I recently received an email from Laura, who loves dark chocolate brownies and cheesecake. (Yes, Laura, I think we're all with you!) I created this recipe for Healthy Cheesecake Brownies for her to enjoy while she continues her competition prep. Happy Birthday, Laura, and good luck with your show!

three pieces of cheesecake brownie (cheesecake layer on top of a brownie layer), two pieces are stacked on the left, and one is angled in front all on a white plate — Healthy Cheesecake Brownies

As soon as I heard the recipe idea, I knew I'd want to use the True Athlete whey proteins from the Vitamin Shoppe. The vanilla is super-creamy, perfect for protein cheesecake. And the chocolate is super-chocolatey, perfect for fudge brownies. True Athlete whey, the perfect match for these delicious Healthy Cheesecake Brownies!

You'll notice that I used cashew butter in this recipe. Any nut butter would work; I just used what I had on hand. And I used black cocoa since Laura mentioned dark chocolate brownies, but regular cocoa or cacao would be great here, too. Give these Healthy Cheesecake Brownies a try, and let me know what you think!

🥣 Recipe

Healthy Cheesecake Brownies

These delicious healthy cheesecake brownies have a protein powder boost and are flourless and gluten free. Makes 16 pieces.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 25

Total Time: 35

Servings: pieces

Calories: 92kcal

Author: Andréa Marchese

Ingredients

Best if ingredients are at room temperature.

Brownie layer:

1 cup natural applesauce 222g
⅓ cup cashew butter 80g
1 cup natural chocolate whey protein powder 104g
2 tablespoons black cocoa powder 10g
1 tablespoon coconut sugar 12g
⅛ teaspoon sea salt 0.6ml

Cheesecake layer:

½ package Neufchâtel cheese 4oz or 112g
1 large egg whole (50g)
2 oz fat-free Greek yogurt ¼ cup or 57g
2 tablespoons natural vanilla whey protein powder 11g
2 packets stevia 2g
¼ teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract 1.2ml

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325F (163C).
Mix brownie ingredients until well combined.
Pour into parchment-lined 7" square (or similarly sized) baking pan (unless using silicone, then no parchment). Reserve a few spoonfuls of batter to make the fudge swirl (optional). Set aside.
Mix cheesecake ingredients until well combined.
Pour cheesecake batter over brownie batter.
Spoon remaining brownie batter on top, and swirl with the back of a knife.
Bake for 25 minutes, and check to see if firm. If not, check every 1 -2 minutes and remove from oven when firm. Do not overbake.
Let cool, and enjoy! Store in the refrigerator.

Notes

A note about substitutions: because each type of protein powder has a distinct flavor and texture when baked, I would not try substituting different types of protein powders in this recipe. (See my Recipe Basics video for examples of what goes wrong when you use the wrong protein powder.)

Nutrition

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