THE DELICIOUS MINI CHEESECAKES – ARE THEY HEALTHY TOO ?

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A mini cheesecake, as the name suggests, is a mini version of the regular cheesecake. Considered to be an adorable delicacy, these bite-size desserts are known to be creamy and sweet. So, if you have a sweet tooth and you are calorie conscious too, you may find the mini cheesecakes as your best alternative. Of course, the cheesecake is high on saturated fats and sugar, the fact that the size is ‘mini’, you can be pretty sure that the calorie intake will also be reduced proportionately.

Nutrient facts about the mini cheesecakes

The nutrition content of the cheesecakes depends largely on the ingredients used or the recipe. Typically, the primary ingredient will remain the same but there might be differences in the methods of preparation that may have an impact on the nutritional value of the mini cheesecakes. Like for instance, a plain mini cheesecake will have fewer calories than one that has a fruit filling or may be some chocolate.

As per USDA’s National Nutrient Database, a slice of a traditional cheesecake at 80 grams contains about 257 calories. With 18 g of fat, 44 mg of cholesterol, 4 g of protein, 20 g of carbohydrates and no fiber. This regular slice of cheesecake is usually about 2 to 3 times the size of a mini cheesecake. Going by that, a mini cheesecake can contain about 95 calories with 4.8 g of fat.

How to make delicious and healthy mini cheesecake?

The below recipe is a no-bake cherry cheesecake recipe. To make a mini cheesecake, you may want to use mini muffin pans or moulds. There are several versions of this cheesecake and you may want to put in your own innovations to it.

Ingredients:

·         Graham Crackers – 1 ¼ cup crumbs

·         Softened margarine – ¼ cup

·         Sugar – ¼ cup

·         Low fat cottage cream cheese – 8 oz

·         Sugar – 1 cup (powdered)

·         Vanilla extract – 1 teaspoon

·         Whipped cream – 1 cup

·         Cherry pie or any other filling of your choice – 12.5 oz

Preparation:

·         Mix the cracker crumbs, softened margarine and the ¼ cup sugar to form the base of the cheesecake. Press into the muffin mould evenly.

·         Beat together the remaining ingredients except the whipped cream and the cherry pie filling. Once the cream cheese mix is ready, add the whipped cream and whisk the mixture till it gets smooth. Pour the mix over the prepared crust base. Level the top with a spatula and refrigerate till the cheesecake appears firm and well-made. This may take 2 - 3 hours. Spread the filling of your choice over this and refrigerate till serving.

All cheesecakes primarily contain cheese and sugar. With a fruit cheesecake, you will further add the fruit filling or a frozen fruit spread. Using the low-fat or no-fat cheese can significantly lower the fat content making your mini cheesecake even better!