I love cheesecake, and while I love cooking, I hate baking, so even though I have several low-carb cheesecake recipes, I've rarely made them.
I was craving chocolate cheesecake today, so stirred in 11g (1/4 of a package) of sugar free, Jello brand chocolate fudge instant pudding into a 150g (5.3 oz) container of Dannon OIKOS Greek Nonfat yogurt.
80 calories from the yogurt
35 calories for the pudding
14 carbs and 15g of protein
Not induction-friendly of course, but definitely doable on a moderately low-carb diet (If protein equals or exceeds carbohydrate count, at a meal I'm happy).
When I made this, I assumed it would be a somewhat disappointing substitute for real cheesecake, but I was blown away by how much like cheesecake in both flavor and texture.
I just stirred in the dry Jello mix into the yogurt and started eating it. In fact, I'm eating it as I write.
I can't believe how awesome this is. Some people might want to add a little sugar substitute as well - Splenda, aspartame, or stevia - or more pudding mix, or some people might want it a little less sweet and could use less pudding mix.
I think it's perfect though, and truly satisfied my cheesecake craving. I'm sure compared side-by-side to rich cheesecake it wouldn't be all that impressive, but on it's own, I think it would impress many cheesecake lovers.
I HATE most fake cheesecakes. I don't like the Jello cheesecake pudding for example (in either sf or regular), and I don't like most cheesecake flavored yogurts (or I like them, but don't think they taste like cheesecake in the least).
I'm ordinarily not a fan of chocolate cheesecakes, but it's what I was craving. I'm anxious to try other sf pudding mix flavors. I think the sf pistachio would be really great (and in the store brand I buy, the pisatchio sugar free instant pudding is only 25 calories per 1/4 package).
What was particularly impressive was the texture was as cheesecake-like as the flavor (although more a no-bake cheesecake texture than a baked cheesecake).
Sounds interesting. I didn't like the Jello cheesecake pudding either (tried it years ago), but I think it was more about the texture and not the flavor. Also, for years now I've avoided artificial sweeteners and it might be hard for me to backtrack in that position, but it sounds like your idea would work with sugared puddings as well. Don't you just love the Greek yogurt? I'm crazy for it. I like it as a sour cream substitute and make savory dips for veggies (add scallions and parsley and some spices, yum) and I like it with fruit as well. It is so versatile. Thanks for the recipe. I'll try it in the future.
Sounds good! I have done this with chobani plain greek yogurt and a packet of the diet hot chocolate mix (the mix is 25 calories) and it has turned out pretty decent.
I read people use yogurt cheese for this as well since it has a little thicker of a texture than the greek yogurt. Could be done with either the jello pudding mix or the hot choc mix. I have yogurt draining in my fridge as I type so I def plan on trying it, maybe tomorrow!
Sounds interesting. I didn't like the Jello cheesecake pudding either (tried it years ago), but I think it was more about the texture and not the flavor.
I was thinking that any natural or artificial sweetener, flavored syrup, honey, agave nectar or even dried or pureed fruit could provide the sweetness. For me dried fruits and real sugar are major trigger foods, so I have to be exceptionally careful with those (I only buy dried fruit in very small quantities and not every grocery trip). I even keep the real sugar way out of my reach (and if hubby didn't use it, I wouldn't keep it in the house at all).
If I were going to use dried or pureed fruit or a liquid as the sweetener, I think I'd stir in just a tsp or two of protein powder to get the cheesecakey texture (and to improve the protein to carb ratio).
I was just extremely pleased with the texture aspect. It really felt nearly as decadent as the half pint of tiramiso flavored marscapone I buy from a cheesemaker we visit about 4 times a year (and to make it last, as a dessert I portion out about 3/4 of an ounce and eat it with a miniature spoon).
It felt intensely decadent to eat the whole 5 ounce cup (of course there were fewer calories in the 5 ounce cup probably had fewer calories than an ounce of the marscapone).
Ordinarily, I'm not a huge dessert fan, but I do make an exception for cheesecake, key lime pie and once in a great while, creme brulee. Chocolate is almost never on my radar except during PMS/TOM (my chocolate craving was a little late this month).
It was weird to be craving it, because I'm usually disappointed in even authentic chocolate cheese cake, I much prefer my cheesecake plain and unadorned, except for a raspberry white chocolate, macadamia nut cheesecake I once had in a restaurant - so good it should have been illegal (at least for me).
