High-Protein Strawberry Cheesecake Dessert
Ingredients — 4 servings
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Cottage cheese | 1 cup (about 225 g) |
| Plain Greek yogurt | 1 cup (about 240 g) |
| Sugar-free strawberry Jell-O powder | 1 small box / about 8–9 g |
| Fresh strawberries | 1½ cups (225 g), diced |
| Vanilla extract | 1 tsp |
| Sweetener | Optional, to taste |
| Water or milk | 2–4 tbsp, if needed |
For even more protein: add ½–1 scoop vanilla protein powder.
👩🍳 Instructions
- Blend the base
Add cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, vanilla and sweetener to a blender or food processor. Blend for 1–2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy. - Add the Jell-O
Add the sugar-free Jell-O powder and blend again for about 20–30 seconds. - Adjust the consistency
If it’s too thick to blend, add 1 tablespoon of milk or water at a time. Don’t add too much—the dessert will become softer as it sits. - Add strawberries
Dice about 1 cup of strawberries very finely. Fold them into the blended mixture. - Transfer to a dish
Pour into a glass container or serving dish. - Top it
Add the remaining diced strawberries over the surface, just like the dessert shown in your picture. - Chill
Refrigerate for 2–4 hours. For a firmer cheesecake-like texture, leave it overnight. - Serve cold.
💪 Approximate Nutrition
Nutrition depends heavily on the exact cottage cheese, yogurt and protein powder you use, so these are estimates rather than exact label values.
Without protein powder — whole recipe
Approximately:
- Calories: 400–500 kcal
- Protein: 40–50 g
- Carbohydrates: 35–45 g
- Fat: 10–15 g
- Fiber: 4–6 g
- Sugar: roughly 20–30 g, much of it naturally occurring from strawberries/dairy
Per serving — 4 servings
Approximately:
- Calories: 100–125 kcal
- Protein: 10–13 g
- Carbs: 9–11 g
- Fat: 2–4 g
- Fiber: 1–1.5 g
With 1 scoop protein powder
If your protein powder provides about 24 g protein and 120 kcal per scoop, the whole recipe becomes approximately:
- Protein: 65–75 g
- Calories: 520–620 kcal
Per 4 servings:
- Protein: 16–19 g
- Calories: 130–155 kcal
🥣 How to Make It Even Higher Protein
For a 20+ g protein serving, use:
- 1½ cups low-fat or fat-free cottage cheese
- 1½ cups nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 scoop vanilla whey/casein protein
- Sugar-free strawberry Jell-O
- 1½ cups strawberries
This gives you a much higher protein-to-calorie ratio while keeping the dessert creamy.
Best texture tip
Blend the cottage cheese completely smooth before adding the strawberries. This removes the cottage-cheese texture and makes it taste much more like strawberry cheesecake mousse.
Can I use regular Jell-O?
Yes, but it will increase the sugar and calories. Sugar-free Jell-O is preferable if you’re specifically trying to keep the dessert low-calorie.
Can I use flavored yogurt?
Yes, but check the nutrition label. Vanilla Greek yogurt works particularly well, although it may contain more sugar than plain Greek yogurt.
Can I use frozen strawberries?
Yes. Thaw and drain them first. Fresh strawberries are better for the topping because they remain firm.
Can I make it without protein powder?
Yes. Cottage cheese + Greek yogurt already provide substantial protein. Protein powder is optional.
How long does it last?
Keep it covered in the refrigerator and ideally eat it within 2–3 days. Add fresh strawberry topping shortly before serving if possible.
Is this actually a cheesecake?
Not technically. It’s more accurately a strawberry cheesecake-style protein mousse/fluff. It has the cheesecake flavor profile without the baked crust and traditional cream-cheese filling.
Does it taste like cottage cheese?
If you blend it thoroughly, very little. The strawberries, vanilla and Jell-O help mask the cottage-cheese flavor.
Can I freeze it?
You can, but the texture may become icy or slightly grainy after thawing. Refrigeration is better for the mousse-like texture.
