Protein Brownie Cheesecake Bites

Prot: 7 g, Carbs: 5 g, Fat: 5 g, Cal: 92

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 Protein Brownie Cheesecake Bites for her to enjoy while she continues her competition prep. Happy Birthday, Laura, and good luck with your show!

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 Protein Brownie Cheesecake Bites!

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 Protein Brownie Cheesecake Bites a try, and let me know what you think!

Protein Brownie Cheesecake Bites

Author: Andréa

Nutrition Information

Serves: 16 pieces

Serving size: 1 piece
Calories: 92

Fat: 5g
Carbohydrates: 5g
Sugar: 3g
Fiber: 1g
Protein: 7g

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Makes 16 pieces.

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 (1/4 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.)