificial sweeteners. How much cane sugar would I need to use as a substitute for the 1 tsp of Stevia Extract?
Is there a general rule for this type of substitution? I see stevia extract used in a lot of your recipes.
Thanks!
Hi Jessica! Stevia isn’t an artificial sweetener, it’s all natural 🙂
1 teaspoon of stevia has the sweetness of about ¾-1 cup of sugar, which would be a little excessive if you used cane sugar…
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Hi Jess!
I made your Healthy Cheesecake Dip a few days ago. And it was totally wonderful! Five stars to you! i actually tried a few flavors, the first time I topped it with slightly frozen strawberries, Second I added unsweetened cocoa powder and a teaspoon of coffee. Delish! Thanks a million!
I’m so glad you liked the recipe Hadassah!! I have a ton of cheesecake dip recipes (https://dessertswithbenefits.com/?s=cheesecake+dip) on the blog if you wanted to check them out. Great idea with the mocha dip! YUMMMM 🙂
Hey! In your recipes how do you change oz to grams or millilitres?
I’m from Europe and it’s hard to converse sometimes.
Thank u!
I’d google a converter 🙂
That’s what I do when I find recipes in mL or measurements I don’t use.
Can I use honey in place of the stevia?