Low calorie strawberry cheesecake recipe

When the sun is out and the weather starts to warm up, you know you need to make homemade cheesecake! And what better flavor than the classic strawberry cheesecake that hits every time?! This low calorie strawberry cheesecake has a simple, buttery cookie base with a strawberry infused filling and fresh strawberry puree topping.

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I LOVE a good cheesecake. As someone with VERY high standards for cheesecake, you can rest assured that any cheesecake recipe I share, is top tier. This low calorie strawberry cheesecake is no exception. It is actually incredible. If you have made my low calorie mini strawberry cheesecakes, think that same cheesecake but creamier AND more strawberries.

This recipe is one of those that you will revisit time and time again. It is so simple and easy to make, you can store it in the fridge for dessert throughout the week and it requires a few everyday ingredients. And as if it couldn’t get any better, this recipe is made all in one go with no water bath! I hate water baths and I’ve come to realise you really don’t need it to make a great cheesecake 😉

This cheesecake features my classic low calorie rich tea biscuit base with a strawberry infused filling and topped with strawberry puree. There are no strawberry flavorings or extracts – all the flavor comes from fresh strawberries. You can have all of this goodness for just 140 calories per slice!

Craving more cheesecake? Why not try this low calorie cinnamon roll cheesecake or this low calorie classic NYC style cheesecake.

Ingredients in low calorie strawberry cheesecake

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

To make this low calorie strawberry cheesecake, you will need:

Rich tea biscuits – I get a lot of questions from my none UK readers about rich tea biscuits and they’re essentially the UK version of a sweetened graham cracker. They’re fairly low in calories and make a perfect cheesecake base. If you don’t have them where you live, graham crackers will work in a 1:1 ratio to replace them.

Melted low-fat butter – I use Flora ligher which is technically margarine but works similar enough to butter to bind the base together. You can opt for any low-fat or light butter.

Stevia – To sweeten the cheesecake and the base. I get a lot of questions about Stevia as well, it seems many of you don’t like it! That’s completely fine and it can be replaced with any 0 calorie granulated sweetener of your choice. The stevia I use is a 1:2 ratio of stevia to sugar so bear that in mind when measuring your sweetener.

Fresh strawberries – They will be turned into a puree, half will be used in the cheesecake mix and the other half to top the cheesecake.

Egg – One room temperature egg. To quickly get a refrigerated egg to room temperature, set in a bowl of warm water for at least 10 minutes. Alternatively, set on the kitchen counter for at least 30 minutes.

Philadelphia lightest – The closest equivalent is any 3% fat cream cheese you can find. Otherwise, you can opt for a low-fat cream cheese with a little increase in calories. Ensure the cream cheese it at room temperature.

0% fat yogurt – I used a 0% fat greek yogurt which is very thick and helps the cheesecake hold it’s shape. You can also opt for low-fat regular yogurt. Ensure the yogurt is at room temperature.

Vanilla – A staple in any cheesecake recipe. To really elevate your recipes, use vanilla bean paste.

Lemon juice – Just a dash.

Plain/all-purpose flour – This helps the cheesecake thicken and set. It works really well in low calorie cheesecakes as there isn’t a lot of fat to help the cheesecake thicken and keep it’s shape.

How to make low calorie strawberry cheesecake

1. Pre-heat oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Line a 6-inch cake tin with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, crush the rich tea biscuits with a rolling pin until fine crumbs. You can also place them in a ziplock bag and crush them that way.
3. Add the melted butter and stevia into the biscuit/cookie crumbs and mix to combine. Transfer to the lined cake tin and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Make the strawberry puree by blitzing the fresh strawberries in a blender until completely smooth. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the stevia and egg until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, yogurt, vanilla and lemon juice and whisk to combine. Sift in the flour and whisk to combine.
6. Add half of the strawberry puree to the cheesecake mixture and fold to combine. Pour the cheesecake filling over the cookie base. Using a tablespoon, scoop blobs of the strawberry puree and place over the cheesecake filling until you’ve used up all the puree. Using a chopstick or a toothpick, create swirls by lightly mixing the puree into the cheesecake.
7. Bake for 50-55 minutes. Allow the cheesecake to cool to room temperature before transferring to the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
8. Slice and enjoy!

Top tips

I would just like to add that this cheesecake is very low in calories and it’s partially due to the fact that it uses 0% fat or low-fat ingredients. This makes it more susceptible to cracking so if you do see cracks in your cheesecake (I often do), don’t be alarmed. It will still taste just as delicious!

Don’t over mix – Over mixing can create larger cracks in your cheesecake by adding too much air into the batter. Mix until everything is just combined.

Use room temperature ingredients – Room temperature ingredients incorporate much better which reduces over mixing and thus reduces the chances of getting large cracks in your cheesecake!

Strain the cheesecake batter – If you see any lumps in your batter, it’s better to strain it rather than continuing to whisk which risks over-mixing the batter. By straining the batter, you get all the lumps out without over-mixing!

Storage

This cheesecake should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

more low calorie cheesecakes…