Healthy No-Bake Cheesecake Bites (High-Protein!)

Cheesecake is definitely one of my favorite desserts, but it’s one of the more difficult desserts to get right.

Being from NY, I’m a sucker for NY-style cheesecake, but it’s something I’ve never been quite been able to master.

That’s why when I’m craving cheesecake I like to go with no bake cheesecake bites.

These cheesecake bites are packed with authentic cheesecake flavor, but they’re sneakily healthy.

Each mini cheesecake bite contains only 55 calories and has 4g of protein, but they taste every bit as authentic as you’d hope.

Since this cheesecake bite recipe requires no baking, the instructions are very straightforward. However, the ingredients you choose are very important…

Main Ingredients for No Bake Cheesecake Bites

I know that people will always have questions about ingredient substitutions, so I’ll try to cover them here.

These are some of the main ingredients needed for this recipe, and I’ll do my best to break down possible substitutions (but note that I did not test any substitutions).

Light Cream Cheese

The staple ingredient in ANY cheesecake is cream cheese. In this case, I used light cream from Trader Joe’s.

I’ve used fat-free cream cheese with success before, and any regular cream cheese will also work great.

However, whipped cream cheese will not work nearly as well. Since we are forming these into balls, using whipped cream cheese will result in a very loose mixture.

Protein Powder

If you’re new here, I use PEScience in all of my recipes. Not only do I find the taste to be superior to other brands, but it’s a blend of whey AND casein protein.

Whey protein alone is very sticky, but when you add casein, it becomes very thick and much smoother.

For no-bake recipes, I find it to be superior.

I used “Cake Pop” flavor here, but it’s basically just a slightly sweeter version of vanilla. Vanilla protein powder will work great here!

Whey protein powder might work out okay, but I did not test it. Whey protein is very sticky, so you may not end up with the same round bites at the end.

If you want to use PEScience (a great idea if you plan to make any other recipes of mine) you can save 10% using the code “Matt” at checkout.

Cool Whip

We’ll also be using some cool whip to smooth out the cheesecake filling. I can be omitted, but you won’t get the same silky smooth cheesecake mixture without it.

I’ve used regular Cool Whip, fat-free, and even a coconut milk alternative, and they all worked great.

Very important note: cool whip is NOT whipped cream! Whipped cream comes in an aerosol can, and cool whip comes frozen in a tub.

Graham cracker crumbs

What’s a cheesecake without a graham cracker crust?

Since we’re not making actual mini cheesecakes, we need to replicate the flavor of the graham cracker crust. We’ll be mixing graham cracker crumbs directly into the cheesecake mixture, as well as using it as a coating for the outside.

If you don’t have graham cracker crumbs, you can very easily make your own by adding graham crackers to a food processor and blending into crumbs.

Without graham cracker crumbs, this will not taste like an authentic cheesecake. If you’re low-carb and need an alternative, you can use something like almond flour or coconut flour with cinnamon added, but it won’t be nearly the same.

How to Make Healthy No-Bake Cheesecake Bites

Like other no-bake recipes of mine, this cheesecake bites recipe is a very simple one.

Add all of the cheesecake filling ingredients to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to mix together until smooth.

If you do not have an electric mixture, you’re going to have a tough time smoothing out the pie filling. If that’s the case, leave the cool whip and cream cheese out at room temperature for about 20 minutes to allow them to soften prior to mixing.

Once the mixture is smooth, fold in the graham cracker crumbs, then add to the fridge for 2-4 hours.

I know, waiting is the worst. But it’s necessary.

By allowing the cream cheese mixture to sit in the fridge, it will not only thicken, but it will allow the flavors to develop as well. Don’t skip that step!

After the mixture has chilled, use a small cookie scoop (or regular spoon) to scoop out portions for your mini cheesecakes.

Don’t worry about forming them into balls just yet- simply drop them right into the graham cracker mixture as messy globs.

Since the cheesecake batter contains protein powder and Greek yogurt, it’s pretty sticky on its own. But once it has the cheesecake crust on it, it’ll be very easy to work with.

Toss the bites in the graham cracker until they have a crust on them, then you can pick them up and form them into cheesecake balls.

Continue until you’ve used the entire mixture, which should yield about 25 cheesecake bites.

