Low fat Marble Chocolate Cheesecake by DK on Feb 5, 2010
Recently when one of my Facebook readers - Pauline Heart asked me for Marble Cheesecake recipe for the upcoming Chinese New Year, I was reminded of this low calorie recipe from Cooking Light magazine which I had been meaning to try for a long time. Of course, it was not a microwave version which was what Pauline asked for. But I read through several online sources and they all seem pretty straightforward to make using a microwave. Of course my version is Oven based but I have given a small note at the end of each of the steps which may help when you are making in a microwave instead of Oven.
Disclaimer : These microwave notes are meant to be used as a guidance since I haven't personally followed this method. These notes have been included from various sources on the net with the intention of helping you to make the cheesecake in your microwave if you don't have the oven.
I have hardly come across anyone who does not like cheesecake (with of course, the exception of Yours truly and her husband - Really, from which planet did we both land up here, I wouldn't know!). Recently a friend of mine got herself a job here after trying for 2 long years and so she was ecstatic! So was I! She is a cheesecake fanatic and since she was in this everlasting diet - she was torturing herself by simply staring at cheesecakes at stores but not buying one to eat! I thought this happy occasion earned her a cheesecake and to make her feel less guilty,I thought I will make this low fat version and treat her.
I made it more low fat than the "already reduced fat" cheesecake recipe from Cooking Light. They had used 2 packets of fat free cream cheese and 1 packet of 1/3 rd less fat cream cheese. Also they used 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg. I used only fat free cream cheese and egg whites. I thought may be it would not taste good - but I was surprised at the result. Unless you are a cheesecake pro, you wouldn't know the difference. Though my friend did say this tasted little less rich than the usual , it sure did not stop her from gobbling up 6 pieces before I could say - Congratulations!
Next time you want to treat yourself with some cheesecake - make this one! Its better than not having any! You know you want a cheesecake now ;)
I made it more low fat than the "already reduced fat" cheesecake recipe from Cooking Light. They had used 2 packets of fat free cream cheese and 1 packet of 1/3 rd less fat cream cheese. Also they used 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg. I used only fat free cream cheese and egg whites. I thought may be it would not taste good - but I was surprised at the result. Unless you are a cheesecake pro, you wouldn't know the difference. Though my friend did say this tasted little less rich than the usual , it sure did not stop her from gobbling up 6 pieces before I could say - Congratulations!
Next time you want to treat yourself with some cheesecake - make this one! Its better than not having any! You know you want a cheesecake now ;) - Cook time:
- Prep time:
- Yields: Makes 12 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 9 cookie sheets) or make this gluten free by using these gluten free crackers.
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 3 (8-ounce) blocks fat-free cream cheese, softened (or use 2 blocks fat free and 1 block 1/3 less fat)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten free all purpose flour)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 4 large egg whites (or use 3 egg whites and 1 whole egg)
- 1 ounce semisweet chocolate
Method
1.
Preheat oven to 325°. Place crumbs in a 9-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray; drizzle with butter. Toss with a fork until moist. Press into bottom of pan. Bake at 325° for 8 minutes; cool on a wire rack.
2.
Microwave option:
Press the crumbs on side and bottom of 9″glass pie plate. Microwave on high for 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Cool for few minutes.
Place cheeses in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until smooth.
3.
Add sugar and flour; beat well.
4.
Add vanilla, egg whites, (and a whole egg, if using;) in a separate bowl. Whisk until well blended.
5.
Add this mixture to the cheese and beat until well blended.
6.
Pour cheese mixture into prepared pan.
7.
Microwave option:
If you have forgotten to soften your cream cheese, simply arrange the unwrapped blocks in a single layer in a large bowl, and microwave at HIGH a minute or until slightly soft. Beat the cheeses and follow the same procedure as mentioned above. Then pour this mixture on the cooled graham crust in the pan.
Place chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl; microwave at high 1 1/2 minutes or until soft, stirring after 45 seconds (chocolate should not completely melt). Stir until smooth. Drop melted chocolate onto cheese mixture to form 9 mounds. Swirl chocolate into batter using the tip of a knife.
8.
Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until almost set. You know it is set when the cheesecake leaves the side a little.
9.
Microwave option:
If your microwave has a carousel, use it. Otherwise, turn cake every 3 minutes during cooking. Cook on medium-high (70% power) for 10 to 12 minutes. The center should jiggle slightly when done and it will look set.
Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill at least 4 hours. I refrigerated overnight. Cut it into squares the next day.
I had a little trouble cutting them and retaining their shape - I dont know if fat free cream cheese has anything to do with it. But it tasted delicious otherwise.
The little chocolate flavor on the surface and that chocolate crumb completed the chewy gooey cheese in the middle. The vanilla extract added a hint of flavor and aroma to the cheesecake.
The little chocolate flavor on the surface and that chocolate crumb completed the chewy gooey cheese in the middle. The vanilla extract added a hint of flavor and aroma to the cheesecake.
