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Healthy Greek Yogurt Cheesecake (Gluten Free)

This easy, protein-packed healthy cheesecake has a grain and gluten free snickerdoodle crust! It's a creamy, delicious and festive dessert for the holidays!
Total time does not include chilling
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Prep Time 40 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12 Servings
Author FoodFaithFitness

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 6 Tbsp Challenge Dairy Unsalted Butter Softened to room tempertaure
  • 3/4 Cup Raw, Organic Cane Sugar
  • 1 Egg white
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 Cups Almond flour 167g
  • 5 Tbsp Tapioca Starch 40g
  • 1 tsp Cream of tartar
  • 1 tsp Baking soda
  • 1 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp Salt

For the cheesecake:

  • 2 8 oz Packages Challenge Dairy Neufchâtel Cream Cheese At room temperature
  • 1/2 Cup Raw, Organic Cane Sugar
  • 3/4 Cup Non-fat Vanilla Greek Yogurt
  • 2 Large Eggs At room temperature
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the crust:

  • In a large bowl, beat together the softened butter and sugar just until combined, you don't want to add in too much air. This takes only 30 second or so at low speed.
  • Add in the egg white and vanilla and beat just until combined.
  • Add in the almond flour, tapioca starch, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and stir until a sticky, wet dough forms.
  • Line a small plate with parchment paper and press 1/2 cup of the cookie dough onto it, about 1/4 inch thick. It doesn't need to be perfect. If the dough is too sticky and hard to press, LIGHTLY dampen your hands and it will be a lot easier. Place the plate into the freezer.
  • Press the remaining cookie dough flat into the bottom of an 8 inch spring form pan (again SLIGHTLY damp hands helps!) and place into the freezer for 20 minutes. Additionally, heat your oven to 325 degrees.
  • After the cookie dough has frozen for 20 minute, remove just the spring form pan from the oven and bake until the top is golden brown, set, and the sides have risen up and the middle of the cookie dough is sunken, about 33-35 minutes. Let cool at room temperature for 5 minutes and then immediately place into the refrigerator to set for 10 minutes.  You want the cookie crust to feel a little TOO crunchy once cool, as it softens up a lot when the cheesecake sits on it.
  • While the crust sets in the refrigerator, beat together the softened cream cheese and sugar JUST until combined. Again, you don't want to add in too much air.
  • Add in the Greek yogurt, eggs and vanilla and beat just until combined and the cream cheese is smooth.
  • Once the crust has cooled for 10 minutes, pour the cheesecake over top and gently smooth out. It should just cover where the cookie crust has risen up the sides.
  • Remove the reserved 1/2 cup of cookie dough from the freezer and crumble it in small pieces all over the top of the cheesecake. You will cover the majority of the cheesecake.
  • Bake until the cheesecake rises slightly and the outsides are set, and just a small circle in the center of the cheesecake is still jiggly, about 1 hour to 1 hr and 5 minutes.  Then, turn off the oven, crack open the oven door and leave the cheesecake in there for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the cheesecake from the oven, GENTLY run a very sharp knife around the sides of the pan, being careful not to insert your knife into the cookie crust. Then let the cake stand until it reaches room temperature.  Once it's at room temperature, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours to overnight.
  • After it's set, slice and DEVOUR.

Notes

I do not recommend making this cheesecake more than 1 day before you plan to serve it, as the crust does soften. It's still serve-able, but best only made one day ahead.