This Sugar Cookie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake is an effortless dessert that is perfect for the holidays. It’s so creamy, but still high-protein and sugar-free!
Is a Sugar Cookie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Healthy?What Are Sugar Cookies?How to Make Ahead and StoreServing SuggestionsrecipeChristmas Sugar Cookie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
There’ll be no dessert FOMO this Christmas! Loaded with flavor, but still light, low in calories, and completely sugar-free, this is THE dessert to take to your next festive potluck!
Sugar cookies just feel like the ultimate Christmas cookie. They might not be the first to go from the annual cookie tin, but they are just so quintessentially Christmas that we all can’t help but gravitate toward them.
This cheesecake recipe has all the nostalgic flavors of a sugar cookie but with better-for-you ingredients! Sugar is swapped for monk fruit sweetener, and cream cheese is swapped for Greek yogurt, making the most luxuriously creamy and fluffy cheesecake.
Is a Sugar Cookie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake Healthy?
This recipe is fully sugar-free and made from wholesome ingredients that give you a little “wiggle room” for an extra slice. It swaps cream cheese for protein-packed and lower-fat Greek yogurt, and the typical refined sugar is swapped for monk fruit, a natural, zero-calorie sweetener derived from a small, round fruit native to Southern China.
As there are no whole fruits or vegetables in this dish, it is best to enjoy it in moderation, even though it is healthier than traditional cheesecake. You can also make this recipe better for you by adding fresh fruit on top (if you’re allowed the extra sugar in your diet), like halved strawberries or cranberries.
What Are Sugar Cookies?
Christmas sugar cookies have a rich history that traces back to various European traditions, particularly those of German and Dutch settlers in America.
The concept of cookies can be linked back to medieval Europe, where spiced biscuits were popular. They would’ve more closely resembled a spiced cake or hard cookie, and were often made with ingredients like cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and honey, which became widely available during the Middle Ages.
The earliest examples of what we would recognize as sugar cookies were likely brought to America by Dutch settlers in the early 17th century. They referred to them as koekje, meaning “small cake”.
Then, by the 1930s and 1940s, decorated sugar cookies became widely popular in American households. This period saw the rise of cookie cutters and colorful decorations, and the tradition of leaving cookies for Santa Claus also emerged, likely from the Great Depression’s emphasis on generosity.
How to Make Ahead and Store
You can prepare the entire cheesecake (both the sugar cookie base and cheesecake layer) and chill it overnight before serving.
For leftovers, cover the cheesecake tightly with plastic wrap or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4 to 5 days.
To freeze the cheesecake, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil, or place it in an airtight, freezer-safe container. For individual servings, you can slice the cheesecake and wrap the slices individually before freezing. In the freezer, it can last for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to eat it, just let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Serving Suggestions
While it’s not strictly traditional, I love to serve this cheesecake with a scoop of this Coconut Milk Ice Cream with Rum and “Egg nog”, as nothing beats the flavor combo of sugar cookies and egg nog!
You can always customize this cheesecake to your heart’s desires, too. I love to swap the cookie base for an Almond Flour Peanut Butter Cookie base, or a Healthy Ginger Snap base. And then, once the cheesecake has cooled, I love to decorate it with some Vegan Peppermint Bark for a pop of color!
recipe
Christmas Sugar Cookie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake
Ingredients
For the cookie base:
3/4 cup monk fruit sweetener1/2 cup butter softened at room temperature 1 large egg at room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract1 cup (180g) gluten-free all-purpose flour1 teaspoon cornstarch1 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon sea salt
For the cheesecake:
16 oz reduced-fat cream cheese softened at room temperature 3/4 cup monk fruit sweetener3/4 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt2 large eggs at room temperature1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the cookie base:
To make the cheesecake:
Nutrition
The post Christmas Sugar Cookie Greek Yogurt Cheesecake appeared first on Food Faith Fitness.