Once done, add the cheesecake bites to the fridge or freezer for one hour before serving. The final hour will allow them to set up even more for the ideal texture, if you’re eager, you can dive into them right away.

These mini protein cheesecake bites can be stored in the fridge for about a week, but I much prefer storing them in the freezer! They’ll last months in the freezer, and all you have to do is let them soften at room temperature for about 5 minutes before enjoying them.

More Cheesecake Recipes to Explore

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I love cheesecake.

If you want to serve these cheesecake bites as a dessert for guests, you can serve them alongside raspberry sauce or melted chocolate for dipping, or drizzle melted down chocolate or peanut butter right over the top!

Or if you prefer actual mini cheesecakes, you can use this same recipe to form mini cheesecakes in a muffin tin with graham cracker crusts on the bottom (mix together melted butter and graham cracker crumbs for a quick crust).

And of course, you can check out these other recipes of mine:

• Oreo Cheesecake Bites with an Oreo cookie crust
• Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes (packed with protein)
• No-Bake Fruity Cereal Cheesecake
• Cheesecake-Stuffed Pumpkin Protein Cookies

Continue to Content

Healthy No-Bake Cheesecake Bites (Protein-Packed!)

Yield: 25 Bites

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Inactive Time: 6 hours

Total Time: 6 hours 5 minutes

If you love cheesecake as much as I do, you're going to absolutely love these poppable cheesecake bites. Each bite has only 55 calories, packs 4g of protein, and requires no baking.

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Ingredients

Ingredients for Cheesecake Filling

• 62g (2 Scoops) Vanilla Whey/Casein Blend Protein Powder (Code "Matt" saves you 10% on PEScience brand)
• 8oz Reduced Fat Cream Cheese (any cream cheese will work)
• 75g Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 40g Powdered Sugar Substitute (or regular powdered sugar)
• 55g Cool Whip (I used Fat Free, but any Cool Whip works)
• 52g (1/2 Cup) Graham Cracker Crumbs

Ingredients for Coating

• 52g (1/2 Cup) Graham Cracker Crumbs - Note that I used roughly 40g total, but it's much easier to add more graham cracker crumbs than needed to your bowl.

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, use an electric hand mixer to mix together all of your cheesecake ingredients except the graham cracker crumbs. A hand mixer will make this WAY easier because the mixture is going to be very thick (a stand mixer will also work). Mix together until smooth.
2. If you want to make this a little easier to mix (especially if you do not have an electric mixer) then I recommend letting the cream cheese and cool whip sit out at room temperature for about 15 minutes to soften.
3. Add the graham cracker crumbs and fold them into your mixture. Add the bowl to the fridge for 2-4 hours (or overnight). It’s going to be tempting to skip this step, but the mixture will thicken up during this time and the flavors will really develop.
4. After the mixture has chilled, it’s time to add the graham cracker coating. Add the graham cracker crumbs to a wide bowl. Use a small cookie scoop or spoon or scoop portions of your mixture and add them directly to the graham cracker crumbs. Don't worry about shaping them yet- they're going to be very sticky.
5. Toss in the graham cracker crumbs to coat, then use your hands to shape it into a ball. Since the mixture itself is sticky, you'll be able to work with it once the graham cracker crumbs are covering the entire bite. See the photos above this recipe card for reference.
6. Continue until you’ve used the entire mixture, which was 25 bites for me.
7. Once all the bites are completed, add your bites to the fridge or freezer for one more hour to allow them to fully firm up once more.
8. These cheesecake bites can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, to enjoy throughout the week, or they can be stored in the freezer to be saved for months. If eating frozen, simply let them sit out at room temperature for about 5 minutes to soften.

Notes

• You can use fat-free cream cheese for this recipe and it will bring the calories down to about 40 calories per cheesecake bite.
• I don't recommend using whipped cream cheese as it will make your mixture much lighter and more difficult to form.
• Note that I use a 0 calorie sweetener so I do not count it towards the total carbs. If you are very strict about carb totals, be sure to calculate your own nutrition facts.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• 
  Powdered Sugar Substitute
• 
  PEScience Whey/Casein Blend Vanilla Protein (Code "Matt" will save you 10%)

Nutrition Information

Yield 25 Serving Size 1 Cheesecake Bite
Amount Per Serving Calories 55Total Fat 2gCarbohydrates 5gProtein 4g

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