*squints* ... I've got Jell-o pudding mixes in my cabinet (who doesn't, right? lol My old roommate used to stay "Everyone has one unopened box of Jell-O somewhere in their house") .... and I've got a small cup of FF Greek Yogurt in my fridge.
Last night I tried it with the pistachio sugar free pudding. It was a bit bitter, and I still had a fat exchange to use, so I melted 1 tsp of butter, and stirred in 1 tablespoon of Splenda and then added the butter mixture to the pudding mix/ yogurt combo. WOW - absolutely amazing and surprisingly filling for aobut 140 calories
So today I made it again (I made it at breakfast time to eat in the evening).
1 t melted butter
1 T Splenda, granular
5.3 ounce fat free greek yogurt
8g (or 1/4 package) sf pudding mix, pistachio flavor
138 to 140 calories (a tsp of Splenda has 0 calories, but a tablespoon could have 1 or 2)
1 dairy exchange, 1 fat exchange,
and 1/4 bread exchange (or 20 optional calories)
I melted the butter, added the Splenda and stirred, then I added the pudding mix and the 5.3 oz cup of yogurt and the pudding mix, and stirred til it was blended.
I then let it sit in the fridge and just had it for a snack.
The tiny bit of butter really made a tremendous difference (fat tends to balance too-sour or too-bitter flavors), and it was so good, that today it was worth saving a fat exchange specifically for it (yesterday I added it mostly because I had one fat exchange to spend, and no other fat I wanted to spend it on. If I have a lone fat exchange to spend, I usually spend it on whole nuts, but we didn't have any - and I just didn't want 1 tsp of peanut butter (then again, I could have used peanut butter instead of the butter in the yogurt - maybe next time).
I thought I replied to this already.... I tried it (original post suggestion) and it was SO GOOD. I can't believe I didn't think of this sooner. I have often mixed Crystal Light into Greek yogurt but this never occurred to me.
This week I bought a large container of the plain greek yogurt, With all the different ways to flavor it, I don't think I'll buy flavored yogurts unless they're on sale (or there's a flavor I can't duplicate).
My husband tasted my pistachio/yogurt combo and said "wow, that's rich."
And I said, "yeah that's the point, and only 140 calories, about 1/3 the calorie price of a decent piece of cheesecake.
It's so rich that it seems like a bigger serving than it is.
Thank you for this awesome idea!!! Greek yogurt is one of my favorites, I normally make a rasberry puree and put in it or fresh berries, but have to say the jello pudding mix in it is to die for!!!! I have had this twice now and find it only gets better when it sits, I mixed it up while I was making my dinner and by the time I went back to eat it it was sooooo creamy. :hug
I'm pretty excited about this myself, because I've always found it hard to get in my two dairy exchanges. I liked yogurt (greek and traditional) but not enough to eat twice a day, every day without getting sick of it.
Making the cheesecake and flavored yogurts has made it a lot easier for me to get in my dairy servings. And they're so incredibly satisfying, which is the hardest part to believe. I love them, but when I'm finished with one, I don't have the urge to eat more. Enough really is enough (and that's really rare with any food I like this much. If I love it, I want to keep eating it forever).
I'm normally not a huge fan of desserts in general, but cheesecake is one of my few exceptions.
I made a batch tonight for tomorrow's breakfast, and I added whey protein to improve the protein to carb ratio, (because I get sick on a too-carby breakfast). The whey protein seems to make the texture even more cheesecake-like.
It feels sinfully decadent to have cheesecake for breakfast (especially when it really does have both the flavor and mouth-feel of cheesecake).
The only downside is all the tiny little tupperware containers in the cupboard with pudding mixes, jello powders, and drink mixes.
Hubby gripes (he's kind of OCD when it comes to organization) about all the little tupperware containers, but admits it's better than when I would clip the corner off of a jello pudding or gelatin mix, use what I wanted and then would roll the bag and stick it back in the jello box. Or I'd open a Crystal Light drink mix tub and use some of it and then wrap the tub in tin foil and put it back with the other tubs (it would be really cool if the drink mix tubs came with resealable lids instead of foil seals).
Sounds delicious! I even just mix splenda in with Greek yogurt and I think even that tastes cheese cakey. I love Greek yogurt though. I am staying with my mom and dad who often get it for dessert.
OMG, low-calorie, low-carb, easy no-bake, chocolate fudge cheesecake
