No-Bake Berry Cheesecake from SHAPE

I recently ran across this lighter take on cheesecake in a recent issue of Shape Magazine. 

If you're craving dessert but don't want too big of a splurge, at 139 calories each, these no-bake cheesecakes are an awesome option.  I think the lemon zest is the perfect finishing touch in this recipe.  

Ingredients:

For crust-

1 c. graham crackers, crumbled

1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted

4 tsp. canola oil

For cheesecake-

8 oz. Neufchatel cheese, softened

1 c. nonfat vanilla Greek yogurt

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

2 Tbsp. sugar

1. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. In a food processor, pulse together graham crackers, almonds, and canola oil until finely ground.  
3. Divide evenly among prepared cups and press down firmly.
4. Wipe out food processor and add Neufchatel cheese, Greek yogurt, lemon zest, and sugar; process until smooth.
5. Divide among muffin cups, smooth the top of each cheesecake, and freeze for 3 hours.  
6. Before serving, remove paper liners from cheesecakes and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.  
7. Top with mixed berries, pressing gently to adhere.

 

For another healthy option, swap stevia for the sugar.  After freezing the cheesecakes for 3 hours, I also found them to need slightly more than 20 minutes to thaw.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do!  Til next time! -M