High Protein Crustless Pumpkin Pie Cheesecake

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I found a healthy pumpkin cheesecake recipe and made it last week. It was too cheesy, and not pumpkin-y nor flavorful enough. I've tweaked it a bit, and here's my version.

It has no fat, very few carbs, and lots of protein for a dessert! Plus, it's delicious!

Servings: 8
Ingredients:
-2 1/2 packages of fat free cream cheese (8 oz. each)
-1 1/4 cups canned pumpkin
-4 egg whites
-1 cup Splenda granular
-1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice
-1/2 t cinnamon
-1/2 t allspice
-1/2 t vanilla powder or 1 t vanilla extract
-1/2 t nutmeg
-dash of ground ginger
-dash of ground cloves

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, Splenda, and vanilla from low to high until smooth, about 1 minute.

3) Add pumpkin, egg whites, and spices. Beat from low to high for another minute.

4) Spray a 9'' cake pan with cooking spray. Pour in the batter, pick up the pan, and tap on the counter to release air bubbles and smooth the top.

5) Optional: using a toothpick, make a decorative swirl from the center of the cake to the edge.

6) Bake for 60-70 minutes, until the top of the cake browns a bit. I baked for 65 minutes.



7) Let the cake cool to room temperature, and then cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

8) Serve with fat free whipped cream!

Each slice has
103 calories
0g fat
6g net carbs
1.5g fiber
and 14g protein

Flourless & Low Cal Peanut Butter Cookies

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I got a recipe for flourless peanut butter cookies from Kalyn's Kitchen; I followed the recipe to a T for my boyfriend, but I wanted a lower calorie version for me.

I substituted the egg for Egg Beaters and the peanut butter for various low fat peanut butters. The cookies are a little crisp on the outside and soft on the inside; they don't crumble easily.

Use the cookies in an ice cream sandwich, or flip one over and cover the flat side with banana slices. Add chunks of dark chocolate and/or chopped peanuts!

Servings: 8
Ingredients:
-1/2 serving Egg Beaters (30g/2 T)
-1/2 cup granulated Splenda
-1/2 t baking powder
-1/4 t vanilla extract
-1/2 t tap water
-8 T creamy reduced fat peanut butter substitute*

*I used 4 T Better 'n Peanut Butter, 2 T SnacLite Power PB, and 2 T PB2 powdered peanut butter.

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Put Egg Beaters, Splenda, vanilla, and baking powder in a mixing bowl, and beat from low to high for 1 minute.

3) Add water and peanut butter substitute, and beat for another minute from low to high.

4) Put parchment paper on a jelly roll sheet, and use a tablespoon to measure out 8 cookies. Smooth the tops with the bottom of the tablespoon.

5) Bake for 15 minutes.

Each cookie has
59 calories
2g fat
5g net carbs
1g fiber
and 3.6g protein

Revamped Strawberry Shortcake

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I based this recipe on Eating Well's Healthy Strawberry Shortcake, but lessened the total calories per serving by 100 and the fat by 10g.

(1 serving)

Shortcake ingredients:
Dry:
-2 tbsp & 1 tsp all-purpose flour*, more for dusting
-1 tsp cornstarch*
-1 tbsp & 1 tsp whole wheat flour
-1 tsp granulated Splenda
-1/4 tsp baking powder

Wet:
-1 tsp Smart Balance original buttery spread
-1 tsp Trader Joe's goat creamy cheese (if there's no TJ's around you, opt for a reduced-fat or fat free cream cheese or Neufchatel)
-1 tsp unsweetened applesauce
-1 tsp Egg Beaters
-3/4 tsp low fat or fat free buttermilk

Strawberry topping ingredients:
-3 hulled, quartered strawberries
-1 tsp granulated Splenda

Creamy topping ingredients:
-2.5 tbsp fat free ricotta cheese
-1 tbsp fat free sour cream
-1 tbsp granulated Splenda

*If you have cake flour, use 2 tbsp and 2 tsp of that instead of using the all-purpose flour and cornstarch.

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2) Put the dry ingredients in a food processor; process until it's fine.

3) Put the dry mixture into a small or medium-size bowl. Cut the Smart Balance buttery spread into quarters, and then add that to the bowl. Whisk until the butter is in little pieces.

4) Add the cream cheese; whisk with a fork until combined.

5) Add the applesauce; whisk with a fork until combined.

6) Make a well in the center and add the buttermilk and Egg Beaters; whisk with a fork until well-combined.

7) Knead the dough 2-3 times until it holds together; do not overdo it.

8) Dust the counter with the all-purpose flour. Roll the dough until it's 1/2'' thick. Cut it into two squares.

9) Put the squares on parchment paper and then onto a baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and puffy.

10) While that's baking, hull the strawberries and quarter them. Put them in a microwave-safe bowl and mix in the Splenda. Mash a couple of times with a whisk, and heat the bowl in the microwave for 10 seconds. Remove from the microwave and mash some more with a whisk until the strawberry mixture becomes syrupy.

11) Put the ricotta and Splenda into a food processor, and process until smooth and free of lumps. Move the mixture into a small bowl and fold in sour cream. Add more Splenda to taste. Put the bowl in the freezer to chill for a little while.

12) Remove the shortcakes halves from the oven, and let them cool off. Put a little of the creamy topping on them and then top with the strawberry mixture.

13) Eat!

Calories: 219
Fat: 4g
Net carbs: 32g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 10g