Low calorie mini lemon cheesecakes

When life gives you lemons, make mini lemon cheesecakes, right? These low calorie mini lemon cheesecakes are the perfect spring and summer sweet treat when you’re on a weight loss journey. They come together so quickly with very little effort, but taste incredibly delicious. And the best part? Each cheesecake has just 76 calories but tastes identical to it’s high calorie, high fat counterpart!

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Nothing sounds better than a lemon cheesecake in the spring and summertime. This recipe makes the most delicious mini cheesecakes with a crunchy base and the dreamiest lemon infused cheesecake filling. Each mini cheesecake has just 76 calories but tastes just as good – if not better, than it’s high calorie counterpart. Plus, these mini cheesecakes come together so quickly with very little effort involved!

Mini cheesecakes are 10x better than traditional cheesecake. No waterbath, quicker baking times and more convenient serving sizes, do I need to say more? These low calorie mini lemon cheesecakes definitely need to be apart of your spring and summer bakes. They bake super quickly, require very minimal prep and just chill in the fridge until you’re ready to tuck in. Plus, they make perfect snack prep as you can keep them in the fridge throughout the week!

Low calorie mini lemon cheesecakes

If you’re anything like me and always looking for the new best way to use up lemons, these mini lemon cheesecakes are it. They have the perfect balance between sweet and tart and crunchy and soft. And at just 76 calories a cheesecake, there’s no need to stop at one!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

• Each mini cheesecake has just 76 calories!
• Just 9 ingredients needed for the cheesecake and the base.
• The perfect lemon dessert for spring and summer.
• This recipe can easily be made gluten-free and dairy-free.
• This recipe is free from added sugar!
• Filled with delicious lemon flavor throughout.
• The BEST mini lemon cheesecakes ever!

Ingredients

Exact ingredient quantities can be found at the bottom of this page.

To make these low calorie mini lemon cheesecakes you will need:

Rich tea biscuits or graham crackers – To make the base for the mini cheesecakes you’ll need some biscuits (cookies if you’re a confused American). Rich tea biscuits are really low in calories and give the same result as a digestive would. The US equivalent would be graham crackers.

Low fat butter – To make the base. You can use any variation of low fat butter here, opt for a vegan alternative to make this recipe vegan friendly and dairy-free.

Stevia – To sweeten the base and the cheesecake filling. You can use any 0 calorie sweetener here but I have found stevia tastes the best in baked goods.

Egg – This recipe calls for just 1 large egg. Make sure your egg is at room temperature and not cold. To quickly get a refrigerated egg to room temperature, set it on the kitchen counter for 30 minutes to an hour before baking with it.

Philadelphia lightest – Philadelphia lightest is the perfect low calorie cream cheese for cheesecakes. It is very low in calories whilst still being thick and creamy. You can opt for low-fat cream cheese here if you can’t get Philadelphia lightest, this will add a few extra calories to the cheesecakes though. Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature before baking with it.

0% fat yogurt – I would recommend opting for fat-free yogurt here, I used 0% fat Greek yogurt. Not only does it add the classic tangy cheesecake flavor, it also creates a very smooth and creamy cheesecake. Opt for a vegan alternative to make this recipe vegan and dairy-free.

Lemon – You will need one whole lemon for this recipe. Both the zest and juice will go into the cheesecake to give it a strong lemon flavor!

Vanilla extract – Is any dessert complete without a dash of vanilla?

Plain/all-purpose flour – A little bit of flour helps the cheesecake set and thicken without the need for a water bath.

How to make low calorie mini lemon cheesecakes

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (356ºF). Prepare a 12-count muffin tray with cupcake liners.
2. Zest and juice one whole lemon and set aside.
3. Start by making the base of the cheesecakes by smashing the rich tea biscuits or graham crackers until very crumbly and fine.
4. Transfer the cookie crumbs to a medium bowl and add the stevia and butter. Mix to combine well.
5. Spoon 1-2 tablespoons of the crumb mixture into each cupcake liner in the muffin tray. You should be able to fill 10 of the cupcake liners about 1/3 of the way.
6. Bake the bases for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.
7. In the meantime, make the cheesecake filling by combining the yogurt, stevia, cream cheese, egg, lemon juice, lemon zest and vanilla extract until smooth. Sift in the flour and whisk to combine. Transfer the cheesecake filling to a piping bag, snip off the end and pour the filling over the baked bases. You want to fill them until they are mostly full with only a small amount of the liner empty at the top.
8. Bake the mini cheesecakes for 25-35 minutes or until they stop wobbling in the centre.
9. Allow the cheesecakes to cool completely at room temperature before transferring to the fridge to set and cool completely.
10. Garnish with lemon slices, serve and enjoy!

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