Filed Under these categories
- 226 American
- 154 Baking
- 51 Cakes
- 138 Chinese New Year
- 30 Chocolate
- 366 Cuisine
- 227 Desserts/Sweets
- 447 Gluten Free
- 77 Healthy Baking
- 206 Healthy Foods
- 705 Kid Friendly
- 94 Occasions
- 224 Protein Rich
- 330 Super Bowl
- 248 Valentine's Day
Recipe Reference
minimally adapted from cooking light
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3 Member Reviews
By Laura on Sep 7, 2012
this recipe worked well although mine took more like 50mins to cook and even then it tasted slightly undercooked but will know that for next time. found this cheesecake a bit bland so would maybe add blueberries next time. we dont have graham crackers in uk so i had to substitute them for digestives. overall i was pleased to find a low fat cheesecake recipe that worked :-)
By shilpa on Apr 19, 2011
Well,I don't have sweet tooth & I don't like cheese cake, still I ended up eating a big piece after baking this one,which says it all :)) I made couple of changes,used 2 blocks of fat free & 1 block of 1/3 fat cream cheese & I did not get cake chocolate graham cracker crumbs,so used regular graham cracker crumbs.
40 Comments
By 10 Top Rated Low Fat Desserts on Apr 15, 2014
[...] RECIPE: Low Fat Marble Chocolate Cheesecake [...]
By Diana on Jul 14, 2012
Around how manny calories ? Lol
By Hello early mornings, goodbye unemployment. « Whatever gets you through the day. on Apr 2, 2012
[...] Healthy Marble Cheesecake (freely inspired from here – of course, you can use full-fat ingredients if you [...]
By jason on Mar 27, 2012
awesome many thanks
By Iris on Feb 7, 2012
Hi i want to trry this recipe but i am only concerned that i will get the wrong cream cheese.. can u name a brand that i can use.. else how can i make the cream cheese at home??? thanks...
By sangeeta on Jul 20, 2011
hey.. love ur recipes..... how to make chocolava cakes.. the ones u get in dominos.. with goooey chocolate centre.. tried it... but the it dint cum out gooey..
By Bhavna on Apr 6, 2011
Wow - this looks super yummy - am looking forward to your response on the eggless version - and more importantly, would you know if it turns out well at all without eggs/ egg whites - only then will I make the effort!!
By Shradha on Nov 22, 2010
Hey!!! this looks yummy.. i wanna try it.. but we dont have eggs(unfortunately). Suggest a substitute for the eggs in this recipe.
By ACE on Jul 17, 2010
is there a way to make it without eggs too for Indian vegetarians.
By sunita on Jul 1, 2010
are these kind of cream cracker biscuits or there is any substitiute for this choc cracker biscuits
You can use digestive biscuits as substitutes. Or use any chocolate flavored cookie to make the crumbs
By Lina on Jun 19, 2010
These aren't as light or "healthy" as I hoped they would be, but they're still a cut above the rest compared to many other cheesecakes, not to mention that they look GODLY 8) . I substituted the oil for applesauce, and used half fat-free Nilla wafers and half low fat chocolate graham crackers. I also reduced the sugar to 3/4 cups. I wonder if I could use a block of tofu in place of one of the blocks of cream cheese, but that'd probably weaken the flavor. I heard that some people can use skim ricotta cheese or processed fat free cottage cheese in the place of the cream cheese. I might try that sometime, but my mom thinks it'll probably screw up the recipe and waste ingredients.
By chloe on Jun 4, 2010
Hei.. it will be nice if u squeeze some lemon juice in it. Cream cheese and lemon works in very well.
more appetite. And sugar can be cut down to half. and still, it is nice.
i've tried it. and i skipped the flour. so it wont be so fluffy. and it taste much more better with the richness of cheese after refrigerated.
By Simonne on May 26, 2010
Hi,
This cheesecake looks divine, i wanna make this.
Can i ask are u baking in "normal bake" or water bath ?
Thanks!!
I did it in normal bake and not in water bath otherwise wud have mentioned it in the recipe :) --DK
By Amy B. on Apr 10, 2010
omgosh! this would have to be one of my favorite desserts! How I wish I can make this one, one day definitely!
By Amy on Apr 7, 2010
How many does this serve and what is the calorie content? Thanks
The original recipe which uses 2 fat free pkts of cream cheese and one 1/3 fat less fat cream cheese along with one whole egg (+3 egg whites) gave a calorie count of 239 (29% from fat), Fat:7.6g (sat 4.1g,mono 2.1g,poly 0.2g) Protein:9.7g Carbohydrate:31.4g Fiber:0.6g Cholesterol: 41mg Iron:0.6mg Sodium: 355mg Calcium:124mg. The yeild is 12 servings. My recipe makes it a tad more fat free hence these will be a little less in calorie than the ones mentioned here. (I use all fat free cream cheese and use only egg whites) Hope this helps --DK
By jessica on Apr 2, 2010
hi
your cheese cake looks great,but can i use ricotta cheese instead of cream cheese.thankx for your help
Although I know recipes which use Ricotta cheese to make Cheesecake, I have personally never tried one. Hence I am not really sure if it will work for this recipe. But I dont see why it should not be great! Give it a try and if you like it, pls if you can, do lemme know and I will try the same. :) --DK
By Spice Rack on Mar 6, 2010
:cry: It really made me sad when I saw the last image, the cake was all consumed. :cry:
The good thing about this cake, it is low fat and it is perfect for me because I am on my diet and I don't want to ruin that.
