Can you imagine anything better this time of year? And to make this recipe even more irresistible, it’s made with a ginger snap crust! This, my friends, is what the holidays are all about—creamy, decadent desserts. But wait—this one’s been made lighter. That’s right—now you can have your cheesecake and still fit into your skinny jeans! Maybe.
For this recipe you’ll need:
For the ginger snap crust:
15 ginger snaps
2 Tablespoons apricot or peach jam, melted
For the pumpkin cheesecake filling:
8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces tub-style light cream cheese (do not use fat-free for this), at room temperature
1 ¼ cups granulated sugar
1 cup nonfat cottage cheese
1 1/3 cups canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground allspice
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
6 egg whites
To make this recipe:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Coat an 8 or 9-inch springform pan with nonstick spray.
To prepare the crust:
Using a food processor or blender, pulse the ginger snaps until they are crumbly. Place the crushed ginger snaps in a large bowl and combine them with the melted jam using a fork. When thoroughly combined, press the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan.
To prepare the filling:
Beat together the fat-free cream cheese and the light cream cheese in a large bowl using an electric mixer. (Start on low or you’ll wear the cream cheese) Beat in the sugar.
Next, puree the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until it is smooth and creamy. Add the pumpkin, vanilla, cinnamon, flour, allspice, and cloves. Blend until mixture is smooth. Add the pumpkin mixture to the cream cheese mixture and mix until just blended. Add the egg whites and mix until just blended.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven for 80 minutes.
To avoid cracking, leave the cheesecake in the oven for an hour before removing it. Refrigerate, covered, for several hours or overnight before serving. Top with whipped topping if desired.
Try this diabetic-friendly cheesecake!
Try Chocolate Turtle Cheesecake!
Raspberry cheesecake brownies!