Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Most evenings, I finish my day with a slice of homemade cheesecake. This sounds decadent, but my recipe includes no added sugar, no sweetener of any kind, and the cheese is mostly cottage cheese! Loaded with protein, low in fat, low in sugar, and still yummy enough to qualify as a treat, this cheesecake ticks all the right boxes. (As they say on HGTV!)

If you love the combination of peanut butter and oats, then this crust is perfect for you. I used both peanuts AND peanut butter powder, which contains no fat. The creamy filling adds another layer of peanutty flavor. I used dark chocolate chips for some sweetness, but you can leave them out for a completely sugar-free cheesecake.

You could serve this treat with fresh fruit. Strawberries or bananas would be perfect!

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted peanuts (salted)
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup peanut butter powder
1-2 TB hot water

3 large eggs
16 oz. cottage cheese (low fat is fine)
8 oz. low fat cream cheese
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. In bowl of food processor, pulse oats and peanuts until finely ground. Add peanut butter powder and water. Pulse until crust forms. Dump contents into a deep dish pie pan. Press with fingertips to form crust on sides and bottom of pan. Bake at 350F for 11 minutes. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 325F.

Using a hand-held immersion blender, mix together the filling ingredients, except for chocolate chips. Blend thoroughly until batter is smooth. Pour half of filling into crust. Sprinkle chocolate chips over filling, then top with the rest of the batter. Bake at 325F for about 45 minutes or until center is set. Let cool completely then refrigerate overnight. Make 8 servings.