Thank you for posting this lovely delight.
By Diana on Feb 26, 2010
This is the perfect combination!... hmmm cheesecake!!... and chocolate!?? Oh my God! I will definitely make this amazing dessert! =D thanx!
By meenakshi on Feb 25, 2010
hi chef once again , i made this cream cheese cake without using cream cheese .as u ve told the substitute , imade some little changes in that substitute. i blended 375gm. cottage cheese with low fat 375gm cream to a very fine smooth consistency and followed the rest of ur recpie and it turned out AWESOME.i dont know what exactly is the taste of cream cheese but this too was marvellous .oh i fogot to tell u i had mixed some white choclate chunks in the batter and had used cream filled choclate biscuits instead of graham cracker biscuits.thankyou once again.
By meenakshi on Feb 24, 2010
hi iwant to make this cake but in delhi we donot get cream cheese . what is the substitute for cream cheese plz reply soon
The idea of making cheesecake is to use Cream cheese. So any substitute for using it huge qty is something which I am not sure of. I know of one recipe where you can make you own cream cheese. Take 1 liter full fat milk , bring it a boil remove from flame and set aside. In another bowl take 1 tsp citric acid crystals and mix with 1/3 cup warm water. Pour this into the milk and let it stand for 5 minutes till the milk curdles. Strain this using cheesecloth/muslin cloth/ Blend the drained milk solids in a processor till smooth. See if this helps --DK
By Pauline on Feb 23, 2010
Sorry for taking so long time to reply. Very busy all this while. Thank you very much for the recipe above. It is very helpful and I'll let you know the result after I try.
By Satya on Feb 9, 2010
Hi DK garu,
I have tried many of u r recipes but never left a comment.
I tried u r cheese cake recipe using EnerG Egg Replacer instead of eggs as we dont eat eggs.It turned out very good.Everyone liked it very much.
"THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SUCH WONDERFUL RECIPES"
Thank you so much Satya :) :) I am glad you like it --DK
By AshaLAtha R K Prasad on Feb 5, 2010
Every bit of it is amicably, persuasively tempting.... WOW!!! what angles of photography!!!!! I am totally amazed by the yumminess....
Ash...
(http://asha-oceanichope.blogspot.com/)
By nags on Feb 5, 2010
this looks gorgeous! i adore cheesecake!
By PJ on Feb 5, 2010
Didn't I tell you that your pics look as delicious [and gorgeous] as your dish!!Though i am not a huge fan of cheese cake I wouldn't mind a nibble coz theres the chocolate!!Will try in the microwave.
By mridhu on Feb 5, 2010
lets pretend I got a job too :D and I dont watch my weight(I really don't) :D
By Swathi on Feb 5, 2010
Dhivi,
I haven't tried anything in microwave, as afraid of loosing the nutrients, i will try this recipe some time.
By Vaishali Shara on Feb 5, 2010
I loveee Cheesecake!!! Yours looks sooo delicious that I could grab some right off the screen and eat. I wish!
Wonderful job!
By Indhu on Feb 5, 2010
DK.. HOW can you not like cheesecake? I could happily drown myself in cheesecake! love the pattern... :)
By Manali on Feb 5, 2010
heaven.....!!! on sunday, i'll b on cheese cake n coffee:).. n it may become my routine:) thks DK.. luv ya..
By Soumya on Feb 5, 2010
Yummy! Looks so good and 'am drooling at the pic.Its so divine. I sure will try but if you know any substitute for cream cheese pls let me know.As cream cheese has gelatin and i avoid that.Thanks.
By simplyfood on Feb 5, 2010
looks yummy and absolutely delicious.
By Nina on Feb 5, 2010
Its absolutely sinful.I wish i cud grab some right away.Awesome girl:)
By rachel on Feb 5, 2010
You don't like cheesecakes?? How can you not???? :cry: The cake looks awesome with the swirl on top.
By Asha on Feb 5, 2010
Oh, I used to love cheese cake but these days I am staying away from all, except may me a small portion of Tiramasu. Try making it in the MW in a small portions and experiment, might work and may not look as good as oven baked!:)
I think I slept on my right eye last night and also had Migraine, so I can't see in that properly today. Surf a little and then go and rest. It's poring snow, huge chunks, no school again for tushar.
Can't wait for Superbowl, hopefully my eye will be alright, it's blurry now.
By Suruchi on Feb 5, 2010
hi Chef...awesome recipe but in mumbai can u pls tell frm where will i get low cream cheese or any substitute in its place.....thanks. :)
By Jyoti on Feb 5, 2010
It looks heavenly! Feeling like gulping a few right now!!
By Priya on Feb 5, 2010
Absolutely divine...tempting cheesecake..
By MaryMoh on Feb 5, 2010
Mmmm....looks delicious. Beautiful pattern. Cheesecake is my all time favourite. Wish I can have some now!
By ashtrash on Apr 28, 2014