These no bake Vanilla Protein Cheesecakes take only 10 minutes to prepare! They're creamy, gluten free, refined sugar free, packed with protein and delicious.
No bake cheesecake is one of my all time favorite desserts. It's this perfect balance of light, creamy, cooling and soothing and just happens to be one of the easiest recipes to make as a high protein recipe.
If you're looking for more refined sugar free treats, try my chia pudding with yogurt, these chocolate protein pancakes and top them with my berry sauce! Or this blueberry compote is great, too.
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Why This Recipe Works
Life without dessert would be... actually, let's not even go there. I love desserts but avoid refined sugar during the week. That's why these no bake protein cheesecakes are great because they feel like a treat, but still help me get loads of protein in.
Personally, I try to get in 100g protein a day so these absolutely help me reach that goal.
Avoiding refined sugars is important to me for maintaining hormonal balance during perimenopause as well as because refined sugars are a trigger for my immune compromised teenager.
For me, that makes this recipe a win on both flavor and function. This high protein cheesecake is a favorite in my home and I hope it will be in yours too.
Which Toppings Work With This Recipe?
I like to top these no bake high protein cheesecakes with high fiber fresh fruits like blackberries, raspberries, figs, or even pears.
Whenever I’m having a creamy, high fat and high protein recipe like this, I try to include fiber via whole fruit. This is one of the key things I learned how to apply better in my hormone course at IIN.
They're also a great place to include vitamin C, so I like to use strawberries, guavas, blackberries, papaya (at least 1) no matter what else I use.
I also love to use refined sugar free toppings like my berry sauce and blueberry compote.
They're so easy to make, and you get all the extra added goodness of berries in a beautiful sauce that is the perfect complement to almost any dessert or breakfast recipe.
How Much Protein Is In This Recipe?
Each serving of my high protein cheesecake recipe has approximately 22g protein. Let's break it down.
| Ingredient | Per Batch | Per Serving |
| Greek Gourmet low fat yogurt | 23.75 g | 5.95 g |
| Greek Gourmet cream cheese | 25 g | 6.25 g |
| Metalabs protein powder | 23 g | 5.8 g |
| Ground almonds | 17 g | 4.25 g |
| 88.75 g | 22 g |
To break this down a little further:
I used the Greek Gourmet low fat yogurt which adds 23.75 g protein to the whole recipe, and about 5.95 g per serving.
Then, I used the Greek Gourmet cream cheese which adds 25 g protein to the recipe and about 6.25 g per serving.
I also used ¼ cup of protein powder from Metalabs in my protein cheesecakes. This weighs about 30 g, which adds roughly 23 g protein to the whole recipe and about 5.8 g per serving.
Another notable source is the ground almonds which adds about 17 g to the whole recipe and roughly 4.25 g per serving.
The total recipe contains roughly: 88.75 g protein
Per serving: 22g
Note: I’m using particularly high protein yogurt (Greek Gourmet yogurt contains more protein than the average tub of yogurt), so you can assume that your recipe is closer to 80 g protein for the total recipe, and roughly 20 g per serving.
If you use my exact brands, your protein will be equal to mine.
Ingredients
Like any good recipe, I like to use only the best quality ingredients for my protein cheesecakes. Here are a few key ingredients:
- Almonds: in place of the traditional crushed cookie crust, I've used crushed almonds for added protein.
- Dates: because they're great for digestive health, but mainly to keep this recipe refined sugar free.
- Cream cheese: for it's creamy, mild, almost sweet and tangy flavor. As mentioned, I like to use the Greek Gourmet brand for both the cream cheese and yogurt.
- Low fat Greek yogurt: for added protein and a gut nurturing boost.
- Protein powder: I like to use Metalabs Vanilla Bean for this recipe for the added protein and creaminess from the whey.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
1. Gather all your ingredients together.
2. Melt the butter and mix it through with the almonds and vanilla.
3. Press into the bases of your containers and leave to set in the fridge.
4. Blend together the protein powder and dates with a bit of the soaking water.
5. Mix the yogurt and cream cheese together in a stand mixer until light and creamy.
6. Gently fold the dates and protein mix into the blended yogurt and cream cheese.
7. Portion into jars or containers, seal the lids and leave to set for an hour. Top with fruit before serving.
Hint: Take care not to overwhip the cream cheese and yogurt as it can turn to butter and ruin your high protein cheesecake filling.
Substitutions And Variations
Protein cheesecakes are such a fun recipe. There aren't many substitutes for the base ingredients, but the combinations and toppings are endless. Here are a few to inspire you to get creative:
- Protein powder: I feel like a vanilla protein works best, but you can use any flavor you like.
- The crust: you can swap the almonds with cookie crumbs if you prefer a more traditional cheesecake base or you can use a different kind of nuts.
- No crust: skip the crust entirely for a creamy pudding.
- Vegan: swap the butter, cream cheese and yogurt for vegan alternatives from your local stores.
- Dates: if you're not a fan of dates, you could use honey, maple syrup or monk fruit sweetener instead.
- Yogurt: use a coconut yogurt for a tropical twist and top with passionfruit, kiwi and papaya.
- Mocha: add some coffee and cocoa powder or chocolate chips to your recipe and top with strawberries.
- Lemon: and some lemon zest to your cream cheese mix and sprinkle some over the top with other fruits when ready to serve.
Equipment
For these protein cheesecakes you will need a stand mixer and a blender.
Storage
No bake protein cheesecakes will store in the refrigerator for about a week. That is, if they last that long of course...
Top Tips:
- I store these in mini containers (this absolutely helps for portion control!) but you can also make this high protein cheesecake in one large bowl if you prefer.
- Whip your cream cheese at room temperature as it will be softer and you're less likely to turn it into butter.
- Add a tiny pinch of salt to the filling to enhance the flavors of the other ingredients.
- Use a mix of nuts for your base for a more diverse flavor and nutrient profile.
FAQ
Yes, you can use date syrup instead of dates, simply add a little water when blending it with the protein powder as needed.
If your crust is too crumbly, just add a little extra melted butter and mix through.
Yes, you can add gelatin to this recipe for a "freestanding" dessert. It's best to choose a good quality, grass fed gelatin.
Related
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Dessert
Vanilla Protein Cheesecakes (No Refined Sugar)
Ingredients
For the crust:
- 80 g Almonds
- 1 tsp (5g) Butter
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla
For the filling:
- 1 ½ cups (13 oz / 250g) Greek yogurt
- 1 cup (8 oz / 225g) Cream cheese
- ¼ cup (30g) Protein powder, vanilla flavored
- 2 Dates, soaked in hot water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla
Toppings:
- Of your choice
Instructions
Make the base:
- Melt the butter and mix with the almonds and vanilla.
- Press into bottom of containers
Make the filling:
- Add the yogurt and cream cheese to a stand mixer. Whip for a few minutes until light and airy, then add in the vanilla.
- In a blender or small food processor, blend the protein powder and soaked dates with a little of the soaking water.
- Fold the blended dates into the cream cheese mixture and fill the containers. Seal and set in them in the refrigerator.
Before serving:
- Add your favorite toppings.
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