Lighter Mini Cheesecakes

Lighter Mini Cheesecakes will have you enjoying Easter with less guilt! Portion control and less fat make this easy dessert perfect for any occasion!

The inspiration behind this recipe:

Are you looking at the calendar and thinking to yourself….  Oh, crap….in another week or two I’m going to have to shed my winter coat and put on shorts, capris or other clothing that is going to reveal the fact I’ve been enjoying comfort food a wee bit too much this winter?

I’m with ya friends.

I’ve been going out for walks every single nice day and I have good intentions….really I do!  But then another holiday that is all about the sweet treats just HAS to roll around.  Thank you very much, Easter!

Here’s a dessert to help you get through Easter with minimal waistline damage!

I’m not much of a baker so when I post a dessert recipe, it will be fool-proof and super-simple!  Besides being easy, these Lighter Mini Cheesecakes are reduced-fat but have all the flavor of rich cheesecake.

This recipe is inspired by one on AllRecipes.  I’ve been making it regularly for a client of mine who is a heart patient.

Tips for making Lighter Mini Cheesecakes:

• Instead of regular cream cheese, I’ve been using Neufchatel cheese (also known as light cream cheese) and it works just as well as anything full-fat.
• The recipe calls for using a “Nilla” wafer to serve as the crust.  Nabisco now makes a reduced-fat “Nilla” wafer.  Yay!
• Because of the lower fat content, the Lighter Mini Cheesecakes have a tendency to “shrink in” a little bit as they cool.  This effect can be reduced by placing them in the refrigerator before they have a chance to cool entirely–about 10 minutes after removing them from the oven.
• For Easter, garnish these Lighter Mini Cheesecakes with sweetened coconut and mini bird eggs to look like a bird’s nest.  However, it’s best to do that right before serving.  The rest of the year, a fruit topping is perfect!

Happy Easter!

More dessert recipes with a touch of healthy:

• Blueberry Crumble Bars
• Healthier Date Bars
• Chocolate Avocado Mousse

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Yield: 12

Lighter Mini Cheesecakes

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Lighter Mini Cheesecakes will have you enjoying Easter with portion control and less guilt!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 18 minutes

Total Time 28 minutes

Ingredients

• 12 reduced-fat vanilla wafers
• 2 packages (8-ounce) Neufchatel or reduced-fat cream cheese
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
• ⅔ cup sugar
• Sweetened shredded coconut
• 36 mini bird eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line muffin tins with 12 paper baking cups. Place a vanilla wafer in each one (centered).
3. In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, eggs, lemon juice and sugar. Beat until smooth.
4. Divide filling equally among the 12 baking cups. (The filing will come to about ¾ of the way to the top.)
5. Bake for 17-18 minutes or until set and top just lightly cracks.
6. Cool on a baking rack for 10 minutes, then refrigerate 1 hour.
7. Top with sweetened coconut and 3 bird eggs per cheesecake.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 332Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 593mgSodium: 277mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 21g

The nutritional information above is computer-generated and only an estimate. Please do your own research with the products you're using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.

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