THE IRRESISTIBLE TURTLE CHEESECAKES- MAKING THEM THE HEALTHY WAY!

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If you are someone who gets a high with chocolates and nuts, you are surely going to enjoy the sweetness of a turtle cheesecake. With pecans, caramel and lots of chocolate syrup, this version of cheesecake is for sure every chocolate lover’s delight. But if you are rather keen on having healthy foods, you’d probably want to give this dessert a miss. If you thought so, well, think again!

Nutrient facts about the turtle cheesecakes

The basic fact to keep in mind here is that the nutrition content of any dessert depends largely on the ingredients it contains. That being said, in most cases, your desserts aren’t quite healthy. The sugar and the fat content make them rather forbidden for the calorie conscious.

Typically speaking, a traditional turtle cheesecake contains anywhere between 550 to 750 calories, based on the ingredients used (extra toppings, if you add).  With 32 g of fat, 100 mg of cholesterol this version of the cheesecake is quite high on fat (saturated fats). It is not even considered a great source of minerals and vitamins. But wait, that does not mean you have to completely give up on eating this dessert. You can definitely try the ‘healthified’ version of turtle cheesecake with the below recipe that will give you a total of 330 calories and about 14.7 g fat, a lot better, you may say!

How to make delicious and healthy turtle cheesecake?

The below recipe is an easy and a healthy version of the traditional cheesecake. While it is still high on sugar and fat, it is a lot better than the traditional recipe and you may have this version once is a while to satisfy your sweet cravings.

Ingredients:

·         Graham Cracker Crumbs – ¾ cup

·         Softened margarine – ¼ cup

·         Sweetened condensed milk – 14 oz

·         Low fat cottage cream cheese – 24 oz

·         Powdered sugar – ½ cup

·         3 eggs

·         Vanilla extract – 1 tablespoon

·         Lime juice – 3 tablespoons

·         Chocolate chips – 1 ½ cups

·         Chocolate syrup – 2 tablespoons

·         Caramel syrup – 2 tablespoons

·         Pecans  – 1/3 cup

·         Chocolate chips, chopped – ¼ cup

Preparation:

·         Preheat the oven at 300 degrees.

·         For the crust, combine the crumbs and the margarine in a bowl. Spread this over a greased pan as a 1 inch thick layer.

·         For filling, beat the cream cheese and the condensed milk in a bowl. Add to this mix eggs, lime juice and vanilla extract. Beat this mixture till it is well blended.

·         Pour the above mixture over the base and bake for 70 to 75 minutes till the edges are set. You may want to use a wooden toothpick to check if the cake is baked from within.

·         Sprinkle the choco-chips and pecans and refrigerate until serving.

Sugar and cheese are the main ingredients in all cheesecakes and the turtle cheesecake is no exception. You may want to use the low fat or the no fat version of the cheese to make your cheese cake healthier.