Creamy Decadence – Lightened Up! Forget cream cheese and use blended cottage cheese for the perfect texture & flavor. Dollop apple butter in the center and swirl. My new special holiday dessert that is easy to prepare… gluten free too. You will love these apple butter cottage cheese cheesecakes!
Apple Butter Mini Cheesecakes… made with cottage cheese!
Yep – Delicious Cheesecake without Cream Cheese!
You might think it’s impossible to lighten a creamy, rich and decadent dessert such as cheesecake without compromising flavor. Try this recipe! True sweet-cheesy flavor, and a lighter, whipped and airy texture which I actually like better than cream cheese!
Like the decoration?
Two Ingredients: Apple Crisps ~ Thinly Sliced Apples sprinkled with Cinnamon
(baked at 250 degrees until dried and crispy)
Oat Granola Crust (gluten free)
- Simply add all crust ingredients to a small for processor (mine is 3 1/2 cups) and pulse until finley ground, and sticking together.
- Portion 2 teaspoons into paper lined standard muffin cups, in muffin tin.
- Press down with your fingertips evenly – bake for 10 minutes.
How to Strain Cottage Cheese
- Simply add the cottage cheese to a mesh strainer – sit over a bowl to catch the milky liquid; let stand 30 minutes
- You can gently stir with a rubber spatula in encourage straining of excess liquid
- You will have 2 cups of cottage cheese. Discard milky liquid… or add to a smoothie!
- Add the strained cottage cheese to a blender with remaining ingredients – that’s your cheesecake base
The Simple Cottage Cheese Filling
Strained cottage cheese, yogurt, sugar, eggs, vanilla bean paste and flour (I use gluten free)
No salt needed – cottage cheese is salty enough!
Add a little Apple Butter Swirl!
METHOD: add 2 teaspoons of apple butter to the filling of each ~ swirl with a skewer until marbleized.
Want to swirl in a different topping? Choose your favorite low sugar jam.
Wonderful oven dehydrated apple crisps – for a pretty & tasty garnish
How do you get perfect side ridges?
- When cooled, add the cheesecake to a tray and freeze for I hour
- Pull away the paper liner and voilà- perfect fluted edged cheesecakes!
All will enjoy these modern, lightened-up cheesecakes!
Karen
SEE: 2025 Thanksgiving Desserts! My Favorite Scrumptious Holiday Recipes
Love Cheesecake?
ALSO SEE:
- Strawberry Rhubarb Cottage Cheese Cheesecake with an Oat & Almond Press In Crust – Gluten Free
- Lightened-Up Peanut Butter Cheesecake with Chocolate Biscotti Crust and Honey Peanuts
For this recipe I used: Easy Silky Macoun and McIntosh Apple Butter
Apple Butter Mini Cheesecakes… made with cottage cheese!
These Mini Lightened-Up Cheesecakes are swirled with Apple Butter and quite easy to make. Delicious, gluten free and topped with whipped cream (or coconut cream) and dried apples. DELISH! Perfect for parties, holidays or when ever you want a light, delicious treat!
Ingredients
Oat Granola Type Crust:
- 1/2 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup natural sliced almonds
- 1 1/2 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut, (can replace with extra nuts)
- 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar, or light brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, (can use cinnamon)
- 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
"Cheesecake" Filling:
- 32 ounces cottage cheese, 4% milk fat – to be strained
- 2 large eggs, room temperature, I use pasture raised
- 1/3 cup greek yogurt , full fat – can use sour cream
- 1/2 cup pure cane sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, can use vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons gluten free all purpose flour, (can use regular flour)
- 1/2 cup apple butter , see my recipe (2 teaspoons for each cheesecake)
Instructions
Oat Granola Type Crust:
- Add all ingredients with melted butter to a small food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely ground.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place paper muffin cups into a standard muffin tin. Add two teaspoons of crust ingredients to the bottom of each. Press down firmly with your fingers. Bake until firm, 10 minutes. Remove from over, make the filling.
Strain the Cottage Cheese:
- Add the cottage cheese to a fine mesh strainer, set over a bowl to catch the drippings. Set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Will discard the milky drippings.)
"Cheesecake" Filling:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To the carafe of a blender add: strained cottage cheese, eggs, yogurt, sugar, vanilla bean paste and flour – adding the flour on the top. Blend from low to high speed until very smooth, one full minute.HINT: mixture will be thick, scrape down side with a rubber spatula if not blending… it will!
- Pour the filling evenly into the 12 crusts. Filling will be almost filled to the top.
- Add 2 teaspoon of apple butter into the center of each. Swirl in with a metal skewer or thin small knife (see photos.) Bake for 20 minutes. Cool fully then refrigerate until firm.
- Optional Topping:To each: Add lightly sweetened whipped cream or whipped coconut cream. Top with a piece of dried apple, and a small rosemary sprig.
For Perfect Fluted Edges:
- Place the cooled cheesecakes on a tray and freeze for one hour.Pull away the fluted paper liners for perfect fluted edges- will look gorgeous!
Notes
See Recipe: Easy Silky Macoun and McIntosh Apple Butter
If purchasing apple butter – look for one with low or no sugar and spices, no preservatives.
How to make Apple Crisp Decoration:
Slice Apples thinly with a mandoline (I use gala or honey crisp.) Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Cook at preheated 250 degree oven until dry and crisp, but not too brown – about 1 hour. Crispiness will depend on length in oven and how thinly sliced. Cool completely. Garnish with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream. Add a piece of dehydrated apple and a small rosemary sprig if you desire. Freezing: cheesecakes can be successfully frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator. For this recipe I used: Easy Silky Macoun and McIntosh Apple Butter This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Slice Apples thinly with a mandoline (I use gala or honey crisp.) Place them on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Cook at preheated 250 degree oven until dry and crisp, but not too brown – about 1 hour. Crispiness will depend on length in oven and how thinly sliced. Cool completely. Garnish with whipped cream or coconut whipped cream. Add a piece of dehydrated apple and a small rosemary sprig if you desire. Freezing: cheesecakes can be successfully frozen. Defrost in the refrigerator. For this recipe I used: Easy Silky Macoun and McIntosh Apple Butter This recipe may not be reproduced without the consent of its author, Karen Sheer.
Nutrition
Calories: 159kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 7gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 153mgPotassium: 99mgFiber: 1gSugar: 15gVitamin A: 155IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @azestforlife or tag #azestforlife!
So impressive! Going to make for Thanksgiving.
Intriguing using cottage cheese, drained.
Looks divine. Will buy a good apple butter and try the dried apple slices.
Thank you for this interesting recipe.
Thank you Bradley for writing. A great thanksgiving dessert… enjoy!
😀Karen