Meyer Lemon Protein Cheesecake with Honey Hemp Crust
A delicious high-protein, low sugar indulgence! Meyer Lemon Protein Cheesecake with Honey Hemp Crust, a citrus twist on creamy cheesecake. Makes one 6" cheesecake (8 servings).
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 272kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Crust:
- ½ cup Hemp Hearts 80g
- 2 tablespoons buckwheat honey 30ml or 42g
Cheesecake:
- 2 packages Neufchâtel cheese 16oz, 448g
- ⅛ teaspoon stevia powder
- 4 large eggs whole (200g)
- 8 oz fat-free Greek yogurt 227g
- ½ cup natural vanilla whey protein 40g
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon juice 15ml (or ½ tablespoon lemon juice and ½ tablespoon orange juice
- 1 tablespoon Meyer lemon zest or ½ tablespoon lemon zest and ½ tablespoon orange zest
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F (163C).
- Prepare your 6" springform pan by lining the bottom with parchment paper, and brushing the sides with coconut oil (or non-stick cooking spray). Wrap the bottom of the pan with aluminum foil. (More details here.)
- Make the crust by first mixing the Hemp Hearts and honey.
- Press into the bottom of the springform. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed (for a Kitchen-Aid type mixer) or low speed (for a hand-held mixer), cream the Neufchâtel cheese.
- Add stevia, and continue with mixer until well combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time. Continue with mixer until well combined.
- Add Greek yogurt. Mix well.
- Add whey powder. Continue with mixer until well combined.
- Add Meyer lemon juice and zest. Mix well.
- Pour into pan.
- Place pan in water bath in oven. (Place springform in a larger pan that has about an inch of water.)
- Bake for 30 minutes at 325F (163C). Then reduce the temperature to 200F (93C) for about 35-40 minutes. The cake should be firm around the edges, but the very center should be jiggly. The cake should not be browning on top.
- Remove from oven, and let cool at room temperature.
- Refrigerate for several hours (cake will continue to set) before serving.
- Slice, and enjoy!
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.)
If you'd like to use individual 4oz ramekins, I would try 15 min at 325F, then 10-15 min at 200F.
Neufchâtel cheese is marketed as “⅓ less fat than cream cheese” and can be found in most supermarkets.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/8 recipe | Calories: 272kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 19g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g