Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Cheesecake – The Pancake Princess

This pumpkin cheesecake is made with cottage cheese and Greek yogurt for an easy, protein-packed cheesecake with pumpkin spice!

After trying my cottage cheese cheesecake, someone asked if I could deliver a pumpkin cottage cheese cheesecake version. After a few tries, I’m happy to report back with a cheesecake that’s just as easy to make and protein-packed as the regular one. All you need are 6 basic ingredients, spices and a blender! This is the perfect recipe if you have just a little bit of extra pumpkin puree to use up (1/4 cup to be exact).

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Quick to make: Made entirely in a blender or food processor, this cheesecake is a breeze to make. It only takes 5-10 minutes to assemble and around 30 minutes to bake. Even without a water bath, this bakes up perfectly smooth and creamy.
• Packed with protein: Thanks to simple ingredients like cottage cheese and Greek yogurt, you get all the smooth creaminess of a classic cheesecake with extra protein. No cream cheese or sour cream needed–a great option for a healthier dessert!
• Cozily spiced: Just a 1/4 cup of pumpkin puree and a mix of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg yields a lightly spiced pumpkin cheesecake that feels like a fall treat yet is satiating enough to eat for breakfast (or any time of day).

Ingredient notes

• Cottage cheese: This is the key ingredient that provides structure and flavor to the cheesecake. I’ve tried using both nonfat and low-fat cottage cheese (2%) for this recipe, but you can use any fat content. More fat will yield a slightly richer flavor.
• Greek yogurt: I’ve tried this with both nonfat and 2% Greek yogurt successfully. Again, you can use yogurt of any fat content without significantly changing the texture.
• Brown sugar or maple syrup: I tested the cheesecake with both sweeteners, and either will work! Personally, I enjoyed the flavor that the maple syrup lent to the cheesecake.
• Cornstarch (or flour): The tiny bit of starch is key for binding the filling and providing structure. I slightly prefer cornstarch, but either flour or cornstarch will work.
• Graham crackers: If you’re not using ready-made graham cracker crumbs, you can crush whole graham crackers. You’ll need around 10-11 full graham cracker sheets to yield 3/4 cup of crumbs.

Recipe notes

Although this healthy pumpkin cheesecake recipe is simple, it took a few iterations to develop.

• The first iteration used added 6 tablespoons of pumpkin puree to my base recipe with 1/4 cup of brown sugar (instead of the original 2.5 tbsp of granulated sugar) and spices. This version was definitely too savory, not sweet enough, and a bit too watery.
• In the next version, I reduced the amount of pumpkin to 1/4 cup and increased the brown sugar to 6 tablespoons. This yielded the perfect level of sweetness and a texture that I’m happy with!
• I also tested brown sugar vs. maple syrup as the sweetener. Both will work, but my tasters (and myself) slightly preferred the version with maple syrup due to the maple notes.

How to make this pumpkin cottage cheese cheesecake

This cheesecake can be made entirely in a blender. Simply add all the ingredients to a high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Pour onto your prepared graham cracker crust (or make it crustless and pour it into a greased pan) and bake until it’s set!

Step by step visuals are below:

Step 1: Add all ingredients (cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, egg, cornstarch, brown sugar or maple syrup, pumpkin puree and spices) to a blender.

Step 2: Blend the filling until smooth.

Step 3: Pour the blended filling onto the pre-baked crust (or simply pour into a greased pan and make a crust-less cheesecake–my preference!).

Step 4: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until cheesecake is set around the edges but still slightly jiggly in the center.

Equipment note: Although it’s easiest to bake cheesecake in a springform pan for easier removal, you can also bake this in a regular cake pan. Simply line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper–the same way you’d line a pan for basque cheesecake!

Storage and serving suggestions

Cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. I wouldn’t recommend freezing the baked cheesecake.

I loved snacking on the crustless tests of this pumpkin cheesecake plain. Try mixing it into some Greek yogurt for a fun snack!

But if you’re serving it as a dessert, it would pair really well with whipped cream and cinnamon, gingersnap crumbles, vanilla bean ice cream and some caramel sauce.

If you liked this cheesecake, you may also like:

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Pumpkin Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

This pumpkin cottage cheese cheesecake is high in protein with a delightfully light texture and hint of pumpkin spice for fall. Top this with whipped cream, cinnamon, caramel sauce or Greek yogurt for a fun twist!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6 people

Calories 214kcal

Ingredients

For the graham crust (optional)

• 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tbsp sugar
• pinch kosher salt
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

For the cheesecake

• 1 cup cottage cheese (I used 2% but any kind will work) 227g/8oz
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt (nonfat, 2% or full-fat will all work) 57g/2oz
• 1/4 cup pumpkin puree 57g
• 1 large egg
• 6 tablespoons brown sugar (dark or light will work) 80g
• 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch or flour 12g
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice*
• Optional: Greek yogurt, whipped cream or ice cream for topping

Instructions

For the graham crust (optional)

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-inch springform pan. Alternatively, you can double this recipe and use a larger pan, like an 8 or 9-inch cake pan.

• Combine 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, 1 tbsp sugar and pinch kosher salt in a small bowl. Stir in the 3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted until evenly moistened.

• Press crumbs evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake cheesecake for 10-12 minutes, or until golden and fragrant.

For the cheesecake

• Combine all ingredients (1 cup cottage cheese, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup pumpkin puree, 1 large egg, 6 tablespoons brown sugar, 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice*) in a high-powered blender and process until smooth.

• Pour cottage cheese mixture into prepared crust (OR into a greased 6-inch springform pan OR parchment-lined 6-inch cake pan). Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the edges are set with a matte surface. The center should be slightly jiggly, but not sloshy.

• Let cool to room temperature before refrigerating for several hours or overnight. You can enjoy this warm, but I prefer the texture once it cools!

Notes

*Alternatively, you can use 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger, 1/8 tsp nutmeg in place of the pumpkin spice.
This recipe is easily doubled for baking in an 8 or 9″ springform pan. You can also use the same size cake pan, just line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
Nutrition facts shown are for the cheesecake with the graham crust. For 1/6 of the cheesecake without the crust, the nutrition facts are around 112 calories, 1.2g fat, 16g carbs and 6g protein.
Adapted from here.

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