Lighter Chocolate Cottage Cheese Cheesecake

Ingredients

• 1 cup cottage cheese (can substitute with Greek yogurt or room temperature cream cheese)
• 3 eggs (large)
• 5 tbsp cacao powder
• 2 tbsp arrowroot powder (or cornstarch, tapioca flour, or all-purpose flour if not gluten-free)
• 0.25 cup granulated sweetener (of choice)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 0.25 tsp salt (plus extra flaky salt for finishing)
• 0.25 cup chocolate chips (use sugar-free or vegan chips if desired)
• peanut butter (for drizzling)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your air fryer or oven to 350℉ (175℃).

2. 2

   Line a 6-inch round cake pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

3. 3

   Add the cottage cheese to a small food processor and pulse until mostly smooth.

4. 4

   Add the eggs, cacao powder, arrowroot powder, granulated sweetener, vanilla extract, and salt to the food processor. Pulse until the batter is completely smooth.

5. 5

   Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the top.

6. 6

   Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the cooking time, or until the top of the cake puffs up.

7. 7

   Remove the pan from the oven and allow the cake to set in the pan for 15 minutes. Note that the top will deflate slightly as it cools.

8. 8

   Drizzle with peanut butter and a pinch of flaky salt before serving.

9. 9

   For a gooey texture, serve immediately. For a traditional cheesecake texture, refrigerate for at least a few hours prior to serving.

Notes

To make this dairy-free, use dairy-free yogurt and vegan chocolate chips. If you don't have a food processor, you can use a blender or substitute the cottage cheese with Greek yogurt and whisk by hand. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• cheesecake
• gluten-free
• high-protein
• low-fat
• air fryer
• baked