Vanilla Protein Cheesecake

A lighter version of Pris Frank's protein cheesecake from LikeHotKeto. I kept her whey-in-the-filling idea and cut the fat everywhere else: Neufchâtel for the cream cheese, non-fat yogurt, an egg traded for whites, and a crust half the size on the bottom only. A slice drops from about 325 calories to 210 with the same protein.

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 150 °C (300 °F) and line the bottom of a 20–23 cm (8–9 inch) springform pan with parchment.
2. Mix the almond flour and melted butter until it looks like damp sand, then press it in a thin, even layer over the bottom of the pan.
3. Bake the crust for 10 minutes, until it's just golden, and let it cool while you make the filling.
4. Blend the Neufchâtel, yogurt, whey and sweetener until smooth.
5. Add the eggs, egg whites, vanilla and lemon juice, and blend only until combined. Extra blending whips in air that cracks the top.
6. Pour the filling over the cooled crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring up bubbles.
7. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the edges are set and the centre still wobbles slightly when you nudge the pan.
8. Switch the oven off, crack the door and let it cool slowly in there for half an hour.
9. Refrigerate it, still in its pan, 4 hours minimum (overnight is better), then run a thin knife around the edge before releasing the ring.

Notes

• The original uses 454 g full-fat cream cheese, 1 1/2 cups Greek yogurt, 3 whole eggs, and a crust of 1 1/2 cups almond flour with 4 tablespoons of butter.
• Crustless, it's about 158 kcal and 14 g protein a slice. Butter the sides of the pan and skip steps 2 and 3.
• Cut into 12 slices. It keeps about 5 days in the fridge.

Nutritional Info

Nutrient	Amount
Calories	210 kcal
Protein	15.6 g
Carbohydrates	9.6 g
Sugar	2.7 g
Fat	14.4 g
Fiber	0.7 g
Sodium	169 mg

Per slice, calculated from USDA data. Carbohydrates include about 5 g of erythritol, which isn't counted in net carbs (3.6 g).